Swans (eventually) brush aside Scunthorpe at Fortress Liberty!

The game against Scunthorpe reminded me of a 2p slot machine: keep putting your pennies in and eventually you’ll get a return. There was nothing instant about the Swans’ win yesterday. It took 82 minutes of hard 2p action to see an outcome. But persistence paid off when Sinclair slotted in the first, ending the frustration of the home crowd. New boy Frank Nouble looked incredible in the first five minutes and then quickly faded into the background, making little impact until he was correctly subbed for Dobbie, who proved this by netting Swansea’s second.

Several unusual mistakes from the slightly-too-casual Swans’ back four could have led to conceding unnecessary goals, but luckily Scunthorpe’s strikers were as off target as the referees decision-making skills, who let too many 50/50 decisions go the way of The Iron (or “The Neon Bees” as I now refer to them, thanks to their garish away strip). The game ended 2 – 0; a win that Swansea’s performance in the second half certainly justified and an 8^th consecutive home win (spanning last season), which takes them to 6^th in the table.

Despite the substantial amount of defensive errors during the game, Alan Tate won the Man of the Match award, which I still would have given to Sinclair, if only for the way he woke up in the second half. After his sleeping start, Sinclair looked very dangerous. Sharp and skilful; a near perfect winger for the Swans. I’m sure Nouble will quickly settle and produce better results too (rumours are spreading that he will sign on a 2 year contract after the initial 3 month loan is up, replacing Kuqi). With Dobbie and Beattie (whenever he may return) key parts of the squad, as well as goal capable Pratley and Cotterill, the strike force is looking a lot healthier than last season. A more exciting Swansea to watch.

I did feel a little sad as I packed up my kit and left the stadium.  I caught a glimpse of Gorka Pintado. He looked very glum indeed. Glum because he wasn’t being hounded for autographs? Or glum because he knows that, even when fit, he'll struggle to fit into the new, goal scoring Swansea? As he walked towards me, I felt inclined to ask for an autograph to put him out of his misery, but a little boy beat also took sympathy and beat me too it.

So well done Swansea City. The 2^nd October (v Derby) is the next opportunity for another home victory to add to the collection. An ever growing collection!