Matt Gill | We took a good step in performance and intensity

Assistant head coach Matt Gill felt Swansea City had taken a good step forward in performance and intensity in their penultimate pre-season friendly against Bristol Rovers.

The Swans emerged 3-2 victors across two hours of action in the final behind-closed-doors friendly at Fairwood.

Joel Piroe, Cameron Congreve and Liam Cullen were on target for the hosts, while Aaron Collins and Ryan Loft were on the scoresheet for the League One visitors.

In sweltering heat, a number of Swansea players got 90 minutes under their belts for the first time this pre-season.

And Gill felt it was another good step, with just a final pre-season assignment at Charlton to come before the season opener at Rotherham on July 30.

“It was unbelievably hot, but the lads were great. We are getting closer to the start of the season so it was a step up another gear and I thought the performance was another step up,” he said.

“That was pleasing, there was some good stuff in there and we scored some lovely goals.

“Obviously, there are one or two actions we will need to work on, which is always the case in pre-season.

“It was more minutes in the tank, so it was a good exercise for us. A lot of the lads ticked off a 90 minutes and they will take a lot from that in these conditions and it’s something to build on going into the last game at Charlton.

“It felt like we have been building our intensity, and that was the case again today. Bristol Rovers were bang up for it and it was a good test to have.

“The intensity stepped up, the performance stepped up, and it was a good test for us to have.”

Congreve’s goal was a lovely strike after the midfielder and his team-mates had hassled and harried Rovers out of possession.

And it capped a fine week for the teenager, after he signed a contract extension with the club.

“He has had a big year, making his debut last season and coming back and being with us from the start of pre-season,” said Gill.

“He deserves everything he gets. He is a really good lad, it’s great he has signed his new contract.

“It was a brilliant finish for his goal, and it came from something we have been working on with him in terms of his recovery runs and defensive responsibilities.

“So, to get a goal of the back of that will hopefully encourage him to continue doing that defensive work.”