Swansea Home FA Cup 3rd Round Won 3 – 0

Posted on January 13, 2025 by John Smith

Ivan said he didn’t want to rest players, but many of them looked shell-shocked at the end of the last match and maybe a week off would have done them good, even if a period of R & R was undeserved. As it turned out, a poor Swansea team provided the opportunity for the first win since a week of double successes in the autumn, kicked off by a cup defeat of another Championship side, Stoke. There were changes up front where Sulemana was the only recognised forward, and expected to play down the middle; in fact, Dibling also had a striking role, and both were to find the net. The first came via route one, with Sulemana taking advantage of goalkeeper McLaughlin’s weird positioning and scoring with a well executed lob. That was after an open first 20 minutes in which Sulemana and Walker-Peters (from midfield) came close while you also felt that our leaky defence were always capable of conceding, even if Ramsdale was rarely tested. Sulemana was in the action again for number two, crossing for Dibling to score easily from close range. There were no changes for either side at the break and indeed until almost three-quarter time, just after Southampton, and Dibling, had scored again – this one at the second attempt following an assist by Manning. At that, off went the successful forward pairing, replaced by Armstrong and Archer. To be fair, both the new players also had opportunities to add to the lead although at the other end another sub, ring rusty Smallbone, nearly presented Swansea with a goal but Allen hit the post and a clean sheet that is almost as rare as a win was preserved. Surprisingly, there was no place in the squad for Welington, whose signing had prompted thoughts of which Womble might be next – Great Uncle Bulgaria perhaps? No sign either of Bella-Kotchap or, less surprisingly, the latest arrival – Kayi Sanda from another part of the Sports Republic success story, Valenciennes: a former Ligue 1 club currently sitting in the bottom half of France’s third tier.

Three LSSC Man of the Match candidates to choose from:

18. Mateus Fernandes. Always looked capable of creating something.

20. Kamaldeen Sulemana, who unsurprisingly looked disappointed to be taken off. He might have done enough for selection in a difficult week of away games.

33. Tyler Dibling. Two goals won him the SFC MotM,