Swans v Gillingham (FA Cup) | Vital Football

Swans v Gillingham (FA Cup)

keith margam

Vital Football Legend
After our excellent 0-3 away win at Aston Villa in the last round, our reward was a home tie as we face League One Gillingham this Saturday.
Conquerors of PL strugglers Cardiff City in the last round their confidence will be high coming into this match. They have a Welsh connection, their caretaker manager Steve Lovell was born in Swansea and played two games on loan from Palace for his home club in 1987, scoring one goal.
With our home league match against Birmingham shunted to the following Tuesday night to make way for this match, it’s a team selection dilemma for Potter with a league game so close.
Last round he put out his best team, with a clear week’s break either side of the cup game, but if he does the same this Saturday then he risks injury to players and a short recovery time for the Brum match three days later.
Added to this is the injury to Rodon making us short of players in the centre back position. Loanee Carter-Vickers will fill the gap but we’ll have to rely on our U23’s player Cian Harries as back up. He made his debut for the Swans senior team in the Carabao Cup last August v C Palace.
Bony is back in training and could feature if he’s still here, and some of the fringe players could be called upon, such as last Summer’s new signings Dhanda, Asoro, Mackay and John, all of whom are struggling for form and yet to fulfill their potential.
 
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Gillingham manager, 58 year old Steve Lovell, makes a nostalgic return to Swansea on Saturday.
Steve, who won six caps for Wales, was born and raised in Dunvant, and went to Gowerton Grammar School, and it’s a club that holds plenty of ties for him.
He used to go to the Vetch Field with his late father Alan, who played for the Swans in the 1950’s. Alan was a season ticket holder at the Liberty before he died in 2013 and Steve’s mother and sister still live in Swansea.
Steve’s football career took him to Crystal Palace as a midfielder in the youth set up in 1977, where he eventually turned professional.
In 1983, he moved to Millwall, where manager George Graham played him as a striker during an injury crisis. He went on to score 13 goals in 11 matches and remained a striker for the remainder of his career.
He spent two games on loan at the Vetch in 1987, whilst at Millwall, scoring one goal, but opted to sign for nearby Gillingham, who intervened and offered £20k for him. So he chose them rather than the upheaval of moving his family back to Swansea. He scored 94 goals in 233 matches for the Gills.
Between 1981-1986 he had six Wales caps and scored one goal.
“I said before the draw that it would be a dream draw to get Swansea and for it to come out was unbelievable.”
“It will be emotional going back from a personal point of view. I will have quite a few family members there, it will be a good weekend and hopefully we can get a result and make it even better.”
 
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Swans team news -
Bony and Carroll are fit again.
Routledge calf strain, Dyer and Asoro sickness bug, and Naughton knee injury.
Rodon and Olsson already out with longer term injuries.

Gillingham are missing midfielder Billy Bingham and central defender Alex Lacey.
 
Match Statistics:
Swans 4 v Gills 1
Possession 69% - 31%
Shots 19 - 10
Shots on target 9 - 5
Corners 7 - 6
Fouls 6 - 10
 
Over 15k attendance in the cold driving wind and rain to watch this FA Cup match this afternoon, I got drenched just walking to the ground.
McKay almost scored after 6 minutes but the ball came back out off the post. McBurnie headed wide as we dominated play. Fer deftly chipped the ball into the box for McBurnie to head in and open the scoring on 10 mins. It was McBurnie again on the half hour to slot home from Mckay’s pass.
The Gills came out fighting in the second half and scored within 5 mins. Byrne, after some trickery on the wing crossed for Rees to head home, but it was poor marking by the Swans.
After several chances went begging, Celina fired a rocket into the net from outside the box on 73 mins, and McKay scrambled in the fourth from a low cross by James in the 84th min to seal the tie.
James replaced Baker-Richardson 69 min
Fulton replaced Fer 82 min
Byers placed McBurnie 82 min
 
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Well done to the Swans for conducting the minutes applause for Emiliano Sala just 42EBED74-8C8C-4DF1-A74A-0BCBF55A3372.jpegbefore the match today.
 
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Yesterday’s line up:
Erwin Mulder, Connor Roberts, Mike van der Hoorn, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Declan John, Leroy Fer, Matt Grimes, Barrie McKay, Bersant Celina, Oli McBurnie, Courtney Baker-Richardson.
Subs: Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Cian Harries, Jay Fulton, Daniel James, Jefferson Montero, Nathan Dyer, George Byers.
 
The Dutch Press keeping an eye on their players -
“Ook het Nederlands getinte Swansea City plaatste zich voor de laatste zestien in het toernooi om de FA Cup. Met Erwin Mulder, Mike van der Hoorn en Leroy Fer in de basiself werd er met 4-1 gewonnen van Gillingham FC. “
 
FA Cup draw -
To be played Sat 16 Feb, no replay, extra time and penalties.
Swans will play at home to the winner of Barnet/Brentford (playing tonight)
Ironically we were scheduled to play Brentford at home in the league on this date!
 
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