Ba’s hat trick lifts Newcastle

STOKE, England (AP) ― Demba Ba scored a hat trick to give Newcastle a 3-1 win over Stoke on Monday and make sure his team remained unbeaten in the Premier League.

Ba put the visitors ahead 2-0 by halftime before handing Stoke a lifeline by bringing down Peter Crouch in the area, with Jonathan Walters pulling a goal back from the spot in the 75th. However, Newcastle was given its own penalty from a similar situation just five minutes later, and Ba converted the spot kick to put the game beyond reach with a low shot into the left corner.

The victory puts Newcastle in third place with 22 points from 10 games, six points behind leader Manchester City ― and just one behind second-place Manchester United.

Ba was close to joining Stoke from Hoffenheim in January, but the club pulled out of the deal after he failed a medical exam ― and the Senegal striker made sure to show them what they missed out on.

Ba scored the opener on a quick counterattack in the 12th minute after goalkeeper Tim Krul’s long kick was headed on by Leon Best to Gabriel Obertan, who found space behind left-back Marc Wilson. The Frenchman’s cross into the six-yard area picked out Ba, who expertly twisted his body to head the ball back inside the near post.

Krul almost gifted the home side an equalizer when he dropped Andy Wilkinson’s high cross, but he made up for it with a diving catch to hang on to Matt Etherington’s left-foot volley from outside the penalty area.

Spain

Granada scored two late goals to rally for a 2-1 win at Sevilla on Monday in the Spanish league.

Manu del Moral put Sevilla ahead 38 seconds in, but goalkeeper Roberto Fernandez kept Granada in the Andalucian derby with a number of saves throughout.

Alexandre Geijo sparked the visitors’ comeback when he headed home Odion Ighalo’s strike that came off the crossbar in the 79th, and Mikel Rico secured Granada’s second win of the season when he left-footed a headed pass by Ighalo into the net in the 90th.

The win lifted Granada out of last place and dealt fifth-place Sevilla its first loss of the season.