Demba double act hit the right Toon

Not since Sam Fox teamed up with Sabrina has there been a more striking double D partnership.

Younger supporters might like to ask their fathers about the glamour model pin-ups and their sadly failed attempts to dominate the top 40 in the late 1980s. When it comes to ruling the goal charts, however, Newcastle’s two Dembas look like being a major hit.

It was a chance to pay tribute to heroes past, present and future at St James’ Park, Shay Given, afforded a predictably rapturous welcome on his return, powerless to prevent goals from Demba Ba, who further cemented his place as the darling of the Gallowgate, and Papiss Demba Cisse, with a debut strike to suggest he will soon follow suit, sealing Newcastle’s return to fifth place in a season where Alan Pardew’s side continue to over-achieve. For their part, at best, Villa are treading water.

A second victory in four days wasn’t sealed without alarm, and after Robbie Keane claimed his third goal in five league appearances for his temporary employers, only the brilliance of Tim Krul in the home goal ensured maximum points were secured, a late point-blank save from substitute Gary Gardner particularly taking the breath. Having helped nurture the young Dutchman early in his career, even in defeat, Given would no doubt have taken a modicum of satisfaction.

“Tim Krul was on fantastic form,” Alex McLeish, the Aston Villa manager, said. “Darren Bent’s had three or four chances, and he’s the man you want to see on the end of those. As results go, though, it was a kick in the teeth, because we were well worth a point, if not three.”

As good as Given is, there was no way he could have hoped to stop Cisse’s winner 20 minutes from time. On as an early substitute for Leon Best, one of two Newcastle players helped from the fray before the interval along with Ryan Taylor, who required oxygen as he was carried off, the £10m signing from Freiburg came up with a memorable way to introduce himself to Tyneside.

It arrived courtesy of composed chest trap and stunning left-foot half-volley into the top corner from the edge of the area as he was afforded time and space from a Jonas Gutierrez cross.

Cisse’s spectacular intervention restored the lead Newcastle had surrendered in first-half stoppage time as Keane was left with a simple close range volley into an unguarded net from an inviting pull back by Charles N’Zogbia, another returning former black and white who was given a rather less warm reception than his goalkeeper.

Ironically for a player once accidentally dubbed ‘insomnia’ by Joe Kinnear, his former Newcastle manager, the hosts momentarily fell asleep as the Frenchman made moves down the left to tee-up the 124th Premier League goal of Keane’s career.

Parity was no less than the visitors deserved at that point, Krul twice blocking close-range Darren Bent efforts and N’Zogbia finding the side-netting from a narrow angle when he perhaps might have done better as Bent turned provider, at a venue where the visitors have now won just once in 12 visits.

They fell behind on the half hour to Ba’s 16th goal of the season, the perfect way to announce his return from Africa Cup of Nations duty with his Senegal compatriot Cisse.

Guthrie was given time by a lacklustre Stephen Ireland to send over a cross, and although Richard Dunne’s header partially cleared, the ball fell to Taylor, whose deflected shot found its way to Ba.

A touch to control and shot on the turn from five yards gave Given no chance as the deadlock was broken, although celebrations were cut short by Taylor’s injury in the build-up, though no blame can be attached to Stephen Warnock’s challenge.Initial fears that the midfielder had suffered a broken leg were thankfully unfounded.

“If anything, Papiss has a better scoring record than Ba,” Pardew said. “They’re a great foil for each other. He’s the right age for such an iconic jersey, and his winning goal lifted the roof off the place. It wasn’t a bad finish for his wrong foot, real Boy’s Own stuff. Newcastle fans will be nudging each other, saying ‘we’ve got a good one here’.”