Swansea 0-2 Newcastle

Newcastle United striker Papiss Cisse scores his first goal against Swansea

Newcastle United strengthened their surprise Champions League push with a superb win at Swansea City thanks to another clinical Papiss Cisse double.

The in-form Senegal striker cracked the Magpies into an early lead as he raced onto Yohan Cabaye's pass to fire past Swans keeper Michel Vorm from 20 yards.

Swansea dominated possession but Newcastle penetrated as the same pair combined to seal a smash-and-grab win.

And Cisse chipped Vorm from inside the box to secure a third successive brace.

A fourth win in a row for Newcastle ensured Alan Pardew's visitors leapfrog Chelsea into fifth place in the Premier League, just two points behind Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, who occupy the last two Champions League places.

But Newcastle are certainly favourites to return to European competition for the first time since the 2006-07 season as Pardew's men have hit form at the right time with six games remaining.

And while Cisse, who has now scored nine goals in eight games since arriving in January, will enjoy the headlines, the resolute Magpies defence and hard-working midfield ensured their longest winning run since April 2006.

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.

Newcastle keeper Tim Krul was rarely tested although Swansea's Gylfi Sigurdsson, the recently-crowned Premier League Player of the Month for March, should have done so in the opening two minutes.

However, after Nathan Dyer had cut in from the right and set up the Iceland international, Sigurdsson could only drag his shot across Krul's goal and harmlessly wide.

The hosts were immediately punished as the Cisse capitalised on some generous Swansea marking to fire Newcastle into a fifth-minute lead.

The Senegal striker lost his marker, sped onto Cabaye's lovely one-touch through pass and fired past Vorm from 20 yards, although the Swans stopper would be disappointed not have saved Cisse's low drive.

Swansea reacted with their trademark domination of possession but Newcastle's hard work and off-the-ball pressing ensured Brendan Rodgers' team were restricted to long-range efforts at goal.

Sigurdsson stung the hands of Krul with a fierce 25-yard drive before he had a shot blocked by Davide Santon and a weak 30-yard free-kick easily collected by the Newcastle keeper.

Rodgers had rested his leading scorers Danny Graham and Scott Sinclair, who had scored 17 of Swansea's 35 league goals this season.

But the Swans struggled to penetrate the Newcastle defence and, after a deflected Joe Allen 25-yard effort was beaten away by Krul, Rodgers unleashed the pair.

Sinclair has just showed a glimpse of his ability when Cisse ended Swansea's hopes.

Cabaye was again the provider as his perfectly weighted ball found the £9m striker, who had again escaped marker Ashley Williams.

He dug the ball out beautifully and looped it over stranded Swans keeper Vorm into the far top corner for his ninth Newcastle goal since his January arrival from German side Freiburg.

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