Pardew rapt with Demba partnership

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew hailed Demba Papiss Cisse after the striker scored the only goal in their win over Norwich City on Sunday.

The forward’s third strike since a seven-million-pound switch from German outfit Freiburg in January strengthened the Magpies’ grip on sixth place in the Premier League as they saw off Paul Lambert’s men.

And Newcastle boss Pardew had high praise for his new number nine, and fellow Senegal international Demba Ba.

“I thought that he (Cisse) had his best game for us today not just in the fact that he threatened the goal but also because his link-up play and his work-rate was right up there with the best in this division,” he told reporters.

“I am really pleased that he got the goal and perhaps he should have had two. In training he bangs three or four goals in quick succession and it surprised me that he missed them actually.”

“Papiss and Demba were a little bit closer together today and that worked better for us. If you are going to play two out-and-out strikers like they are you have to ask them to work and they really put in a shift because that extra midfield player Norwich had really started to get a grip at times.”

“Being able to contain it and deal with it when you have got two goal-scorers on the pitch might have been the difference today.”

Newcastle won despite being without midfield force Cheick Tiote due to hamstring trouble, and Pardew said he believes the resilience shown by his players bodes well for the future.

“We had eight senior players today and we have four or five out for the season so we have been unlucky with injuries and I ask players to play in different positions and Yohan Cabaye has had to play in five different positions today,” he continued.

“Everyone is pulling to get us this finish we need. That is how important a win is in the Premiership. It is the last ten games and so it makes the task doable whereas perhaps if we had lost today winning five out of the last nine would not have been doable because we are not firing on all cylinders.”

“We are not balanced and we are not at our best and if you can win when you are not at your best it is a great ingredient to have. Norwich played with an assurance.”

“It is easy to look at someone like them and not give them the respect they are due. We did. We knew it would be tough and my players are absolutely elated to have beaten them.”

“(Club owner) Mike Ashley said to me after the Sunderland game that was fantastic theatre and he thoroughly enjoyed it. There wasn’t much theatre today but there was a real professionalism on the pitch.”

“If I had come here as a coach or a manager watching the game you would have to say both teams put in a full stint that in a way stopped the other playing a bit.”

“The flair players could have maybe offered a bit more ‘je ne sais quoi’ (attractiveness) today but my goodness it was a real battle and it is always nice to win a battle.”