Cisse stunner helps Newcastle see off Villa

Papiss Cisse fires home the winner on debut for Newcastle

The script was written, and Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse didn't forget their lines as Newcastle's Senegalese strike force fired Newcastle to a 2-1 win over Aston Villa. 

Newcastle had taken the lead through Ba's close range strike, but Robbie Keane equalised deep into first half injury time to level matters. However, it was Cisse who would write the headlines as his sumptuous left footed volley sent St James' Park into delirium and sealed all three points for Alan Pardew's side.

Cisse started the contest from the substitutes bench, but was called into the action earlier than anticipated after Leon Best sustained medial ligament damage in a challenge with Richard Dunne.

Villa had enjoyed the better of the early stages, Darren Bent forcing two good saves from Tim Krul as the visitors pressed to try and find a way through a stern Newcastle defence.

However, it was Newcastle who struck first. Danny Guthrie's accurate delivery was initially met by Ryan Taylor, but after a strong challenge from Stephen Warnock the ball fell to Ba, and the Newcastle top scorer made no mistake as he stabbed past Shay Given to score on his return from the African Cup of Nations and give his side the lead.

What followed was a show of solidarity by Ba and new boy Cisse, who celebrated the goal by engaging in a joint prayer, before being mobbed by their team mates.

Taylor sustained an injury in the challenge with Warnock, and had to be stretchered off as result, Gabriel Obertan taking his place on the right side of midfield.

The delay in removing Taylor from the field led to six minutes of injury time, and despite Newcastle looking comfortable for the majority of the additional minutes, Villa were able to take advantage. Charles N'Zogbia beat Danny Simpson to get to the byline and deliver a well placed cross which was met by Keane, who tapped in to level the scores on the stroke of Half Time.

Alex McLeish made one change during the interval, replacing former Newcastle loanee Stephen Ireland with Barry Bannan. 

The switch had little effect on the game, and Villa seemed to lose the initiative as Newcastle began to control the early stages of the second period. The withdrawal of Charles N'Zogbia for Emile Heskey seemed to hinder the visitor's cause further, but still Pardew's men could not convert their superiority into goals. Indeed, Cisse's moment looked to have passed when he headed over from Danny Guthrie's cross.

The former Freiburg man was to be handed another chance, and it was one that he finished off emphatically to restore Newcastle's advantage. The Senegalese international chested down Jonas Gutierrez's delivery on the edge of the area, before unleashing a beautiful left footed volley that flew past Given and into the top corner of the net.

Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse celebrate Newcastle's winner

 

The strike lifted the roof of St James Park and marked a special moment for Newcastle's new number 9, as he opened his account in front of the Gallowgate End.

Cisse almost added another soon after as he latched on to a deflected Obertan cross to fire a low effort towards the bottom corner of the goal, but this time the strike was deflected wide and away from danger.

Villa desperately searched for an equaliser and came close to snatching a point when Krul made a smart save to deny substitute Gary Gardner. That was to be all she wrote for the visitors, as Newcastle were able to see out the game and wrap up a win that keeps them in contention for a Champions League berth. 

Newcastle now go on the road to White Hart Lane to face Harry Redknapp's Tottenham. The Magpies do not have a great record in that area of North London, but Pardew's men will be confident of taking something from the game with their African strike force firing on all cylinders.