By Liam Owen
USW men’s 1sts finally came good in a 6-1 thrashing of fellow strugglers Swansea University – thanks to a hat-trick from Niro Gowran.
Further goals from Laquay Coleman, Tito Anderson and Kavan O’Leary and a totally dominant second half, saw them seal a win that keeps their hopes alive of avoiding relegation from BUCS Premier South following a torrid season up to now.
In what was a very cagey first-half both teams struggled to impose themselves with USW having the best opportunity of the early period as winger Laquay Coleman forced a save from Swansea goalkeeper Lucas Smith from inside the six-yard box.
It was the visitors who opened the scoring as Charlie Lewis tapped in a drilled through ball at the near post in the 26th minute.
But Swansea could not maintain their positive start.
USW should have been level just minutes later when Tito Anderson earned a penalty after being brought down with a reckless challenge, only for Coleman’s effort from 12 yards to be saved by goalkeeper Lucas Smith.
But in the 32nd minute Gowran capitalised on Swansea’s failure to clear their defensive lines as he hit the ball into the top of the net to send the hosts in at half-time on level terms.
The second half proved very different from the first as USW scored two goals in quick succession to take a stranglehold.
First Anderson scored with a simple finish, then in the 52nd minute Gowran converted Coleman’s cross to finish a brilliant move by the hosts.
The pattern of USW supremacy continued and when a deflected through ball fell to the prolific Gowran his cool finish, in the 60th minute, all but settled things at 4-1.
USW captain Kavan O’Leary made it 5-1 in the 67th minute after Swansea ‘keeper Smith dropped the ball and in the 88th minute Coleman claims the hosts’ sixth.