Swansea  0 - 2 Newcastle

Manager backs Toon hitman to rediscover his scoring form

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has backed Demba Ba to rediscover his goalscoring form, insisting the striker will not be content continuing to play second fiddle to Papiss Cisse.

Ba has been overshadowed by Senegal team-mate Cisse since his arrival in January, with the winter signing scoring seven goals in eight appearances for the Magpies, including both strikes in Sunday's 2-0 win over Liverpool.

In contrast, Ba has only scored once, on Cisse's debut, since he returned from the African Nations Cup in February.

Pardew, speaking ahead of Newcastle's trip to Swansea on Friday, said: "Demba isn't going to be happy if he's not scoring goals.

"It's just the nature of the beast. He's a goalscorer so Papiss (Cisse) getting all the goals and getting all the credit isn't going to keep him happy.

"I hope he gets angry on Friday and slaps a couple in himself."

Newcastle approach Friday's game at the Liberty Stadium on a three-game winning run while Swansea have lost their last two league games against Tottenham and Everton.

Pardew believes his side's recent results will help to level the playing field in what he expects to be a tough trip.

Important

"We've managed to beat teams who are on their game and that's very important," he said.

"We've had a couple of upsets here and there in a positive way and upsets in a negative way, but what we have been is consistent.

"It's a very competitive league. We've been competitive every game.

"You play teams in tides really. Sometimes the tide is in and sometimes the tide is out.

"Swansea have lost a couple and their tide is out a little bit and we're very much in and that will even that fixture up as Swansea away is a very difficult game."

Alan Pardew's men had little of the ball in a workmanlike display but showed all of the cutting edge as Yohan Cabaye twice fed the Senegalese striker to score.

Cisse has now bagged seven goals in his last four games and his penetration was the difference between the sides.

The result keeps Newcastle's Champions League hopes alive and showcased all of their battling qualities as Swansea dominated possession.

Brendan Rodgers' side stuck to their passing principles, having as much as 80% of the ball before the break.

But Newcastle restricted the home side to speculative long-range efforts and appeared content to allow Swansea the ball in deep areas.

The game-plan worked as early as the fifth-minute when Cisse fired home from the away side's first meaningful attack.

And there was no way back for the Swans when the striker curled the ball home beautifully for his second after the break.

Stunned crowd

Sigurdsson had an early chance for the hosts but he could only screw his shot wide after Nathan Dyer had dispossessed Demba Ba.

And Newcastle showed how it should be done as they stunned the home crowd by taking the lead.

Swansea responded as Angel Rangel blazed high and wide after Dyer's neat dummy, while Joe Allen shot straight at Tim Krul.

But Newcastle's threat was clear to see as Hatem Ben Arfa released Ba, but Steven Caulker got back to make a sharp block.

Newcastle were content to sit back on their lead, allowing Swansea to dominate possession, and one extended incisive passing movement ended with Krul beating away a powerful Sigurdsson drive.

Caulker headed over the bar from the resulting corner before Mike Williamson became the first man in the book after a crude challenge from behind on Luke Moore.

Krul held Sigurdsson's long-distance effort from the ensuing free-kick and James Perch blocked another strike from the dangerous Iceland international late in the first half, with Newcastle struggling to get out of their own territory.

Pardew introduced Ryan Taylor at the interval in place of midfield anchor Cheick Tiote and his side came close to conceding an equaliser inside 60 seconds.

Dyer twisted and turned on the edge of the area to again tee up Sigurdsson, whose low shot was deflected just wide of Krul's left-hand post.

Pressure

Newcastle then lost Ba after the forward appeared to pick up an ankle injury, with Shane Ferguson his replacement.

But the visitors reminded their hosts that they were still a threat as Ben Arfa led a smart breakout that saw Cisse drag an effort just wide of goal.

Needing to find a spark, Rodgers summoned Graham and Sinclair for Dyer and Moore as his side's search for an equaliser intensified.

But, having failed to heed the earlier warning, they fell further behind in the 69th minute as Cabaye again combined with Cisse, with the striker delicately lofting the ball over Vorm into the far corner while off balance.

Swansea's frustration increased as Graham failed to pull the trigger after Sigurdsson had picked the forward out, before the on-loan midfielder could not hit the target from distance.

Rangel then headed wide to sum up their day.