Newcastle United ended a run of five games without victory by beating 10-man Wigan Athletic 3-0 at St James' Park tonight.
© AP Photos
Demba Ba scored a first-half brace before teenage midfielder Gael Bigirimana completed the scoring with a maiden Premier League goal.
The game-changing moment happened in the 12th minute, when last man Maynor Figueroa was dismissed for a challenge on Papiss Cisse inside the penalty area.
Ba stepped up to calmly convert the spot kick, and then put the Magpies in complete control with a second just eight minutes later.
After Ali Al-Habsi could only parry David Santon's ambitious 30-yard effort, Ba showed his poacher's instinct by prodding home the rebound from close range.
Despite having a numerical advantage, the hosts rarely threatened to add to the scores.
Sylvain Marveaux was a shining light in a flat second-half display, but was denied a goal when Al Habsi saved after the Frenchman's jinking run and shot.
Marveaux was to have a hand in Newcastle's third, leading a Magpies counter-attack before playing in Bigirimana to curl a left-footed effort into Al-Habsi's top corner.
Joe Fish
