Match Report |
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Swansea City 1 ADO Den Haag 0 | |
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Swansea City 1 ADO Den Haag 0 - Western Mail, Pictures - Dai Smith Swansea City enjoyed a successful end to their pre-season preparations with a comfortable victory over Dutch tourists Den Haag at the Liberty Stadium. ![]() The Swans were hosting their "sister" club, a breeding ground for the likes of current stars Ferrie Bodde and Dorus de Vries, for the first time. And the occasion marked a final warm-up before Swansea's Championship campaign starts in four days' time. The victory made it a total of seven wins in 10 pre-season games. And the key question now is who has done enough to make Roberto Martinez's starting XI for the season opener at Charlton on Saturday.
![]() In the end a solitary goal from Andrea Orlandi was all that separated the two teams. But, with the returning Jason Scotland causing them numerous first-half problems, the visitors could have suffered a much heavier defeat. The Swans made a shaky start to the game, surviving an early scare after just seven minutes. Hans van der Haar was given far too much space in the box but, fortunately for the hosts, he sliced a tame effort wide.
![]() That chance shocked Martinez's men into action. And they proceeded to control the rest of the first half. Scotland, making his first start of the pre-season, and Shaun MacDonald led the way, cutting through the visitors' lacklustre defence on a number of occasions. But neither player could make the most of either the space or chances they created for themselves. Swansea eventually got the reward their first half dominance deserved in the 37th minute. Leon Britton fed the ball to Orlandi on the left flank and, having outclassed Den Haag right-back Robin Faber with a superb step-over, the Spaniard drilled a low shot past a static Robert Zwinkels in the visitors' goal.
![]() The Swans could have doubled their lead less than a minute later when a fortuitous ricochet put Scotland through on goal. But, with Bodde completely unmarked in the centre, the striker opted for goal instead only to see his curled effort hit the side netting. The second half was a much more even affair with the two sides largely cancelling each other out. It wasn't until an Orlandi free-kick in the 67th minute that either team managed a shot on goal and even that failed to test Zwinkels. The sparsity of chances continued until the dying minutes. And, as Zwinkels denied MacDonald with a superb save at the death, Orlandi's goal proved to be the game's decisive moment.
![]() Swansea City: De Vries, Tate, Serran, Monk (capt, Williams 51), Bessone, MacDonald, Britton (Gomez 62), Bodde (Tudur Jones 54), Orlandi (Gower 83), Brandy (Bond 85), Scotland (Allen 62). Subs not used: Painter, Collins, Morrison, Wilson. Den Haag: Zwinkels, Faber, Horvath, Rankovic (Teixeira 32), Bosschaart, Cornelisse (Meric 62), Schwiebbe (de Geer 75), Resodihardjo, Soltani (Verhoek 62), van de Haar (Immers 62), Knopper. Subs not used: Kahya, de Geer, van Hese, Claasse, de Meersman, Guater Arason
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