Fc Kortrijk 3 Swansea City 0

NICK Cusack will bring back the heavy artillery tomorrow night after seeing his reinforcements blown away by FC Kortrijk here yesterday.

The second string of his 24man Dutch tour party were given a lesson in possession football and sharp finishing by their slick Belgian opponents.

And the convincing 3-0 scoreline will be the cue for Cusack to call on his first-choice team when Swansea take on Dutch heavyweights FC Den Haag in the final match of their trip at the 17,000-capacity Zuiderpark tomorrow evening.

Should they finish up licking their wounds too, the chief consolation for the Vetch Field player-manager will be that his new-look squad are unlikely to face such stiff tests when their Third Division campaign kicks off in 19 days' time.

Sides in Kortrijk's bracket every Saturday would mean another difficult season for Swansea.

With a line-up showing nine changes from the draw with Kranenburg last Friday and featuring only one player, Roger Freestone, guaranteed his place in the first XI come August 10, Swansea were soundly beaten.

The stylish Belgian third division outfit kept the ball for long periods and, when they created a chance, scored.

Led from the back by impressive trialist Dave Theobald, Swansea too showed their passing skills in brief spells.

But when opportunities came in front of goal, they went without the tourists registering.

They lacked Kortrijk's cutting edge.

At 2-0, promising striker Jonathan Keaveny's fierce drive crashed off the post, before influential substitute James Thomas saw his smart snapshot tipped onto the woodwork.

The storm weathered, Kortrijk advanced with real purpose to seal victory in the 67th minute.

Freestone could only parry Laurent Bellengien's longrange drive, and Mickael Bellatreche was first to the rebound.

Just as they had done 28 minutes into the first period, Kortrijk scored with their first chance of the half.

Before the break, Charlie Vanherpe had stabbed home after Terry Evans's block fell kindly then Bellenghien doubled the advantage right on the interval after a fine breakaway move.

Swansea were left to curse the woodwork and rue efforts from Steve Watkin, David Moss and trialist Jamie Wood which sailed narrowly wide.

"We had our chances but failed to convert them against a technically gifted side, " said a disappointed Cusack.

"It's a lesson for our players.

Eventually they will learn that if you give the ball away, you will end up chasing it around for 20 minutes against teams like this." "We have got to keep the ball better and we have also got to produce an end product." Hinting that his close-season clearout may not be over just yet, Cusack added: "I am trying to give people the opportunity to show that they have improved from last season, but if they don't take their chance they are confirming what I thought about them and that is something I will have to address." With a draw and a defeat on the Continent so far, Cusack would love his first-teamers to pull off a morale-boosting victory in their last match before they jet home on Wednesday.

Den Haag, though, are rated the toughest opponents on the tour itinerary after missing out on a place in the Dutch topflight next term thanks to defeat in last season's play-offs.

To have any success, Swansea must reproduce the compact, efficient approach which saw them take a 2-0 lead against Kranenburg, while Thomas and Co must find the finishing touch.

Otherwise, the collective sigh of relief when the plane touches down on British soil in 48 hours' time will be more to do with football than any fear of flying.

Freestone, Sharp (Phillips), Theobald, Evans, Howard, Jackson (Mumford), Moss (Thomas), Lacey, DeVulgt (Jenkins), Keaveny (Wood), Watkin.

Swans shortcomings creep into friendly performance - Western Mail

THEY say results don't matter in friendlies, but that will be cold comfort to Swansea City player-coach Nick Cusack who received an ugly reminder of the dismal end to last season with this morale-sapping defeat here yesterday.

Defensive frailties, concentration lapses and sub-standard performances from some conspired to hand Belgian Third Division side KV Kortrijk victory in the second of Swansea's three-game tour of Holland.

Though the Swans showed significant promise in the first 20 minutes, for the remainder of the match it was as if Cusack's summer clear-out and the subsequent recruitment of eight new players had never happened.

Granted, of those who started yesterday only goalkeeper Roger Freestone can be guaranteed a place in the side that faces Rushden & Diamonds in the opening game of the season on August 10.

And the real test will come tomorrow when Swansea face First Division Den Haag and Cusack fields his strongest team. But, as the player-coach acknowledged afterwards, too many of the shortcomings that afflicted Swansea towards the end of last season crept into yesterday's display.

And Cusack, who is poised to add the impressive trialists Jamie Wood and David Theobald to his revamped squad (a final decision won't be made until Swansea return from Holland on Wednesday), suggested he may have to usher more players out of the Vetch Field if they cannot do the business.

"It is clear that the team which played today will not be the same as the one we play on August 10," said Cusack.

"Having said that, I am trying to give people an opportunity to show they have improved on last season and, if they don't take that chance, they are confirming what I thought about them. That is something I would have to address."

It is said you should try everything once when in Holland and Cusack, making nine changes to the side which drew 2-2 against Dutch non-league champions FC Kranenburg on Friday, reflected the idea in his team selection.

In came wing-backs Leigh De-Vulgt and Michael Howard, defenders Terry Evans and Theobald - whose poise and build is similar to Rio Ferdinand's - midfielders Michael Jackson, Damien Lacey and David Moss and strikers Steve Watkin and Johnathan Keaveny.

Lacey, battling hard in mid-field, came closest to opening the scoring when he rifled a free-kick wide of a post on 20 minutes.

Others striving to impress were De-Vulgt, Jackson and Keaveny, the 21-year-old forward displaying the predatory instincts which brought him dozens of goals at Pontardawe, Carmarthen Town and Goytre.

But Swansea began losing possession, allowing Kortrijk's Charlie Vanherpe to put the Belgians ahead in the 28th minute and Tommy Careel to claim a second on the stroke of half-time.

"We gave the ball away cheaply," said Cusack.

"Plus, we probably created more chances than they did but failed to convert them."

Cusack brought on Andrew Mumford, James Thomas, Gareth Phillips, Lee Jenkins and Wood in the second half but the Swans struggled to make an impact.

They conceded the third goal on 67 minutes when Mickael Bellatreche fired in a rebound after Freestone had blocked Laurent Ballenghien's shot.

Kortrijk kept possession and played with a fluency which Swansea are unlikely to encounter very often in the Third Division.

KV Kortrijk: Delva, Rombout, Verhoene, Claijsse, Desse, Lombaerts, Houze, Ballenghien, Careel, Bostoen, Garni

Swansea City: Freestone, Sharp (Phillips, 46), Theobald, Evans, De Vulgt (Jenkins, 46), Howard, Jackson, (Mumford, 63), Lacey, Moss (Thomas, 46), Watkin, Keaveny (Wood, 59) Sub (not used): Marsh

Referee: Raymond Houtman (The Hague)