23/11/2013 15:00 v Fulham

22nd June

Jonjo Shelvey came off the bench to score the winner as the Swans moved up to tenth thanks to a 2-1 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage.

In a game which really came to life in the second half, an own goal from Aaron Hughes edged the Swans ahead in the 56th minute only for Scott Parker to level eight minutes later.

But Shelvey, on for Nathan Dyer just before the hour mark, claimed all three points for the Swans with a fantastic curling effort that nestled in the top corner with 10 minutes to go.

This was a third league win on their travels for the Swans and a first victory in their last five games in all competitions.

It also continued their fine form at the London venue, with this their third consecutive victory at Craven Cottage.

In a tight start to the game, neither side created any clear-cut chances in the opening exchanges.

Pajtim Kasami's appeal for a penalty was correctly turned down by referee Andre Marriner before Parker tested Michel Vorm with the game's first effort on goal.

After a Jonathan de Guzman free-kick hit the Fulham wall, Roland Lamah saw his deflected shot leave Maarten Stekeleburg wrongfooted but the ball bounced just wide.

Darren Bent then went close with the best opportunities either side of the half hour mark, firstly he headed wide from a Parker cross just ten yards out and then he struck the post after Chico Flores' attempted header back to Vorm fell to the striker.

The hosts kept probing, and Dimitar Berbatov nodded wide from a corner as another chance went amiss for Martin Jol's side.

But the Swans reminded Fulham of their quality on the counter attack as Dyer raced on to find Lamah, and the Belgium international struck a low left-footed shot wide.

Then Wilfried Bony glanced a header over after Angel Rangel found him with a neat chipped pass, before the Swans created their best chance of the half.

After Alejandro Pozuelo won possession off Derek Boateng 40 yards out, the Spaniard raced on before touching right to Dyer inside the box, but his goalbound drive was kept out by the legs of Stekelenburg in the last action of the half.

The Swans started the second half strongly and were quick out of the blocks.

First, Dyer was just beaten to Pozuelo's through ball into the box and then Bony showed his power to hold off a couple of challenges before volleying along the face of goal.

Lamah then struck a low drive wide after neat link-up play with Ben Davies before de Guzman fired straight at the Fulham keeper following a neat inside pass from Rangel.

And, on 56 minutes, the Swans got the goal they were looking for.

After de Guzman took a quickly-taken free-kick to Pozuelo, the Spaniard's curling cross evaded Chico and bounced off the shin of Aaron Hughes and past Stekelenburg.

Laudrup made a change soon after, with Shelvey coming on, which meant Pozuelo moved to the right wing.

But Fulham went close to levelling as Parker won possession off de Guzman and raced on. But a superb sliding block from Ashley Williams sent it out for a corner.

After working a quick set-piece, Parker's cross-cum-shot fooled the defence and Vorm as it dropped into the top corner after 64 minutes.

The celebrations had barely died down when Bony latched on to a through ball and controlled in the box but his low effort was easily gathered by Stekelenburg.

But with 10 minutes left, the Swans did regain their lead.

And the goal came in superb fashion as Shelvey shrugged off two challenges before curling a sublime right-footed effort into the top corner.

Shelvey almost got a second as he controlled a cross-field pass from sub Alvaro Vazquez and rounded Stekelenburg, but the covering defence snuffed out his effort in added-on time.

But it mattered not for the Swans.

 

FULHAM: Maarten Stekelenburg, Elsad Zverotic, Aaron Hughes, Fernando Amorebieta, Kieran Richardson, Scott Parker (Adel Taarabt, 86), Pajtim Kasami, Derek Boateng (Steve Sidwell, 60), Bryan Ruiz (Alexander Kačaniklić, 77), Dimitar Berbatov, Darren Bent.
SUBS: David Stockdale, Philippe Senderos, Ashkan Dejagah, Moussa Dembele.

SWANS: Michel Vorm, Angel Rangel, Chico Flores, Ashley Williams (capt), Ben Davies, Jose Canas, Jonathan de Guzman, Alejandro Pozuelo (Alvaro Vazquez, 90), Nathan Dyer (Jonjo Shelvey, 59), Roland Lamah (Dwight Tiendalli, 86), Wilfried Bony.
SUBS: Gerhard Tremmel, Jordi Amat, Neil Taylor, Leon Britton.