Summer signing Ba opened his Magpies account at the weekend with a blistering hat-trick in a 3-1 success over Steve Kean's side. Although Best, who has three Premier League this term, did not get on the scoresheet he also impressed Newcastle's manager. Pardew knows Best has been proving himself since his Nottingham Forest switch and he believes that has helped him raise his game. The St James' Park tactician is now hoping his in-form pairing cane replicate the game in their weekend clash with Wolves. "I haven't directly laid down a challenge to my strikers but, if you do read about new signings, it does raise your game," explained Pardew. "Managers are always looking to replace players with better ones and you have to prove yourself when you step up a division like Leon Best has done. "His replacement seems to have been on his way here for 16 months, ever since we got promoted. The speculation hurts you into proving people wrong. "Demba is a good guy. He said to me when I signed him that he was going to come here and fight for the team and you have to acknowledge he did that against Blackburn, not just with his goals but his all-round play. He made tackles and linked play. "Him and Besty had a good a game as a pairing as any other strikers since I have been at this club. "There is huge pressure to deliver at this club and they both delivered against Blackburn. Now they have to deliver at Wolves next week."
