Swansea City Swans Swindon Premier League

Three second-half goals from Andre Ayew, Jay Fulton and Modou Barrow saw the Swans continue their pre-season preparations with a 3-0 win at Swindon Town.
It was another good workout for Francesco Guidolin's side as the countdown to the new Premier League campaign continues.



Swans boss Francesco Guidolin brought a strong squad to the County Ground for their second pre-season friendly on British soil.
Following their 10-day training camp in America, the Swans beat Bristol Rovers 5-1 on Saturday with Andre Ayew, Leroy Fer, Stephen Kingsley, Kyle Naughton and Wayne Routledge on the scoresheet.
It was a convincing display that pleased the Italian as the countdown to the new Premier League campaign gathered pace.
Guidolin was expected to utilise his entire 21-man travelling party against a League One outfit managed by Luke Williams.
Leon Britton was the only obvious absentee from the squad with the influential midfielder receiving treatment on a slight knee injury, while goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski continued his pre-season training in SA1 after recently returning from the Euros with Poland.
Ashley Williams, Neil Taylor, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Ki Sung-Yueng are due to return to club duty next week following their summer exploits.
Gerhard Tremmel started in goal, with Kyle Naughton and Stephen Kingsley at full-back. Federico Fernandez and new signing Mike van der Hoorn partnered in the heart of the defence.
In midfield, Jay Fulton and Jack Cork started in the deeper role, with Kenji Gorre further forward.
Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge operated down the wings, with young striker Oliver McBurnie as the central striker.
Swindon go into the game having suffered back-to-back defeats to Reading and Woking, although they have beaten Swindon Supermarine, Shelbourne and University College Dublin during their pre-season fixtures.

Swans (first-half): Gerhard Tremmel, Kyle Naughton, Stephen Kingsley, Federico Fernandez, Mike van der Hoon, Jay Fulton, Jack Cork, Kenji Gorre, Nathan Dyer, Wayne Routledge (c), Ollie McBurnie.
Subs: Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Angel Rangel, Connor Roberts, Jordi Amat, Leroy Fer, Adam King, Modou Barrow, Jefferson Montero, Andre Ayew, Joe Rodon.

Swindon Town: Lawrence Vigouroux, Bradley Barry, Yaser Kasim, Anton Rodgers, Nathan Thompson (c), John Goddard, Jon Obika, James Brophy, Jamie Sendles-White, Raphael Rossi-Branco, Tom Smith.
Subs: Will Henry, Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill, Jermaine Hylton, Jake Evans, Jordan Stewart, Ellis Iandolo, Louis Spalding, Jordan Young.

Ref: Simon Hooper

Att: 3,306 (554 away fans)

 

Play got underway on an excellent pitch as the home side created the first opening in the fourth minute when Gerhard Tremmel was forced to push a fine 20-yard effort low around the post from John Goddard.
Swansea soon settled down though and started passing the ball around the park well with Wayne Routledge, skipper to start, just failing to finish a half chance.
Swindon were playing well though, especially on the counter, as Jon Obika fired over before Kenji Gorre responded at the other end with a shot that was easily saved by Lawrence Vigouroux.
Swansea's best chance came in the 21st minute when Gorre's cross fell to Nathan Dyer on the edge of the area, but his low shot curled just wide of the upright.



The visitors should have gone ahead in the 30th minute when Ollie McBurnie won a free kick out wide. Dyer curled it in, but Mike van der Hoorn headed wide from six yards when he should have hit the target.
Swansea had Tremmel to thank for keeping the score level though in the 40th minute with a great double save to deny Raphael Rossi-Branco with a fierce drive and then Goddard on the follow up.
As the half came to a close. McBurnie curled a good effort just wide of the top corner.

Half-time: Swindon 0 Swans 0

As expected, it was all change for the second half with only goalkeeper Tremmel, van der Hoon and Fulton remaining.
Angel Rangel and Connor Roberts came in at full-back, with Jordi Amat replacing Fernandez at centre-half.
Leroy Fer and Adam King started in midfield with the pace of Modou Barrow and Jefferson Montero, starting his first game since returning from the Copa America with Ecuador in the summer, on the wings. Andre Ayew replaced McBurnie up top.

Swans (second-half): Tremmel, Angel Rangel (c), Connor Roberts, Jordi Amat, van der Hoon, Fulton, Leroy Fer, Adam King, Modou Barrow, Jefferson Montero, Andre Ayew. Subs: Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Joe Rodon.

Swansea only had to wait five minutes to take the lead when Modou Barrow cut inside before finding Andre Ayew unmarked inside the area and the striker fired home from 15 yards.
The game had sparked into life as Barrow's pace was causing Swindon problems down their left.
But it was from a Barrow free-kick that the Swans extended their lead in the 55th minute when Jay Fulton met his cross with a glancing header that flew past Vigouroux.

Swansea made their ninth substitution of the half on the hour as goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt replaced Tremmel.
Nordfeldt had the post to thank for maintaining Swansea's two-goal advantage when great work from Yaser Kasim set up substitute Jermaine Hylton who fired against the upright.
Swindon then won a corner, but Hylton saw his effort ruled out for offside, before fellow sub Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill fired wide.
It was the Swans who found the net again though in the 71st minute when Jefferson Montero, back on the edge of his own area helping out his defence, delivered a superb long pass to send Barrow racing clear over the halfway line.
The winger outpaced the Swindon defence before applying a cool finish to make it 3-0.
Swindon tried to hit back straight away as Nordfeldt was forced to save bravely at the feet of James Brophy, before young Joe Rodon replaced van der Hoorn in the heart of the Swansea defence with 77 minutes gone.
Swansea nearly added a fourth with three minutes remaining as another excellent ball from Leroy Fer sent Montero racing clear. The winger pulled the ball back for young full-back Connor Roberts, but his shot was cleared off the line.