by Callum Ellis
Date: Wednesday 17 January, 2018
Venue: Liberty Stadium
SWANSEA City booked their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 2-1 win over Championship leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Wilfried Bony’s second-half strike cancelled out Diogo Jota’s equaliser after Jordan Ayew had given the Swans the lead.
The first real chance of the game fell to Ayew, who dispossessed Kortney Hause before travelling through on goal, though he couldn’t unleash an effort at ‘keeper Will Norris.
The Swans’ early pressure paid off as Carlos Carvalhal’s men took the lead in the 11th minute. Ayew was at the centre of the move once again with a stunning solo performance.
He showed trickery to weave past the Wolves defence, before curling the ball beyond Will Norris to fire home.
The hosts had another chance to double their advantage minutes later through midfielder Roque Mesa.
Tom Carroll’s corner fell to Mesa on the edge of the area, whose first-time effort sailed wide of Norris’ post.
A mix-up between captain Federico Fernandez and goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt saw the away side awarded their first corner of the game just before the half-hour mark.
Alfie Mawson nodded away any threat of danger from the resulting set-piece, as the Swans looked to head into the interval with a goal advantage.
Wolves’ frustration began to grow as Alfred N’Diyae was awarded the first yellow card of the evening following a late challenge on Leroy Fer.
The away side did have a chance to draw level minutes later though, as N’Diyae found space in the area before Mawson was there once again to turn the ball behind for a corner.
After the restart Fer was awarded an early booking by referee Chris Kavanagh following a foul on Helder Costa, as the visitors started the second period much brighter than the first.
Rafa Mir found Costa in space on the edge of the area, but his effort sailed over Nordfeldt’s crossbar.
Nuno Santo sent on Leo Bonatini and Diogo Jota just after the hour-mark as his side went in search of an equaliser.
Jota made an immediate impact as he found space in the area, before beating Nordfeldt off the inside of the post to draw level.
Wolves looked as though they may have taken the lead as Jota again went close with an effort from the edge of the area.
But the travelling supporters didn’t have much to cheer about as Bony found the net minutes after the restart.
The Ivory Coast international pounced on a loose ball in the Wolves area, before prodding past Norris to put his side back in the driving seat.
Substitute Bonatini went close for the visitors late on after a mix up between Nordfeldt and Roberts, though he couldn’t convert from close range as the hosts held out for the victory.
The Premier League strugglers will now face League Two outfit Notts County at Meadow Lane in the fourth round of the competition.
Goals: Swansea Ayew (11’) Bony (69’) Wolves Jota (66’)
Swansea City: Nordfeldt, Bony (Clucas 79’), Mawson, Fer, Narsingh (Dyer 73’), Carroll, Ayew, Naughton, Fernandez (C), Mesa (Ki Sung-Yueng 73’), Roberts.
Wolves: Norris, Doherty, Douglas, N’Diyae, Batth (C), Mir (Bonatini 64’), Costa (Saiss 73’), Gibbs-White, Miranda, Enobakhare (Jota 64’), Hause.
(Featured Image: Swansea City FC)
Be the first to comment