Manchester United defender Jonny Evans has refused to believe that Tom Cleverley meant his goal against Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday.

The 23-year-old midfielder scored the Red Devils' third goal in a 3-0 win at St James' Park with a curling shot into the top corner and has since insisted that his intention was always to go for goal.

"There is no way he meant that," Evans told MUTV. "To try and shoot from there, especially to bend it, he definitely didn't mean it. I think he was looking for Robin van Persie at the back post but it went in.

"But that was a really important time for us to score a goal because they kept pumping the ball in the box and were getting one or two chances. It was important for us to get the 3-0 lead."

The goal against Newcastle was Cleverley's first in the Premier League for United.