Planet Swans ArchivesThe Swans stretched their unbeaten run to thirteen games with a comprehensive destruction of Preston – a result that was never in doubt from the moment that Jordi Gomez opened the scoring within two minutes.
Further goals from Jason Scotland, Guillem Bauza and Alan Tate just added further misery on Preston who could only muster a late goal in reply.
And at this moment in time it is very difficult to see the Swans being beaten – the addition of Nathan Dyer has made a huge difference to our attacking prowess and we can cut through teams at the moment with some ease – long may that continue.
I guess three weeks ago the loss of Darren Pratley to injury would have meant a loss of flow in a performance but today showed that the squad has become stronger as a group and that seems to mean a march to the play offs at this moment in time.
It is no coincidence that good teams are coming to the Liberty and looking very ordinary.ย We don’t let the opposition control games and they seemingly have no answer to the passing and movement of what really is an excellent Swans team.
As expected, Dorus came back into the starting line up with Mark Gower in for the injured Joe Allen the only other change to the side that started at Portsmouth on the weekend.
Dorus
Rangelย ย ย ย Monkย ย ย ย Williamsย ย ย ย Tate
Dyerย ย ย ย Brittonย ย ย ย Gomezย ย ย ย Pratleyย ย ย ย Gower
Scotland
Preston had barely settled when the Swans had the lead.ย ย Scotland dispossessed St Ledger on the edge of the area and it was between him and Gomez as to who was to shoot with the Spaniard winning to give the Swans the lead.
A bad start got worse for the visitors when Callum Davidson had to go off injured just five minutes later causing a slight change around in personnel.ย ย And the Swans had to do the same thing just minutes later when Pratley went off with a shoulder injury to be replaced by Bauza – the initial diagnosis on the midfielder being potentially two months out of action.
The Swans were though in full flow and despite the change they were making most of the running and it did seem even at this early stage that there was only going to be one team who grabbed the second goal.ย And when it came it was simplicity in its extreme.
Dorus caught a Preston free kick and immediately looked up to free Gower on the left wing.ย ย Gower allowed the ball to fall over his head and he was in full flow as he looked up to see Scotland free on the right hand side.ย ย A perfect ball found the striker who drilled home a low shot for his ninth in nine games and the Swans lead had doubled.
Half time came and went and the Swans had done the damage and it was more a question of “how many more” rather than “do we have enough”
Roberto used the two goal cushion to give Scotland a deserved rest as he was replaced by Pintado and it was soon to be three for the Swans.ย Dyer and Rangel worked some magic on the right hand side – these two really are a dream partnership – and the cross was turned in by Bauza as the Swans were heading towards their biggest success of the season.
The fourth was brilliant even if it did come from an unexpected source.ย Tate picked the ball up thirty yards from goal and the cries of “shoot” were said with an anticipation of a pile driver until Tate curled one past the keeper from 25 yards and into the back of the net.ย ย He was mobbed by his team mates and the Liberty crowd just appreciated the ease of victory in a game that was predicted to be a tough test.
There was time for Preston to grab a late consolation to spoil the clean sheet but it was irrelevant as the Swans goal difference stretched into double figures and they moved within a point of the play offs.
These really are magic times and all we can do is sit back and enjoy the ride, I know I am anyway.ย Well that and dreaming of how far we really can go!
