PETER NICHOLAS fears for Swansea City's survival - regardless of the outcome of the club's tinderbox Company Voluntary Arrangement showdown tomorrow.

The Swans are £1.7million in debt and want to disburse 75 per cent of their liabilities - offering just 5p in the pound. The Inland Revenue, VAT and South Wales Police make up over £400,000 in preferential creditors.

But John Hollins, sacked as Swansea boss last September, wants £250,000, former chairman Mike Lewis £80,000 and ex-financial director Martin Burgess £73,000. Ex-Merthyr chief Colin Addison and No.2 Nicholas were dismissed 10 days ago and are chasing £60,000.

But, regardless of debts being settled via the CVA, Nicholas is convinced the five-man Vetch cartel led by Mel Nurse hasn't got the financial muscle to power Swansea forward.

He said: "The Swansea committee are simply jumped-up fans who've left the North Bank for the boardroom. "They're supporters playing at being football managers - a recipe for disaster.

"Unless there is some major backer in the wings that nobody knows about, I fear things will collapse like a pack of cards."

Roger Freestone was satisfied with a point against Darlington yesterday and thought his side had the better chances in the 0-0 draw.

The Swans joint caretaker manager was his side's hero, making four great saves in the game, though the keeper suggested City could have sneaked a win.

He said: "I thought we had the better chances in the game. Andrew Mumford hit the post and near the end he should have scored instead of firing into the side netting.

"I thought a draw was a fair reflection of the game.

We needed a good result ahead of our game against Barry Town, because we know how important that game is to the team and the club financially."

A much improved Darlington side were unfortunate to be held to a goalless draw at home to Swansea at Feethams on Saturday.

Darlington created the games better chances and Swans goalkeeper Roger Freestone pulled off some good saves to keep his side in the game.

Substitute Mark Sheeran came closest to scoring when his diving header floated over the top of the bar in the closing stages of the game.

The result takes Darlington’s winless run to ten games and they haven’t scored in their last three outings.

ROGER Freestone was the Swansea hero as his side shut out the Quakers in the North East.

But the big Wales international frustrated Naylor, Hodgson, Clark and Mark Ford as he put on a five star show.

But Swansea almost grabbed all three points as Mumford so nearly pulled off a smash and grab against George Reynolds team.

Swansea tweaked the side which had ended Mansfieldís automatic promotion hopes at The Vetch last Saturday - youngster Leigh De Vulgt getting a rare start at right-back for the suspended Gareth Phillips.

The Quakers, seeking at least one more victory to guarantee Third Division safety, showed extensive surgery as they sought to end an appalling run which had seen them collect just three of 27 points.

There was a debut for non-contract goalkeeper Chris Porter and returns for Glenn Naylor, Adam Reed, Richard Hodgson and David McGurk.

The Swans looked leg-weary as Darlington ripped forward with determination in the opening sorties - goalkeeper Roger Freestone making magnificent saves from Hodgson, and Mark Ford.

Freestone had to spring to his right to keep out Ford again, but the battered Swans almost edged in front with their first raid - Steve Watkin prodding Ryan Casey's ball onto a post.

Jon Coates and John Williams then tested Porter with 25-yard dippers but Swansea were surfing their fortune as Paul Heckingbottom nodded over eight yards out.

The Quakers were continuing their high octane display after the break.

Flame-haired Ian Clark drifted passed Todd but he saw his low drive beaten back by the flying Freestone.

Naylor's left-footer then flew wide and only a last-ditch challenge from O'Leary deep in the box curtailed another swirling Hodgson run.

But a sharp Swansea counter almost stunned the home crowd on the hour.

Darlington old boy Williams raced passed Heckingbottom, but Porter's body snuffed out Mumford.

But Swansea almost grabbed a winner moments later as 20-year-old Mumford's low shot cannoned back off the base of a post.

STRIKER Mamady Sidibe is in line for a return at Darlington today as Swansea City go in search of their first victory at Feethams for more than 25 years.

The last time the Swans collected three points at the north east club was in January 1977 when Jeremy Charles and the late Robbie James helped Harry Griffiths's side to a 4-0 success.

Should Sidibe pass a late fitness test - he missed last weekend's 2-0 victory against Mansfield Town with a hamstring injury - the onus will be on him to end Swansea's winless streak at Feethams.

But caretaker manager Nick Cu-sack, a former Darlington player, returns to his old club insisting it is more important the Swans concentrate on building on last weekend's performance.

"What I'm interested in is building on what has been very promising form in the last game and a half," said Cusack, who made 21 appearances during a six-month spell with The Quakers in 1992.

"After a forgettable 45 minutes at Carlisle a fortnight ago, we turned in an impressive second half and that improvement carried into last Saturday's win against Mansfield.

"I wanted us to take that form into the FAW Premier Cup tie with Barry Town but, unfortunately, that fixture fell foul of the weather.

"Despite that postponement, we have prepared well for the trip to Darlington and I know the players will be up for it."

Both sides are safe from relegation, but Cusack warned Darlington will want to improve on their league position with a victory against the Swans.

Speaking to Swansea's official website, Cusack said, "They are just below us in the table and they'll be looking for points to haul themselves nearer the top half.

"We will have to be on guard, and work very hard to ensure that we hit the form we've been showing.

"It's going to be a tough game, but we know there are no easy games in this division."

Eight-goal striker Sidibe could start alongside Steve Watkin, while injury-plagued defender Jason Smith is expected to be named among the substitutes after being out of action for five months.

Left-back Michael Howard has recovered from a slight hamstring strain that would have seen him miss the Barry clash, but right-back Gareth Phillips misses the game through suspension.

Swansea face a Darlington side whose confidence is rock bottom after a sequence of nine games without a win.

And they are missing highly-rated goalkeeper Andy Collett, who suffered a punctured lung in a 2-1 defeat against Lincoln City, and former Southend striker Barry Conlan - the Quakers' leading scorer with eight goals - who has a knee injury.

"We must win at least three of our remaining seven games to be certain that the threat of relegation is no more than that," said manager Tommy Taylor."But with just 11 points separating us from bottom club Halifax and them still to play, things could get edgy."

NICK CUSACK'S chances of taking charge of Swansea City on a permanent basis received a boost last night when Mel Nurse suggested the club would appoint a player-manager next season.

The club captain - who is out of contract in the summer - has impressed since he and goalkeeper Roger Freestone took over from the sacked Colin Addison and Peter Nicholas two weeks ago.

And with Swans saviour Nurse admitting the cash-strapped club is considering appointing a player-manager to cut costs, Cusack was given the clearest signal yet that he will be asked to remain in the Vetch Field hotseat next season.

"We have been impressed with Nick since he took charge - he has acted impeccably," said Nurse.

"It's not for me to say whether he or Roger will be offered the job permanently at this stage. But the players have responded well to these two people so who knows?

"Appointing a player-manager is something we - along with several other clubs in the Football League who are struggling to survive - must seriously consider.

"Clubs in the lower divisions struggling to survive cannot afford to have managers standing on the line."

Nurse defended himself and his management committee for the way they handled Addison and Nicholas's departure - and accused the management duo of putting the club's owners "on the spot."

"Colin and Peter did a good job for us, but their timing was wrong (in asking whether they would be handed new contracts)," he said.

"I wanted to get through the CVA (creditors' voluntary agreement) meeting - when we would have a clearer idea about whether the club would survive - then consider the future.

"But they wouldn't give us that opportunity. They put the committee on the spot and just wanted to know what was going on."

Replacing Addison with a playermanager will evoke memories of John

Toshack's spell in charge, when the Wales striker famously guided the Swans from the old Fourth Division to top of the First.

But Nurse refuses to contemplate the future until after Monday's meeting, when the club is hoping to agree a settlement with its creditors which will keep it in business.

He said, "If things don't go our way on Monday, the club could be in dire straits.

"I don't want people taking it for granted we're going to survive. People seem to think this meeting is just a formality, but that's not the case."

Sacked former manager may have final say in financially threatened Welsh club's future By Nick Harris

The future of Swansea City rests on the benevolence of John Hollins, the former manager who was acrimoniously sacked in September, insiders at the financially-crippled Third Division club claimed yesterday.

The club has debts of £1.7m and is losing an estimated £25,000 per week. It is operating under a Company Voluntary Arrangement, whereby it must arrange via the courts how to pay its creditors or else go into administration. The club faces its creditors next Monday for a make-or-break meeting.

If 75 per cent of the club's creditors agree to the club's repayment plan, the club has a future. If they do not, receivership will not be far away and Swansea City could feasibly cease to exist within months. The biggest hurdle for the club is that it is asking "non-secured" creditors, like Hollins, to accept only 5p in the pound of what is owed to them.

Hollins's role is significant. When he was sacked, he had two and a half years remaining on his contract, worth some £250,000. The club is understood to want to pay him only £80,000. And under their debt repayment plan, he would receive only five per cent of that - or £4,000. The way Hollins or his representatives vote at the creditors' meeting could be crucial in deciding whether the 75 per cent target is reached.

Insiders at the club are claiming that Hollins holds the future of club in his hands. "What he decides could affect whether Swansea City continues to exist," one source said.

Hollins, who is now the manager at Rochdale, has declined to say which way he will vote. He can justifiably argue that he has been made a scapegoat by Swansea. "What Swansea do now is their business and what I do is my business," he told The Independent yesterday. "I won't be commenting on [my voting intentions] at all."

Hollins has received the full backing of the League Managers' Association, which has been angered once again by the treatment of a sacked manager. Unlike players - who are considered "football creditors" when clubs get into trouble and are entitled to full repayment of any money owing - managers are treated like any other party.

"I forget how long we've been lobbying for managers to be treated in the same way as players," John Barnwell, the chief executive of the LMA, said yesterday. "It's outrageous what's happened to John Hollins, and to Colin Addison as well." Addison was appointed as Hollins's successor only to be sacked himself earlier this month. He is also owed money by Swansea and will be asked to accept 5p in the pound. LMA representatives will attend Monday's meeting to fight for both Hollins and Addison.

Swansea's problems have gone from bad to abysmal in recent times. The club was bought in 1997 by a London-based security company, Ninth Floor Plc, which, despite an investment of several million pounds, found the reality of ownership harsher than the dream.

The club was then sold last summer to Mike Lewis, Swansea's former commercial manager, for £1. It was under his stewardship that Hollins was sacked in September and Addison appointed.

Lewis then found ownership tough, and in the absence of any other buyers, he sold the club in October, again for £1, to Tony Petty, a London businessman based in Australia. A week later, Petty, as the new chairman, sold Swansea's best player, Stuart Roberts, to Wycombe for £100,000. He also told a number of players they would be facing a reduction in wages and then went back to Australia.

After massive supporter protests, Petty left Swansea in late January, having sold his holding for £25,000 to a consortium led by the former Swansea and Wales centre-half, Mel Nurse. A club spokesman said that Petty took at least £100,000 from the club in expenses and other costs.

Nurse took on £700,000 of debt from Petty, and that makes him the club's single biggest creditor. His consortium - a mixture of named and anonymous backers - hope to take the club forward so will accept the 5p in the pound that the club is offering.

Some of the other major creditors are "secured" and will get their money in full as part of the repayment plan. They will certainly vote in favour. They include the Inland Revenue (owed around £350,000), Customs and Excise (owed £60,000) and the Football League Pension scheme (owed £27,000). The next-largest creditors, a company called Up The Football Ltd, owed £115,000, is also likely to agree to the 5p in the pound deal. It is owned by the Nurse-led consortium.

In all, there are more than 140 creditors, ranging from gas and phone suppliers to South Wales police to cab companies, hotels, accountants, and suppliers. And there is Hollins, unenviably cast as the crucial link.

BRIAN FLYNN last night said he would be interested in talking to Swansea City about taking charge of the Third Division club.

The former Wrexham manager - who is still out of work after his 12-year reign at The Racecourse ended last September - is one of several names touted to succeed Colin Addison in the Vetch Field hot-seat.

And Flynn, who has also been linked with a return to the Wales Under-21 manager's job, said he would happily speak to Swansea about filling the vacant manager's post.

"I would most certainly be interested in speaking to them if they approached me in the summer," said Flynn, whose spell in charge of Wrexham began in November 1989.

"When you are out of work your name always gets linked with vacant managerial positions and you have to keep your options open.

"And I wouldn't say no if Swansea wanted to talk. The job would be a big challenge and the club has a lot of potential."

Should Swansea decide not to offer caretaker managers Nick Cu-sack and Roger Freestone the job on a permanent basis, Flynn would relish the chance to repeat the success he enjoyed at The Racecourse.

After guiding Wrexham to promotion at the end of the 1992-93 season, the former Wales international turned Wrexham into an attractive Second Division outfit that narrowly missed out on the play-offs several times.

Now battling against relegation, Flynn's old club face play-off hopefuls Cardiff City in the Welsh derby at Ninian Park tomorrow.

Off the field, Wrexham chairman Pryce Griffiths is still in negotiations with former Chester City owner Mark Guterman about the sale of his 78 per cent shareholding in the club.

Griffiths, who has saved the club from bankruptcy and made massive improvements to The Racecourse, will end a 20-year spell as chairman if he agrees a deal with Guterman.

Meanwhile, Wrexham defender Shaun Pejic has earned a surprise call-up to a Wales Under-21 training session at the Vale of Glamorgan between April 14 and 17.

Pejic - whose father Mel is the physio at Wrexham - was born in Hereford but qualifies for Wales through his grandmother.

"It's been a big month for Shaun as he has broken into the senior side and now won international recognition," said Pejic senior.

The Wales Under-21 squad also includes Wrexham goalkeeper Paul Whit-field, Cardiff City striker Robert Earnshaw and Swansea City midfielder Leigh De-Vulgt.

BARRY TOWN manager Kenny Brown launched a furious attack on Montgomery referee Kevin Morris last night after the official postponed the FAW Premier Cup semi-final against Swansea City for a second time, writes Ian Hunt.

Brown, whose treble-chasing League of Wales side now face a fixture pile-up, insisted the Vetch Field pitch was playable despite a deluge of rain and described Morris's decision to call the clash off 40 minutes before kick-off as "an insult."

Brown, whose side rearranged a league clash against Llanelli to fit in last night's game, said, "I'm absolutely gobsmacked by the referee's decision - it is an insult as far as I'm concerned.

"The pitch was nowhere near as bad as last time and I can assure you we've played on pitches 20 times worse than that."

But Morris insisted there was too much water on the pitch surface and called the tie off at around 6.15pm - a decision which will cost the cash-strapped Swans another £5,000.

Mansfield assistant manager Neil Richardson was in philosophical mood despite seeing his side's promotion bid get knocked off track by Swansea.

The Stags' No. 2 said everything was in the club's hands with other results going their way on an afternoon of shock results at the top. And Richardson reckoned that without the sending off of keeper Kevin Pilkington it could have been an even better day for his side.

''We accept the penalty because Kevin has brought the man down, he said.

''But we think a straight red is very harsh. You're down to 10 men, you're 1-0 down and the odds are stacked against you really.

''There was no doubt it turned the game. Before it we were on top, looking comfortable, we were passing it well and switching from side to side which was good. But as soon as you go down to 10 men you leave spaces and in fairness to Swansea they utilised it.'' Richardson thought that there were one or two other decisions that went against his team from referee Raul Rejer, but said the defeat hadn't changed things much at the top.

''It has given us another knock. It's another game less but we are still in the same position.'' Richardson also took time out to give Swansea his best wishes but said it was more important he concentrated on the job in hand.

''To be fair, what goes on behind the scenes at Swansea, without being disrespectful, is nothing to do with us, '' he said.

''We wish them well obviously and we hope everything gets sorted out but we have just got to concentrate on ourselves and hopefully try and get promotion.''

Nick Cusack insists Swansea City can succeed in the Third Division next season with the players aready at the club - if they steer clear of the long-ball game.

Joint-caretaker boss Cusack gave the Vetch Field squad a ringing endorsement after Saturday's entertaining 2-0 win over Mansfield.

New-look Swansea, using a 4-4-2 formation for the first time since early season, produced some of their best football this term to dent Mansfield's promotion hopes.

They were aided by goalkeeper Kevin Pilkington's red card, but with only 16 senior players available for the match, it was an impressive victory built on a passing game rarely seen at the Vetch recently.

''All I wanted the players to do was to go out and enjoy themselves and express themselves because I know what good players they are, '' said the delighted Cusack.

''They did that and it was a real spectacle for the supporters. If we play like that week in, week out we can compete with the top sides.

''I don't want the ball in the air, I don't want it lumped down the channels. I want to emphasise the passing ethos because we have got good footballers here like Andy Mumford, Jonathan Coates and Ryan Casey who can play it around.'' He added: ''Look at Casey.

You haven't seen him all season and he had a tremendous game. He came up to me afterwards and said 'I'm just loving being out there and I've enjoyed it so much this week'.

''David (Romo) is another one. He has been out of the picture for quite a long time this season but I think a player with his quality is needed in your ranks.

''Everything's been about encouragement. If someone makes a mistake you say don't worry and when they do well you say well done. I believe that's how to get the best out of players.'' Casey's left-wing run forced the mistake which saw Pilkington sent off and Steve Watkin's open the scoring from the spot on Saturday.

Then Romo, an outcast under Colin Addison, came off the bench to fire his first Swansea goal in spectacular fashion.

With joint-boss Roger Freestone playing, Cusack was joined in the dugout by injured defender Jason Smith.

''He is infectious. He's got loads of enthusiasm, '' Cusack explained. ''I asked if he would wanted to come on the bench and give some encouragement and he was delighted.'' Smith may be unable to assist Cusack when Swansea take on Barry at Vetch Field tomorrow night, though.

The big centre-back is in line for a surprise return from injury in the FAW Premier Cup semi-final clash.

Frenchman David Romo ended six months of frustration by thumping home Swansea's second and vital goal against Mansfield and declared: I would love to stay.

Romo, out in the cold at the club for most of the season under first John Hollins and Colin Addison, unleashed an unstoppable drive nine minutes from time against the high-flying Stags and then did a dance of joy with his team-mates as all the emotion of his first Swansea goal bubbled to the surface.

The Frenchman had not been in the Swansea team since the humiliation of the Macclesfield FA Cup defeat in December.

But when asked to come on for the final 13 minutes by caretaker boss Nick Cusack against Mansfield for the injured Michael Howard, the 23-year-old grabbed the chance with both hands.

''I just asked David to go on and continue to pass the ball, '' said Cusack.

''And that's exactly what he did. I told him he's got great ability and he really wants to do well here.

''He's been out of the picture for quite a long time this season.

But with a player of real quality like that you need him in your ranks. I think he really likes the idea of us getting the ball down and passing it and I think he will fit in well for us.'' Romo, whose contract is up at the end of June, was delighted to be given the chance by the new caretaker management pairing and hopes this will be a fresh start after the past few months.

And, if given the chance of a new contract, Romo is determined to do well.

''I'm happy here, '' he said.

''I love the fans here and I just need to play. I would like to stay in Swansea. My girlfriend and I would like to stay in the UK, especially in Swansea, but in football you will never know.

''It's been a frustrating six months but I am very happy today because it's my first game for a couple of months.

''All the players were very happy for me when I scored so I would like to say thank you to them.

''Fingers crossed, this will be a new start for me." Romo, brought to the club along with Giovanni Savarese back in October 2000, had surprisingly never hit the net for the club.

So he was over the moon to have broken his duck, and in such a spectacular way, and he said he was glad to repay the faith shown in him by Cusack and Freestone.

''I'm very happy because it's my first goal for the Swans, '' said Romo, who was also happy with the system the team had employed against Mansfield.

''Nick and Roger gave me the chance and I took it. I am very happy for the team because it was an important win.

''They are very close with the players, they know football and I am very happy that they gave me the chance today.

''We changed it a little bit, we played 4-4-2 today. I think it's a good system. We are more solid like that.

''I don't know if after that goal they will put me on from the start.

Maybe I am better if I play just for 15 minutes!''

CASH-STARVED Swansea City entertain Barry Town in the FAW Premier Cup semi-final tonight (6.55pm) knowing victory will leave them one step away from a £100,000 windfall.

The Swans, who are desperate to find ways of reducing a debt of £1.7m, will pocket £50,000 with a win over Kenny Brown's League of Wales leaders at the Vetch.

And that prize would double if Swansea pulled off a victory against old rivals Cardiff City in a potentially explosive climax to this year's competition.

But Barry, who have their own share of financial problems, have warned Swansea to expect anything but an easy ride tonight as they chase a League of Wales, Welsh Cup and FAW Premier Cup treble.

"It's crunch time for us," said Brown, whose side are 10 points clear at the top of the League of Wales and face Ton Pentre in the Welsh Cup semi-final next month.

"To achieve success in three competitions would make this a fantastic season and a great start for me as Barry manager.

"It's there for the taking. Swansea is obviously going to be a difficult game but you never know what might happen in the cup.

"Barry against Cardiff in the final would be a great occasion but I'm sure Swansea are just as keen to play them."

Added the former West Ham player, "Everyone talks about the financial incentives of progressing in this competition and there's no doubt the money would mean a lot to a club like ours.

"But that's not my concern. My job is to concentrate on the football and getting the best performance possible from the players when we face Swansea."

Swans caretaker-manager Nick Cusack is similarly focused on onthe-field matters, though he acknowledges the importance of boosting the club's bank balance.

"We all know how important getting to the final is from a financial point of view," said Cusack.

"The £100,000 on offer for winning the competition is a massive incentive when you consider how much debt the club is in.

"My job is to focus the players on football matches and I am taking one game at a time.

"But there's no escaping the fact that the money on offer is a very serious consideration."

With that in mind, Cusack wants a repeat of the performance which led to an impressive 2-0 win over Mansfield Town on Saturday.

"I was pleased with that - the play-ers looked relaxed and confident," said 36-year-old Cusack, whose own future at the Vetch is still unclear.

"It was important we didn't sit back after going 1-0 up. Sometimes we got behind the ball to stop Mansfield going forward but I told the players not to sit on the lead."

Added Cusack, "When Roger (Freestone) and I took over two weeks ago we asked the players to re-main professional and show commitment under difficult circumstances.

"They have done that - even in the defeat at Carlisle - and that's very pleasing."

Swansea are still without striker Mamady Sidibe and defender Neil Sharp but Jason Smith, whose season has been ruined by an ankle problem, is poised to make a long-awaited comeback.

Cardiff are also rumoured to be tracking Swansea City defender Andrew Mumford, whose contract expires at the end of the season. Lawrence is familiar with the 20-year-old, having given him a trial when he was in charge at First Division Grimsby Town.

Swansea have admitted it is unlikely the club's transfer embargo will be lifted before next Thursday's transfer deadline. The club still owe the PFA £6,000 and the players' pension fund £20,000 - debts which will not be repaid before a creditor's meeting next Monday.

And that means the transfer embargo is unlikely to be lifted in time for Swansea to bring fresh faces to the club this season.

Swansea City's 24-man squad could be slashed in size by a quarter next season.

A summer of belt-tightening is on the cards for the Vetch Field management committee, meaning the club could be forced to rely on just 18 senior players next term.

Such severe cutbacks would leave Swansea badly hampered by a lack of options, particularly when injuries and suspensions strike.

Even with the current squad of 24, a packed treatment room left caretaker bosses Nick Cusack and Roger Freestone with the minimum 16 senior players available for today's clash with Mansfield.

But the probable cull would be in line with the trend throughout the Nationwide League, where some clubs are ready to axe a third of their personnel in the close season.

Wage bills are threatening to bankrupt around 30 League teams, with income generally fixed while expenditure grows.

The higher earners - usually British and older professionals - could be the first to go in favour of younger, cheaper and often foreign players.

''As has been the case every since we took over, our main aim is to bring some financial stability to the club, '' said management committee member David Morgan.

''Financial stability is paramount, and everything has to be looked at in order to achieve it.

''Therefore we have looked at players' contracts. We are no different to any other club in the league.'' Michael Keegan and Nicolas Mazzina have already left the Vetch in recent weeks, leaving half Swansea's squad out of contract at the end of this season.

The 12 players whose futures are uncertain are Cusack, David Romo, Jason Jones, Mamady Sidibe, Chris Todd, Ryan Casey, Steve Healey, Craig Draper, Chris O'Sullivan, Andrew Mumford, Neil Sharp and Steve Brodie.

Meanwhile, Second Division Bury have been granted until the end of the season to shore up their financial future by the High Court sitting in Manchester.

Fans have raised £140,000 to keep the club alive until the end of the season since the Shakers opted to go into administration two weeks ago.

They now hope to secure investment from a number of interested parties to guarantee long-term survival.

The 29th minute dismissal of keeper Kevin Pilkington wrecked Stags' afternoon as they crashed 2-0 at Swansea City this afternoon.

The 29th minute dismissal of keeper Kevin Pilkington wrecked Stags' afternoon as they crashed 2-0 at Swansea City this afternoon. But there was some consolation as bottom club Halifax Town pulled off a shock win over Cheltenham, Mansfield's nearest promotion rivals.

Playing with five in midfield and just Chris Greenacre up front, Stags overcame early home pressure to dominate possession and might have gone ahead when home keeper Roger Freestone made a superb one-handed save to deny Wayne Corden in the 11th minute.

But Mansfield's afternoon fell apart when Pilkington spilled Ryan Casey's low 20-yard effort and then brought down Steve Watkin as he shaped to tuck home the loose ball from close range.

Pilkinton was shown the red card, David Kelly substituted, and Michael Bingham's first action on his League debut was to pick Watkin's penalty out the net. Bingham then made an excellent stop to keep out John Williams' finish before the break.

Stags did have their chances after the break and Corden was inches wide with a volley 25 seconds into the second half. Sub Paul Wheatcroft also came close while Freestone kept out a late Martin Pemberton free kick.

But the Swans wasted a succession of second half chances to kill off the visitors. Bingham turned a Williams effort off the line after his clearance had hit team mate Les Robinson.

Andrew Mumford then fired just wide before Frenchman David Romo, only on the field for three minutes, hit home a 25-yard screamer for his first goal for the Swans.

DIVISION THREE: Swansea City 2 Mansfield 0

NICK Cusack and Roger Freestone have yet to declare their interest in managing Swansea City on a permanent basis, but the caretaker duo did their prospects no harm whatsoever on the weekend with an impressive victory over third-placed Mansfield.

True, the Stags were reduced to 10 men in the 29th minute when goalkeeper Kevin Pilkington was shown red for hauling down Steve Watkin. Nevertheless, this was a fine all-round display from the Swans and no doubt it has given the club's management committee much food for thought.

There has been talk of Brian Flynn being appointed for next season. Fulham and Wales defender Andy Melville, a former Swansea player, has also been mentioned as a possible playermanager.

But the right men - "Cus and Dodge" as they like to be known in the dressing room - could already be on the Vetch Field doorstep.

The pair may be inexperienced but they have the entire dressing room behind them and this is something the committee might not be able to ignore. If a manager doesn't have the players on his side then there's only one way the team is heading and that's down.

After watching the Swans record their first win post-Colin Addison and Peter Nicholas, Cu-sack - who is out of contract at the end of this campaign - was refusing to be drawn on whether he wants the job permanently.

But scrutinise some of his post-match remarks and perhaps sitting in the manager's office at the Vetch could be something he fancies.

"Roger and I were asked to step into the breach during a difficult time for the club and that's what we've done. We've not asked for any assurances from the committee. I know it's a cliché but we're taking one game at a time," he said.

"To be honest, I've not had time to think about being a manager. Last week we were put in charge at the last minuet for the game at Carlisle and this week we've been busy changing the playing system."

The Swans went ahead on the half-hour mark, Watkin putting the home side ahead from the penalty spot after he had been felled by Pilkington.

They sealed the three points nine minutes later when substitute David Romo - making his first appearance since the FA Cup defeat at Macclesfield last December - scored his first goal for the club, rifling home from 20 yards only three minutes after replacing Michael Howard.

"I was delighted with the performance and I'm very proud of my players. Mansfield are renowned for passing the ball, but I thought we outdid them on that today," said midfielder Cusack.

"All I said to the players was to go out, enjoy themselves and express themselves because I know they are good players. I want them to pass the ball. I don't want them to just hook itforward.

"I know I've got players here who can play football. Mansfield are a very good side, they gave us a real beating at their place (3-0). But today we showed we can compete with the best teams."

Since Freestone is indispensable in goal, it is Cusack who sacrifices himself on the playing side and, just as he did at Carlisle, the 36-year-old Yorkshireman named himself as a substitute so he could call the shots from the touchline.

"Roger can gee the lads up on the pitch and from the sidelines I can see the shape of the team and obviously make substitutions," added Cusack. "We've got a great rapport and I think we complement each other.