Cooper: Quickfire goals were decisive

15th January

Brandon Cooper felt conceding two quickfire goals on the stroke of half-time had proved decisive in condemning Swansea City Under-23s to a 3-0 home defeat to Leicester in Premier League 2.

The young Swans fell behind on the stroke of half-time when Admiral Muskwe scored from the penalty spot, while a defensive huge mix-up just seconds later led to trialist Ali Reghba doubling the Foxes' lead.

The hosts subsequently faced an uphill struggle after the break, with Reghba on target again midway through the second half to put the game beyond them.

Defeat was the Swans’ first in three Premier League 2 matches and Cooper admits they were masters of their own downfall at Landore.

“Obviously, it was a disappointing game for us because we’ve been on a good little run in the league,” said the defender.

“Leicester are a very hardworking side and we didn’t match them.

“The two goals before half-time were a killer for us. After conceding the opening goal, we needed to stick together because it was so close to half-time but it killed us when the second one went in.

“That was a big blow because it gave us more of a mountain to climb. As a result, it was a completely different game in the second half and we were chasing the contest from then on.”

The Swans remain on 11 points – five from safety – with seven games remaining in Premier League 2.

But Cooper insists he and his team-mates have no time to dwell on this setback as they aim to claw back the deficit.

“We’ve got to take the positives and bounce back quickly because we’ve got to try and get the wins that will keep us in this league,” the 19-year-old added.

“We must be ready and make sure we work harder than we did on Monday.”