Match Report |
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Billericay Town 1 Swansea 2 | |
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Billericay Town 1 Swansea 2 - Wales on Sunday
 If Bussy’s goals provided the lasting memory for the small band of Swansea fans squeezed into one end of the tiny New Lodge ground, this is what the FA Cup is all about. The Town Crier in all his finery had turned up to shout the result from the rooftops and FA chief Sir Trevor Brooking was also present to see if the part-timers could pull off a shock. Swans boss Martinez took a leaf out of fellow Spaniard Rafa Benitez’s rotation book by making six changes from the side which drew at Millwall in midweek. Spanish trio Bauza, Angel Rangel, and Andrea Orlandi all had their first taste of the FA Cup while goalkeeper David Knight made his Swans bow with regular No 1 Dorus de Vries rested. The rural setting might have come as a shock for Orlandi, given that his previous experience of knockout competitions came playing for mighty Barcelona in the Catalan Cup. But Orlandi was Swansea’s stand-out player as the visitors dominated early possession and Billericay were regularly forced back. Orlandi had Swansea’s opening chance when he lifted the ball over goalkeeper Billy McMahon after being released by Darryl Duffy, but Dave McSweeney covered in the six-yard area to clear. When Duffy’s 25-yard chip drifted inches wide with McMahon stranded, and Bauza’s audacious overhead kick flew just over the crossbar, it looked as if a Swansea goal was on the cards. But New Lodge was soon rocking when Swansea struggled to deal with a long throw and Danny Kerrigan’s cross caused confusion in the penalty area. Knight and Garry Monk collided in attempting to clear the danger and there was teenager Semanshia in the right place to prod home his first goal in senior football. The goal took the wind out of Swansea’s sails and Billericay almost doubled their lead when Joe Flack took advantage of Monk’s slip for a 20-yard shot which lacked the power to trouble Knight. Swansea did not threaten again until moments before half-time when Rangel sped down the right and produced an excellent cross into the path of Paul Anderson, but McMahon saved smartly with his legs. The lifeline that Swansea were seeking arrived after 58 minutes when Billericay failed to put Bauza under pressure from Monk’s long pass out of defence. Having chested the ball down, Bauza was allowed to turn 25 yards out and unleash a vicious left-footed shot past the helpless McMahon. Buoyed by the equaliser, Swansea’s superior fitness told in the final quarter. But Billericay were still within seven minutes of a replay when Alan Tate reached substitute Joe Allen’s cross and Bauza stabbed home in a crowded goalmouth. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billericay: McMahon, McSweeney, Heffer, Blewitt, Kerrigan, Semanshia (Lay 57), Hunter, Dormer, Abbott (Hodges 86), Flack, Boot (Woods-Garness 75). Subs Not Used: Buckfield, Burbridge.
Booked: Abbott. Booked: Orlandi, Austin. Goals: Bauza 59, 83. Att: 2,334 Ref: Phil Joslin (Nottinghamshire). Match Ratings - dafydd y garreg wen Very cold here Had you been here you would see that Duffy was ok.oleary struggled in tough conditions Official seals ratings
Knight 6
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