TEAMS: Bristol Rovers v Swans

23rd July

The Swans put in a five-star performance as they comfortably beat League One side Bristol Rovers 5-1 in a friendly at the Memorial Stadium.
A sublime free-kick from Andre Ayew sent Francesco Guidolin's side on their way to victory, while Leroy Fer doubled the lead.
Stephen Kingsley's cross-come-shot made it 3-0 before fellow full-back Kyle Naughton fired home a half-volley to round off a hugely successful first half.
Rovers pulled one back shortly after the break via sub Luke James, but the Swans - who used all 19 players throughout the game - had the final say when Wayne Routledge slotted home a fifth.
Next up for the Swans is a trip to Swindon Town on Wendesday night (7.45pm).


Following a two-game tour in the US, the Swans - who confirmed Americans Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan have become new majority shareholders earlier in the week - faced Rovers as preparations for the Premier League campaign stepped up a gear.
Francesco Guidolin took an 19-man squad to take on Rovers, who have enjoyed two successive promotions.
Andre Ayew led the line, while summer signing Leroy Fer also started in midfield.
Oliver McBurnie, who enjoyed promotion with Bristol Rovers last season while on loan, was included on the bench.
The hosts also had a Swansea link in their squad, with Jermaine Easter - who spent time on loan at the Liberty during the 2010-11 campaign - was among Rovers' substitutes.
The Swans were without Lukasz Fabianski, Ashley Williams, Neil Taylor and Gylfi Sigurdsson as they were on extended leave following their Euro 2016 commitments, while Jefferson Montero and Ki Sung-Yueng were also unavailable.

BRISTOL ROVERS: Steve Mildenhall, Daniel Leadbitter, Lee Brown, Mark McChrystal, Ollie Clarke, Matty Taylor, Jake Gosling, Byron Moore, Billy Bodin, Stuart Sinclair, Alfie Kilgour.
SUBS: Will Puddy, Lee Mansell, Ellis Harrison, Chris Lines, Liam Lawrence, Jermaine Easter, Danny Greenslade, Ryan Broom, Luke James, Rory Gaffney.

SWANS: Kristoffer Nordfeldt (Gerhard Tremmel, 62), Kyle Naughton, Federico Fernandez, Jordi Amat (Mike van der Hoorn, 77), Stephen Kingsley (Angel Rangel, 62), Leon Britton (capt, Jay Fulton, 62), Jack Cork, Leroy Fer (Adam King, 77), Nathan Dyer (Modou Barrow, 77), Wayne Routledge (Kenji Gorre, 80), Andre Ayew (Oliver McBurnie, 62).

The Swans made a perfect start to the game as they were ahead after just six minutes.
After Jack Cork was fouled when he stole possession 25 yards from Rovers' goal, Andre Ayew beautifully curled the resulting free-kick over the wall and into the top corner.
Rovers looked for an instant reply, and Kristoffer Nordfeldt had to react quickly to pad Byron Moore's stinging low drive away from goal. e Swan
But things got even better for the Swans in the 13th minute as Leroy Fer intercepted a pass just inside the hosts' half, and he ran on 30 yards before slotting past Steve Mildenhall with a low, angled drive.
There wasn't a long wait for a third goal, either, as Stephen Kingsley got his name on the scoresheet just five minutes later.
The left-back shrugged off his marker before winning the ball and surging forward before his cross fortuitously looped into the net.
The Swans, as the scoreboard suggested, were well worth their lead and they kept pushing for a fourth goal. They went close to another when Jack Cork sent Nathna Dyer in on goal, but the winger's effort was swatted aside by Mildenhall.
Dyer went even closer three minutes before the break as he latched onto Ayew's floated pass, but his effort was kept off the line by Lee Brown.
But the Swans did extend their lead in added on time, with Kyle Naughton racing into the box from the right flank, and when the ball looped into the air via the boot of a home defender, the right-back fired home a half-volley through the legs of Mildenhall.

HALF-TIME: Bristol Rovers 0 Swans 4

While the Swans made a fine start to the first half, it was Rovers who found the net first after the break.
Just five minutes after the restart, sub Luke James latched onto the loose ball after Jordi Amat's initial slip, and he surged forward before poking the ball into the bottom corner.
The home side enjoyed a good spell of possession, with the League One side probing for a second goal.
The Swans made a flurry of changes just past the hour mark, with Gerhard Tremmel, Angel Rangel, Jay Fulton and Oliver McBurnie replacing Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Kingsley, Leon Britton and Ayew.
And McBurnie made an instant impression as he rose highest to meet Cork's cross, but the striker's header cannoned back off the far post.
But the visitors were not to be denied any further as Wayne Routledge latched onto Cork's through ball before wrongfooting Will Puddy from 15 yards.
Routledge went close to adding another, only to be denied by the Rovers keeper before sub Modou Barrow's trickery outwitted the home defence while his cross fizzed along the face of goal.
That proved to be the final action of a hugely positive performance and result for the Swans.