Stevenage v Swansea (FA Cup Third Round) | Vital Football

Stevenage v Swansea (FA Cup Third Round)

K

keith margam

Vital Football Legend
Stevenage v Swans
Emirates FA Cup Third Round Sat 9 Jan 2021 15:00
Showing live & in full across BBC iPlayer & BBC Sport Website/App.
No replays, extra time and penalties if needed to decide the result on the day.
The FA Cup Second Round was played at the end of November, where Stevenage drew 1-1 at home to high flying League One Hull and won 6-5 on penalties. They also won 5-4 on penalties at home in the First Round against Concord Rangers of National League South.
Stevenage are just above the relegation zone in League 2 on goal difference, having won 4 and drawn 8 out of the 20 matches played, two of those wins coming in the last 2 matches.
They have just signed three players to strengthen their squad in the January Transfer Window.
Chris Lines joined from Northampton on a permanent deal until the end of the season. The 35 year old is a seasoned central midfielder with over 450 games under his belt. At 6ft 2in he brings composure, quality and experience to the squad.
Matty Stevens, 22, started his pro career at Barnet, before being signed by Peterborough. The striker moved to Forest Green in July 2019 for an undisclosed fee and joined on loan until the end of the season.
Luke Norris joined from Colchester United after joining them in 2018 from Swindon for an undisclosed fee. The 27 year old striker has made over 300 appearances and signed on a permanent deal until the end of the season.
Swans have Naughton back fit after injury but Bennett and Latibeaudiere are still out injured.
Palmer and Gibbs-White have been recalled from their loan deals so that makes the squad four short.
Byers maybe available for selection though after a long term groin injury, he played 62 mins in the U-23’s recent 2-3 defeat to Watford on 22 December.
Brandon Cooper, who has just been recalled from his loan spell at Newport is cup tied.
We have a bit of a conundrum though, if we are taking this match seriously, whether to rest key players or play them and risk injury. Whatever team we put out there’s a gamble in making too many changes. We will surely have learned a lesson from the 2-0 League Cup defeat at Newport last September and the 7-1 pre-season friendly rout at Southampton last August.
 
Seven changes:
Swansea City: Freddie Woodman; Kyle Naughton, Ben Cabango, Cameron Evans; Jordon Garrick, George Byers, Jay Fulton, Ryan Manning; Yan Dhanda; Wayne Routledge (captain), Viktor Gyokeres.
Substitutes: Lewis Webb, Marc Guehi, Korey Smith, Matt Grimes, Jamal Lowe, Liam Cullen, Jake Bidwell, Oli Cooper, Dan Williams.
 
HT 0-1
After an impressive start and an early goal Swans faded somewhat and Stevenage came more into the game and had a few chances to equalise.
We look weak down our left hand side with Manning there and Gyökeres looks very rusty up front
 
0-2
Two good chances for Stevenage at the start of the second half, but a breakaway and Garrick crosses for Gyökeres to head in for his first goal for the Swans on 50’.
 
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FT: 0-2
Not the convincing win that the scoreline suggests and on another day Stevenage could have won this with the chances they had, especially second half.
 
The Swans have been drawn at home to Nottingham Forest in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup. The Fifth Round draw was also made last night and there’s a sizeable carrot being dangled for the winners, a home tie against Man City or Cheltenham.
Here’s the remaining FA Cup schedule:
  • Fourth round Sat 23 Jan
  • Fifth round Wed 10 Feb
  • Quarter-finals Sat 20 March
  • Semi-finals Sat 17 April
  • The Final Sat 15 May
 
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Flashback to the last time we played Man City:
Sat 16 March 2019 FA Cup Quarter Final
Swans 2 - Grimes 20’ pen Celina 29’
Man City 3 - Silva 69’, Nordfelt og 78’, Aguero 88’
Ref: Andre Marriner
Man City’s second goal:
The Sterling blatant dive, nobody was fooled except the ref - Cameron Carter-Vickers was judged to have tripped replacement Raheem Sterling in the area and Aguero's penalty hit the post before rebounding in off Nordfeldt for an own goal.
Man City’s third goal:
Aguero offside, everybody saw it except the ref - TV replays showed that Aguero was offside but the video assistant review system was not allowed for this match at the Liberty Stadium, despite having been used in City's third and fourth-round ties at their Etihad Stadium home.
Manager Guardiola’s post match comments:
“I'm sorry it was offside. I don't understand why VAR is not used in this competition at this stage. Hopefully next season this won't happen" .
"The penalty was really lucky but you need it, especially when you're in four competitions."
 
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