REPORT: Swans U23s 2 Newcastle Utd U23s 1

20th January

Swansea City Under-23s stretched their winning run to ten games in all competitions as the young side came from behind to beat Newcastle for a second time in five days in the Premier League Cup.
Newcastle had the first chance inside the opening ten minutes of the game at Landore as midfielder Liam Smith sent a 30-yard free kick just wide of Lewis Thomas' post.
A minute later and Swansea were on the charge as good pressure from striker Botti Biabi almost found Liam Cullen in the box before the Magpies' defence cleared.
Despite that good work, it was Newcastle who would take the lead as winger Adam Wilson found space on the edge of the area to curl his shot into the top corner.
Four minutes later the Magpies almost doubled their lead as a cross from Miehael Newberry from the left found Jamie Holmes only for the winger to fire just wide of goal.
Biabi fired over from inside the area for the Swans as the striker got on  the end of Aaron Lewis' corner.
The Swans moved the ball around midfield well but could not find a breakthrough. Jordan Garrick's broke on the counter attack down the left wing, his ball finding substitute Adnan Maric only for Newcastle to clear moments before the break.



Newcastle continued their attack minutes into the restart as striker Tom Heardman saw his header scrambled off the line before Smith tested Thomas with a low shot.
But Swansea began to take control of the game building attacks from the flanks with excellent work by Lewis on the right with the full-backs cross almost found Jordan Garrick and Adnan Maric in the area.
Swansea made no mistake from their next opportunity as Garricks' cross from the left found Biabi to equalise from three-yards just after the hour mark.
Five minutes later and the game was turned on it head as Lewis weaved his way into space on the right flank before pulling back for Garrick to hit the post before Maric followed up with the vital goal from close range.
Newcastle pressed to recover something from the game as Swans keeper Lewis Thomas denied Heardman's shot before the keeper was down low again to deny the striker's header from the resulting corner.
Thomas did well to save Curtis Good's header inside the last ten minutes as the young Swans held on to record their first Premier League Cup group win and maintain an impressive unbeaten record.

SWANS U23s: Lewis Thomas, Aaron Lewis, Tom Plezier, Jack Evans, Brandon Cooper, Joe Rodon (Tyler Reid, 79), Jordan Garrick, Adam King, Botti Biabi, Tom Dyson (Adnan Marić, 5), Liam Cullen.
UNUSED SUBS: Tom Holland, Gregor Zabret, Owain Jones.

NEWCASTLE UTD U23s: Ben Smith, Lewis Cass, Michael Newberry, Jack Hunter (Capt), Callum Williams, Curtis Good, Jamie Holmes, Dan Ward (Thomas Allen, 79), Tom Heardman, Liam Smith (Matthew Longstaff, 79), Adam Wilson.
UNUSED SUBS: Craig Spooner, Elias Sorensen.