It was a pure classic example of an age-old football truism. All of the possession in the world is bog-all use to man nor beast if you don't stick the ball in the net. Wearing the number nine shirt at yer actual Keith Telly Topping's beloved (though, still unsellable) Newcastle United would weigh heavily on many shoulders but Papiss Dema Cissé appears to be positively liberated by the famous jersey he's wearing. On another hugely satisfying day for Alan Pardew, the ten million knicker signing from Freiburg in January again scored twice to take his tally to a remarkable nine goals in just eight Premier League appearances. United picked up a fourth successive top-flight victory for the first time in six years to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. The Magpies strengthened their surprise Champions League push with a superb win at Swansea City thanks to another clinical Cissé double. The in-form striker from Dakar cracked the Magpies into an early lead as he raced onto Yohan Cabaye's pass to fire past The Swans keeper Michel Vorm from twenty yards. 
Swansea then proceeded to dominate possession for most of the rest of the match - Brendan Rodgers' attractive side knocking the ball around beautifully. Comfortable in possession, whole periods of the game seemed to fly by as The Swans stroked the ball around patiently building from the back. At times it was a joy to watch, although if there was one frustration for the home supporters it was that Tim Krul, the Newcastle goalkeeper, had only one save of note to make in the entire first half - and only about two others not of note either. And, he didn't have much more to do after the break. Several promising Swansea moves petered out as a result of a stray final ball and solid defending from United's makeshift back four - still, remember, without Coloccini and Steve Taylor. The save Krul made was an impressive one, Gylfi Sigurdsson's dipping right-footed shot, after the lively Joe Allen had spotted the Icelandic midfielder in space twenty five yards from goal, spectacularly turned around the post by the young Dutch keeper. But Newcastle showed them how to do the penetration thing as Hatem Ben Arfa, Cayabe and Cissé combined to seal a smash-and-grab win on the hour. Cissé exquisitely chipped Vorm from inside the box to celebrate a third successive brace. A fourth win in a row for Newcastle ensured Alan Pardew's side leapfrog Moscow Chelski FC into fifth place in the Premiership and are now just two points behind Stottingtot Hotshots and The Arse, who occupy the last two Champions League places. Pardew has done a very good job of managing expectations and keeping supporters' feet on the floor. But, Pardew's men seem to have hit form at just the right time with six games remaining. If Newcastle do make it back into European competition it will be for the first time since the 2006-07 season. And while Cissé will enjoy all of the headlines, the resolute Magpies defence and hard-working midfield - including a superb performance from Jonás Gutiérrez playing out of position in the middle - ensured their first every Premier League win on a Friday. Swansea, meanwhile, have now lost three league games in a row for the first time since losing to York, Bury and Lincoln in Division Three in January 2003. 
Krul was rarely tested although Sigurdsson, the recently-crowned Premier League Player of the Month for March, should have done so in the opening two minutes. But after Nathan Dyer's had cut in from the right and set up the Icelandic international, Sigurdsson could only drag his shot tamely across Krul's goal. The hosts were immediately punished as the Cissé capitalised on some generous Swansea marking to fire Newcastle into a fifth minute lead. The Senegalese striker lost his marker, sped onto Cabaye's lovely one-touch through-pass and fired past Vorm from twenty yards. Cissé took advantage of the space that opened up between Ashley Williams and Steven Caulker, the Swansea central defenders, before spearing a low shot across Vorm. Cissé, who started as a lone centre forward but interchanged with Demba Ba on the left flank in a 4-4-1-1 formation which saw Cabaye deployed just off the main striker, threatened to add a second twelve minutes later but Caulker, after initially looking like he had allowed the striker to get the better of him, managed to get in a block. Newcastle's threat, however, was largely confined to the counterattack, as Swansea, as we have seen on many other occasions this season, dominated possession with their neat passing and fluid movement. But, they couldn't score. Sigurdsson, as mentioned, stung the hands of Krul with his fierce twenty five-yard drive and he also had a shot blocked by Davide Santon and a weak thirty-yard free-kick which was easily collected by the Newcastle keeper. Rodgers had rested his leading scorers, Danny Graham and Scott Sinclair, who had scored seventeen of Swansea's thirty five league goals this season, as the Swans struggled to penetrate. After a deflected Joe Allen twenty five-yard effort was beaten away by Krul, Rodgers unleashed Graham and Sinclair early in the second half. But Sinclair had just showed a glimpse of his ability by jinking into the box and firing a goal-bound shot at Ryan Taylor, when Cissé ended Swansea's hopes.
Swansea then proceeded to dominate possession for most of the rest of the match - Brendan Rodgers' attractive side knocking the ball around beautifully. Comfortable in possession, whole periods of the game seemed to fly by as The Swans stroked the ball around patiently building from the back. At times it was a joy to watch, although if there was one frustration for the home supporters it was that Tim Krul, the Newcastle goalkeeper, had only one save of note to make in the entire first half - and only about two others not of note either. And, he didn't have much more to do after the break. Several promising Swansea moves petered out as a result of a stray final ball and solid defending from United's makeshift back four - still, remember, without Coloccini and Steve Taylor. The save Krul made was an impressive one, Gylfi Sigurdsson's dipping right-footed shot, after the lively Joe Allen had spotted the Icelandic midfielder in space twenty five yards from goal, spectacularly turned around the post by the young Dutch keeper. But Newcastle showed them how to do the penetration thing as Hatem Ben Arfa, Cayabe and Cissé combined to seal a smash-and-grab win on the hour. Cissé exquisitely chipped Vorm from inside the box to celebrate a third successive brace. A fourth win in a row for Newcastle ensured Alan Pardew's side leapfrog Moscow Chelski FC into fifth place in the Premiership and are now just two points behind Stottingtot Hotshots and The Arse, who occupy the last two Champions League places. Pardew has done a very good job of managing expectations and keeping supporters' feet on the floor. But, Pardew's men seem to have hit form at just the right time with six games remaining. If Newcastle do make it back into European competition it will be for the first time since the 2006-07 season. And while Cissé will enjoy all of the headlines, the resolute Magpies defence and hard-working midfield - including a superb performance from Jonás Gutiérrez playing out of position in the middle - ensured their first every Premier League win on a Friday. Swansea, meanwhile, have now lost three league games in a row for the first time since losing to York, Bury and Lincoln in Division Three in January 2003. 
Krul was rarely tested although Sigurdsson, the recently-crowned Premier League Player of the Month for March, should have done so in the opening two minutes. But after Nathan Dyer's had cut in from the right and set up the Icelandic international, Sigurdsson could only drag his shot tamely across Krul's goal. The hosts were immediately punished as the Cissé capitalised on some generous Swansea marking to fire Newcastle into a fifth minute lead. The Senegalese striker lost his marker, sped onto Cabaye's lovely one-touch through-pass and fired past Vorm from twenty yards. Cissé took advantage of the space that opened up between Ashley Williams and Steven Caulker, the Swansea central defenders, before spearing a low shot across Vorm. Cissé, who started as a lone centre forward but interchanged with Demba Ba on the left flank in a 4-4-1-1 formation which saw Cabaye deployed just off the main striker, threatened to add a second twelve minutes later but Caulker, after initially looking like he had allowed the striker to get the better of him, managed to get in a block. Newcastle's threat, however, was largely confined to the counterattack, as Swansea, as we have seen on many other occasions this season, dominated possession with their neat passing and fluid movement. But, they couldn't score. Sigurdsson, as mentioned, stung the hands of Krul with his fierce twenty five-yard drive and he also had a shot blocked by Davide Santon and a weak thirty-yard free-kick which was easily collected by the Newcastle keeper. Rodgers had rested his leading scorers, Danny Graham and Scott Sinclair, who had scored seventeen of Swansea's thirty five league goals this season, as the Swans struggled to penetrate. After a deflected Joe Allen twenty five-yard effort was beaten away by Krul, Rodgers unleashed Graham and Sinclair early in the second half. But Sinclair had just showed a glimpse of his ability by jinking into the box and firing a goal-bound shot at Ryan Taylor, when Cissé ended Swansea's hopes.
