Match Report |
Swansea City 2-0 Reading | |
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Swansea City 2-0 Reading
Swans produced a magnificent performance in awful conditions to record a famous victory over high flying Reading. It was heart warming to see Darren Pratley warming up prior to kick off after stories of him missing the game through a knee injury. With Leon Britton missing through suspension the loss of the last of our three central midfield maestros of Bodde, Britton and Pratley would surely have proved too much to overcome Reading.
The loss of Leon Britton saw Jordi Gomez come into central midfield and Nathan Dyer, on loan from Southampton, being handed his first Swans start. Reading, lying second in the table, were unbeaten in ten League games prior to kick off. They have a squad that oozes quality and are by most accounts the only Championship side to have outplayed us all season. Side- de Vries, Rangel, Monk, Williams, Tate, Dyer, Allen, Pratley, Gomez, Gower, Scotland. Subs- Serran, Jones, Orlandi, Bauza, Pintado.
The game started with both teams looking hell bent on attack. It only took Darren Pratley a few minutes to show his fitness racing back to cut out a cross after Alan Tate had been beaten all ends up. The skill level being shown by both teams was excellent and certainly wouldn’t have looked out of place in the Premiership. Nathan Dyer settled quickly and was soon causing problems down the Swansea right. We are used to seeing Swans dominate possession, but Reading were a match for us in terms of possession and football skills early on. Swans first chance came on 15 minutes. A superb chip forward from Darren Pratley picked out the run of Angel Rangel whose header across goal found Jason Scotland’ but under pressure he couldn’t direct his header goalward.
Swans began to get the upper hand and Ashley Williams went close with a header from a corner that flashed just wide of the post. Mark Gower was the next to have a chance. After a well worked move Gower found himself with time and space on the edge of the box, but his effort lacked power and went straight into the arms of the grateful Adam Federici in the Reading goal. Joe Allen was having a stormer in midfield and some of his cross field balls to the wings were reminiscent of Ferrie Bodde. Jason Scotland almost got on the end of a Mark Gower cross, only being denied by the fingertips of Federici. Although having had the better of the half it seemed certain that all the chat over a half time cuppa would be about our inability to turn chances and possession into goals. Cue Jason Scotland. With the half going into injury time, Jordi Gomez threaded the ball through to Jason Scotland, who managed to get a yard of space. He picked his spot superbly to give Federici no chance and give the Swans a deserved lead.
We were all expecting Reading to throw the kitchen sink at us after the break but it was the Swans who came out the hungrier and Reading were encamped in their own half for long periods. Darren Pratley almost extended Swans lead. He met a Jordi Gomez corner at the near post and his flick beat the keeper but floated just wide of the far post with Alan Tate desperately trying to get a touch. Reading were desperately trying to get into the game but Swans had the upper hand and weren’t about to give it up. All it seemed Swans were missing was the all important second goal. On 72 minutes Andrea Orlandi replaced Mark Gower. Now you would expect the left footed Orlandi to be the obvious candidate to play left wing but Roberto Martinez put Orlandi wide right and moved the excellent Nathan Dyer from right wing to left wing. This was to prove a masterstroke.
Within a minute Dyer’s trickery had forced Reading right back Liam Rosenior into a rash challenge on him. Unhappy with the referee’s decision Rosenior kicked the ball away and picked up a yellow card. Dyer then had a flawless ten minutes were every Swans move seemed to go through him. He gave Rosenior an absolute roasting and the full back finally lost his rag, pulling Dyer back with a handful of his shirt and was shown his second yellow card. The Reading bench had no reason to complain but one of their coaching staff saw red and he was eventually sent to the stands with the good wishes of the West Stand ringing in his ears.
Nathan Dyer’s work was done and he made way for Gorka Pintado. Down to ten men Reading looked unlikely to get back into the game and Swans continued to dominate. Swans finally killed the game off with two minutes of normal time left. Darren Pratley played a ball over the top into the path of Jason Scotland. Reading were short of numbers at the back and Scotland was one on one with Michael Duberry. Duberry did his best to outmuscle Jason Scotland but with the goal in his sights it would take an even bigger and stronger man than Duberry to outmuscle Scotland. He held off Duberry and when one on one with the keeper unselfishly fed Andrea Orlandi who bundled the ball in from 8 yards.
There was no way back for Reading. At full time the Swans players received a huge ovation and it was great to see Steve Coppell remain on the field long after all his team had retreated to the dressing room to shake the hands of each and every Swans player. He also seemed to have a few kind words for Nathan Dyer and the wingers face lit up in delight. Ratings- De Vries 8 – Didn’t have to make a single save. Excellent quick distribution all afternoon. Rangel 9 – The best full back on display by a country mile. Dyer 9 – Provided the speed we’ve missed all season. Scotland 9 – Not always the prettiest player to watch but he must be a nightmare to mark on day’s like today. Subs- Orlandi 8 – Did really well and the first Swans players to score, other than Jason Scotland, in the League since Darren Pratley against Cardiff in November.
Swansea manager Roberto Martinez: "It was a fantastic game of football and a fantastic win for us. "For the last six or seven games, apart from at Burnley, we didn't get the rewards we deserved and I'm delighted for the players because we got that today. "They showed a great responsibility and great maturity to continue with those standards and fighting to get that winning feeling and today we got it from a Reading side are in my eyes a Premiership side. "To be able to compete with them over 90 minutes and control the game the way we did…makes up for all those performances that we deserved more than a point. "I think it's a clear example of how much we have developed, how much we learnt from that situation and I am very proud of the players."
Reading manager Steve Coppell said: "I have to accept that on the day Swansea were the better team and won the game. "I would take an amount of the blame myself. Maybe I should have been more conservative and passive and got a lot of men behind the ball. "But we air on the side of attack, however we did not get any rhythm today."
Swansea: De Vries, Rangel, Williams, Monk, Tate, Gower (Orlandi 72), Pratley, Gomez, Allen, Dyer (Pintado 82), Scotland. Booked: Tate. Goals: Scotland 45, Orlandi 89. Reading: Federici, Rosenior, Ingimarsson, Duberry, Armstrong, Kebe (Lita 82), Cisse, Harper (Gunnarsson 81), Stephen Hunt, Doyle, Noel Hunt (Matejovsky 62). Sent Off: Rosenior (81). Booked: Rosenior, Stephen Hunt. Att: 15,197 Ref: Fred Graham (Essex). |
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