Pardew hopeful of keeping Ba

Newcastle striker Demba Ba underlined his importance to the club after taking his goal tally into double figures by firing the Magpies to a much-needed victory.

The Senegal international struck twice before the break to put 10-man Wigan, who had Maynor Figueroa dismissed, on the back foot and pave the way for a 3-0 win, with Gael Bigirimana scoring his first goal for the club, which ended a sequence of four successive Barclays Premier League defeats.

Manager Alan Pardew admitted Ba's escape clause, which will become active in January, remains in place, but is hopeful of hanging on to a man whose goals have proved vital. "The truth of it is that Demba has got a clause in his contract and it is still hanging over us," he said. "We have tried to negotiate away and we have not managed to do that as yet."

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