Swansea City v Scunthorpe United

Monday, April 5, 2010

Football League Championship

Swansea City :
De Vries, Williams, Monk, Rangel, Edgar, Dyer, Allen (Trundle 76), Gower, Cotterill, Bauza (Pratley 70), Kuqi (Pintado 84).
Subs not used:
Cornell, Tate, Orlandi, Butler.

Scunthorpe United :
Murphy, Williams (McNulty 46), Byrne, Canavan, Raynes, Sparrow (Hooper 61), McCann, Thompson, J.Wright, McDermott, Hayes (Woolford 68).
Subs not used:
Lillis, A.Wright, Forte, Godden.

SULSESC REPORT

by Swansea Evening Post at Liberty Stadium

DORUS de Vries's record-breaking clean sheet was the one that mattered least.

The Dutchman chalked up his 23rd shut-out of the campaign against Scunthorpe United, but for once it did not count for that much.

By their standards, Swansea City created enough chances to win 10 games, taking three of them to record the most handsome victory of the Paulo Sousa era.

David Edgar, Ashley Williams and Shefki Kuqi all registered in perhaps the most one-sided contest seen at the Liberty this season as Swansea threw off the shackles and attacked from beginning to end.

It was a rousing afternoon for Swansea, whose defeat by Cardiff City last Saturday made it six games without a win and piled the pressure on going into this one.

But Swansea never looked concerned against a hapless Scunthorpe, going forward with abandon and reaping their rewards.

The one downside was victories elsewhere for Leicester City and Blackpool, meaning Swansea's Championship play-off place is no more secure than it was before kick-off.

But there is now one fewer chance remaining for Swansea's rivals to edge them out of the top six.

It might be asking a lot, but if Sousa's team can do as he suggests by winning each of their last fixtures from here on in, their season will be heading into overtime.

Despite their sticky patch, Swansea's destiny remains in their hands.

The challenge now is to make sure it stays that way over the next few weeks, at Bristol City and Sheffield United and at home to Barnsley and then, on the final day, on their own patch against Doncaster Rovers.

The season still promises much.

Their finishing aside, Sousa had declared himself pleased enough with Swansea's performance in the Welsh derby.

But for this second game in 46 hours, the Portuguese made no fewer than six changes to his starting line-up.

At the back Garry Monk returned, allowing Alan Tate a belated chance to rest his damaged ankle.

It was all change in midfield, with Darren Pratley and Andrea Orlandi on the bench and Leon Britton left out completely.

In came Mark Gower, Joe Allen and Guillem Bauza, while David Cotterill took over from hamstring injury victim Cedric van der Gun on the left flank.

Gorka Pintado was the other man to step down, with Kuqi reinstated up front.

The Finn, as usual, was operating as a lone striker, but from the outset Swansea appeared more determined than usual to give their centre-forward some company.

Scunthorpe's Paul Hayes actually had the first shot of the afternoon, a long-ranger that flew wide, but after that the first half was all about Swansea going forward.

The full-backs, Edgar and the excellent Angel Rangel, both advanced at every opportunity, while Gower, Allen and Bauza all looked to reach the final third whenever possible.

Cotterill's neat pass almost brought the opener inside four minutes, Rangel driving goalwards, only for Scunthorpe keeper Joe Murphy to push the ball away.

Swansea came again, Nathan Dyer skating down the left before teeing up Gower to cross.

Kuqi beat his man to the centre and was unfortunate to see his toe-poke come back off the crossbar.

Allen saw a 20-yarder deflect narrowly over the top before Rangel's pass put Kuqi in behind.

The ball got stuck under his feet at the crucial moment, but Kuqi still dug out a shot which Murphy turned round the post.

All this and only 10 minutes were on the clock. These were encouraging signs.

Swansea even threatened from a long throw, Kuqi flicking on Edgar's missile for Bauza, who could not generate enough power in his header to beat Murphy.

Mercifully, on 27 minutes, the breakthrough came.

Cotterill's left-wing corner was flicked on at the near post by Monk and Edgar was perfectly placed to steer home his first Swansea goal from five yards.

The hosts could have been further ahead before the turnaround, Bauza drilling wide after more good work by the two flyers, Cotterill and Dyer.

Still, at least Swansea had something to show for their dominance.

Six minutes after the restart, the two-goal cushion was established — thanks to Swansea's third successive goal from a corner.

Again Cotterill delivered from the left, and this time Williams won the flick.

Bauza's volley was arrowing wide until a deflection sent the ball back to Williams, whose shot dribbled over the line after another ricochet.

Swansea had two goals in a game for only the second time in 15 outings.

They almost had a third just before the hour, a sweet combination between Rangel, Gower and Cotterill ending with a Kuqi side-foot which Murphy gathered.

Swansea were enjoying themselves, as proved when Cotterill tried a 45-yard lob which drifted a foot or so too high.

Scunthorpe simply could not get into the contest, and Swansea poured forward time and again.

The impressive Allen flashed wide from distance, then picked out a perfect pass for Gower, who laid off for Dyer.

The former Southampton winger connected sweetly, but Murphy stood tall to keep the Iron in it. For a few minutes at least.

Sixty seconds later Williams's lofted ball sent Kuqi through one on one.

Again the big man was denied by Murphy, then Dyer's follow-up was hacked off the line by Michael Raynes.

Kuqi might have had a hat-trick, and he finally got a goal 10 minutes from time after Scunthorpe made a mess of clearing Monk's long ball.

Niall Canavan flicked a header straight into Kuqi's path and this time he made no mistake, steering his first Liberty goal past Murphy with a swing of his big left boot.

Swansea had three goals in a game for only the second time since Roberto Martinez said his farewells, and the Liberty loved it.

Josh Wright fired against the bar late on, but de Vries was not to be denied the record set by Roger Freestone 10 years ago. Swansea went up that season.

After this uplifting triumph, belief will grow that they could be going up once again.