Newcastle boss Alan Pardew hailed Hatem Ben Arfa's first FA Cup goal as the best he had ever seen in person after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Blackburn.

Pardew said: "It's the greatest goal, in my opinion, I have ever seen with my eyes because just the technical part of it - to beat six players, to skip past people, left-foot, right-foot, cut-back, accelerate, everything that was involved in it, it was an unbelievable goal.

I am absolutely chuffed for him.

' Ben Arfa's contribution came at the end of a week during which he spoke of his disappointment at being unable to force his way into the team, although his manager had no problem with his comments.

He said: "I didn't have to clear the air with him.

His comments this week, I read them and I thought they were spot on.

He understands that this is a big agenda for him - he needs to do well here.

At some other clubs, it hasn't gone so well and he is doing everything in his power to make it happen here, and that's good for us.

"He's had situations in France where his talent hasn't come to the fore as much as it should have, perhaps, and then he has had a terrible injury here.

He knows this is a great opportunity at this football club.

He probably feels that he could play for France, and I know the French Federation look at him very closely.

"Is he going to emerge because he has got the talent that he showed today? We are all hoping he does, of course.

' Pardew said: "I am really pleased.

It was an important game today in the respect that Demba and Cheick were away and that we got a victory.

We can go into QPR in good heart.

' The Newcastle manager also delivered a terse response to questions about a possible release clause in Demba Ba's contract, that Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp mentioned earlier in the week.

He said: " I thought, listening to the conversation, that the media tripped him up a little bit, Harry.

You don't want to end up talking about other players in the transfer window and I am sure he probably regrets that a little bit.

He's a Newcastle player, he has been brilliant for us and that's all I want to say, really.

' Opposite number Steve Kean, whose side put the Magpies out of the Carling Cup in October, was disappointed not to have taken them back to Ewood Park.

He said: "We are disappointed we haven't got a replay.

We played very well in the first half and I felt on our first-half performance, we merited one.

"First and foremost, we wanted to get through to the next round and I think everybody would see that in the way we played in the first half, and we are really disappointed we are not in the next round.

'