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Darlington 1 Swansea City 3 - Henleyjack
Back to the midlands after a nice day out. Quick couple of pints in a pub just up the road from the ground to set us up- ground itself nice, but far too big for 4500 or thereabouts, and the pitch looked very uneven and slippy. Started off 4-5-1
Willie
Tate, Lawro, Big Kev, Messien
Leon, Pratley, Shaun, Robbo, Butler,
Trunds.
Disaster after 2 mins, Robbo gave the ball away in midfield,ripped apart and Armstrong netted. Lineup looked all wrong, Trunds on his own and isolated. Cue Bayo for Butler who understandably looked well p*ssed off. It worked though- good throw out from Willie to trunds, picked Leon at far post- left foot shot and in. Messien booked, then subbed. Amankawah to RB, Kev to LB, Tate in middle.Chances at both ends, Armstrong should have hit the target with a header.
We came out the stronger 2nd half, Bayo putting himself about. Good break down the right, Leon to Pratley whose shot came back off the keeper for Robbo to roll it in from 6 yds. Seemed to knock the stuffing out of Darlo, and we took over, good work from Robbo on the left set up Bayo with a 20 yd toe-poke in off the far post. Just played out time after that, not really troubled.
All in all, a nice day out, a good win, and hopefully a decent draw next round.
Willie 7 looked solid today
Tate 7 usual steady performance
Lawro 6 - crap first half, improved 2nd.
Big Kev 7- solid as a rock
Messien ? Not on long enough to rate
Robbo 6/7 still looks unfit, but strangely improved late on
Pratley 7 - everywhere in midfield
Leon 7 - final ball still frustrating at times
Shaun 8 - very competitive
Trunds-7 struggled up front on his own, but turned it on 2nd half- don't think he's badly injured, job done, subbed at 3-1
Butler ?- felt sorry for him, but formation wasn't working
Bayo- 8 much more forceful than of late, worked hard and put the fear of god up their back four- looks fitter
Amankawah- 6 improved from Brizzle
Fallon- 6 Ok but not on long
Darlington 1 Swansea City 3 - Morgan Richards, Wales on Sunday
ADEBAYO AKINFENWA climbed off his sick bed to secure Swansea City a potential FA Cup glamour tie with his first goal of the season.
The big targetman - along with fellow Swans striker Rory Fallon - had been struck down with a stomach bug the night before the game and was also suffering from flu.
But Akinfenwa - pressed into action off the bench after only 12 minutes - raised his spirits with a late goal that made certain of Swansea's place in today's third-round draw.
Andy Robinson had earlier ended his own goal drought, the midfielder finding his way onto the scoresheet for the first time since September 9, when he tucked home a rebound six minutes after the interval to give the Swans a precious 2-1 lead.
The second-half goals, which ended Darlington's run of six straight wins under former Swans captain Dave Penney, completed Swansea's comeback from a nightmare start as suicidal defending allowed Martin Smith to fire home after less than two minutes.
Jackett's response was to tear up his game plan with just 11 minutes on the clock and switch from 4-5-1 to 4-4-2.
Having started with Lee Trundle on his own up front, Jackett sent on Akinfenwa and hauled off midfielder Tommy Butler, whose displeasure at being replaced so early in the game was clear as he queried the decision before striding straight down the tunnel.
But Jackett was vindicated as Leon Britton soon brought Swansea level with his fourth goal of the season. Darlington, however, wasted numerous chances to reclaim the lead as Penney's men posed numerous problems for a stretched Swans defence.
With defenders Izzy Iriekpen and Marcos Painter sidelined with injury, there was a debut at left-back for Frenchman Sylvain Meslien though he was substituted after just 36 minutes after earning a booking for one of several over-the-top challenges.
Fearing Meslien would end up being red-carded, Jackett's decision to make another change paid dividends as Alan Tate brought some much-needed solidity to the middle after going across from right-back.
They might have been comfortable winners in the end, but Swansea made a shambolic start.
Danger flared when Robinson, who started in a more central midfield role, slipped near the centre circle and Dennis Lawrence fumbled a clearance into the path of Simon Johnson.
Austin made a failed attempt to dispossess Johnson, who ferried the ball onto Smith and the midfielder poked the ball low past Gueret from just inside the box.
Reverting to 4-4-2 took just two minutes to bear fruit as Lee Trundle cut in from the right flank to float a perfect cross to Britton, the midfielder neatly controlling it with his right foot before superbly thumping it into the top corner with his other boot.
But Darlington went on to boss the remainder of the first half as Swansea's defenders dithered.
An over-worked Gueret made a crucial interception to prevent Alun Armstrong firing home and then produced a smart smothering save which kept out Michael Cummins' fierce 20-yard free-kick.
Trundle wasn't far away with a long-range free-kick, but Darlington hit back when Neil Wainwright's rising effort flew just over the bar and Cummins rattled the crossbar as Swansea were forced to soak up the pressure. Robinson missed a sitter on the stroke of half-time when he sent a close-range header wide from Britton's cross.
But the Scouser celebrated a goal after the restart when he rounded Sam Russell and tucked home the rebound after the keeper could only parry Darren Pratley's 18-yard piledriver.
Cummins missed a great chance to level when he fired tamely at Gueret, and it was to prove costly for the home side as Swansea eliminated the prospect of a replay.
Robinson threaded a neat pass through to Akinfenwa, who shuffled into the box before poking the ball home via the right-hand post.
Robinson could have made it 4-1 when he clipped the post with a late free-kick, but Swansea march on in the cup.
Darlington 1 Swansea City 3 - BBC
Swansea came from a goal down to end Darlington's six-match winning run and reach the third round of the FA Cup.
Martin Smith put the home side ahead after just two minutes when he burst down the middle and fired home.
Leon Britton equalised on 15 minutes from Lee Trundle's cross, but Alun Armstrong should have restored Darlington's lead before the break.
Andy Robinson scored Swans' second from close range before Adebayo Akinfenwa's late toe-poke made the game safe.
Darlington: Russell, Duke (Joachim 59), Close, Collins, James, Wainwright, Cummins, Keltie, Smith (Carlos Logan 84), Johnson (Conlon 81), Armstrong.
Subs Not Used: Stockdale, Ngoma.
Booked: Cummins, Armstrong.
Goals: Smith 2.
Swansea: Gueret, Meslien (Amankwaah 36), Austin, Lawrence, Tate, Butler (Akinfenwa 13), Robinson, Pratley, Britton, MacDonald, Trundle (Fallon 80).
Subs Not Used: Jones, Oakes.
Booked: Meslien, Akinfenwa, Amankwaah.
Goals: Britton 15, Robinson 52, Akinfenwa 79.
Att: 4,183
Ref: J Moss (West Yorkshire).
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