Swansea 0 - 2 Newcastle: Cisse at the double as Magpies climb to fifth

The Senegal striker opened the scoring with a low shot in just the fifth minute before sealing the win in the 69th minute by lofting over Michel Vorm for his ninth goal in eight games.

Swansea enjoyed almost a monopoly on possession but their lack of a cutting edge was cruelly exposed. Gylfi Sigurdsson had their best chances but it was Cisse whose goalscoring prowess again stole the headlines. The double was his third in consecutive games, and his form since his arrival in January has been key in Newcastle’s best league run since April 2006.

Sigurdsson had an early chance for the hosts but 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. Yohan Cabaye produced a classy first-time through-ball to find Cisse and although Vorm got a hand to the striker’s low effort, he could not keep it out.

Swansea responded as Angel Rangel blazed 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 sat back on their lead, allowing Swansea to dominate possession, and one extended incisive passing movement ended with Krul beating away a Sigurdsson drive. Caulker headed over the bar from the resulting corner.

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 turned on the edge of the area to again tee up Sigurdsson, whose low shot was deflected just wide. Swansea piled the pressure on and Krul was helped by a slice of fortune as Allen’s drive flicked off Williamson, struck the keeper and flew away to safety.

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 Danny Graham and Scott 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.