FULL-TIME: Reading 1 Swans 3

2nd August

Wayne Routledge netted a brace as the Swans beat Championship side Reading 3-1 in their penultimate pre-season fixture.
Garry Monk's side had seen Wilfried Bony hit the crossbar from the penalty spot after 14 minutes following Sean Morrison's handball from Dwight Tiendalli's cross.
But Routledge struck twice in the space of three minutes - first he rounded Alex McCarthy after beating the offside trap and latching onto Wilfried Bony's pass.
Then the winger's mis-hit shot looped over the Royals keeper following good work by Bony and ex-Reading midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Reading did pull one back before the break via Nick Blackman's stunning 30-yard effort that nestled into the top corner.
But Monk's side dominated after the break with Bafetimbi Gomis striking the post.
The French striker was not to be denied though as he made Reading pay for a mistake at the back, with Gomis racing towards goal before coolly chipping sub keeper Adam Federici in the 65th minute.
This proved another good workout for Monk's side, who face Spanish side Villarreal in their final fixture of the pre-season schedule at the Liberty on August 9.


READING:
Alex McCarthy (Adam Federici, ht), Chris Gunter (capt), Alex Pearce, Sean Morrison, Pavel Progrebnyak (Jack Stacey, 84), Jordan Obita, Michael Hector (Aaron Kuhl, 70), Hope Akpan (Aaron Tshibola, 79), Ryan Edwards (Craig Tanner, 68), Nick Blackman, Jake Taylor (Shaun Cummings, 75).
SUBS NOT USED: Pierce Sweeney, Mikkel Andersen, Sean Long, Shane Griffin, Jake Cooper.

SWANS: Lukasz Fabianski, Dwight Tiendalli (Angel Rangel, 79), Ashley Williams (capt), Kyle Bartley, Neil Taylor, Ki Sung-Yueng, Jonjo Shelvey, Bafetimbi Gomis, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Wayne Routledge (Jefferson Montero, 66), Wilfried Bony (Nathan Dyer, 66).
SUBS NOT USED: Gerhard Tremmel, Stephen Kingsley, Adam King, Josh Sheehan.


ATTENDANCE: 5,421

It proved a lively start at the Madejski Stadium, with Wilfried Bony just failing to meet Wayne Routledge's cross while Bafetimbi Gomis couldn't control Jonjo Shelvey's 40-yard pass which dropped into the Reading box.
A superbly-timed Neil Taylor sliding challenge in the box prevented Nick Blackman from testing Lukasz Fabianski before the Swans were awarded a penalty after Sean Morrison handled Dwight Tiendalli's cross with 14 minutes on the clock.
Up stepped Wilfried Bony, but the Ivorian's effort rattled back off the crossbar.
The Swans continued their search for the opening goal, and Gomis was twice denied within a minute.
First he controlled Tiendalli's cross before wrongfooting his marker in the box but only to see his effort pushed out for a corner by keeper Alex McCarthy.
Then, from Gylfi Sigurdsson's resulting corner, the French striker again brought down the delivery before Alex Pearce's timely block snuffed him out at the back post.
But the search didn't last much longer.
With 23 minutes on the clock, Bony raced forward and his through ball for Wayne Routledge - who beat the offside trap - allowed the winger to run on and round McCarthy before tapping home.
And just two minutes later the Swans and Routledge got their second.
Bony's audacious overhead-kick pass found Sigurdsson, and he cut inside before teeing up Routledge, and his mis-hit effort from 15 yards looped over the helpless McCarthy.
Things almost got even better for the visitors as Shelvey's cross was met by Bony, but his glancing header was padded out for a corner by McCarthy.
At the other end, Fabianski had to be alert as he pushed Michael Hector's 25-yard drive away from goal while the Pole did well to gather Jordan Obita's thunderous low cross.
But the keeper was helpless as Blackman intercepted Kyle Bartley's pass before firing his 30-yard effort into the top right-hand corner with two minutes left of the half.

Half-time: Reading 1 Swans 2

The Swans made a bright start to the second half and they managed to create a number of chances.
Sigurdsson volleyed wide after intercepting Pearce's pass before Routledge found Gomis just inside the box, but his effort thundered back off the post.
Shelvey then tested substitute keeper Adam Federici with a powerful 35-yard volley, but the Reading stopper dealt comfortably with it.
And Federici was again called upon as he swatted Routledge's well-struck effort after Sigurdsson's effort had dropped into his path after rebounding off Bony.
But the Swans regained their two-goal lead in the 65th minute as Hector touched the ball beyond the Reading defence and Gomis took full advantage by racing in on goal before coolly chipping the onrushing Federici.
The Swans made a double change immediately as Nathan Dyer and Jefferson Montero replaced Bony and Routledge.
And Montero was straight into the action as he raced into the box on the left and fired a low effort towards goal, but Federici palmed it wide.
The Ecuadorian probed again, his pace earning him space in the box for him to centre for Dyer, but he fired over from eight yards.
That proved the last real action of the half, with this proving another useful exercise for the Swans as the start of the Barclays Premier League season nears.