Match report

Port Vale who came into the game with little to play for included ex Cardiff Welsh International Rhys Weston at right back.

Side- Gueret, R Duffy, Lawrence, Austin, Painter, Britton, Craney, O'Leary, Williams, D Duffy, Trundle. Subs- Oakes, Amaakwaah, Butler, Abbott, Jones.

Swans were soon into their stride and after just 90 seconds Lee Trundle was brought down on the edge of the box giving Swans a great chance. Lee Trundle dusted himself down but fired his free kick straight into the wall.

Swans were looking much the better side and Leon Britton, Tom Williams and Ian Craney were all pushing forward at every opportunity.

Swans should have taken the lead on 10 minutes. Richard Duffy intercepted a poor Vale pass and ran forward with the ball. The Vale defence stood rigid and Duffy weighted his pass perfectly for Lee Trundle to race through beating the off side trap. With just Joe Anyon to beat in the Vale goal Trunds dragged his shot wide of the far post.

Leon Britton then created another chance with some excellent work but neither Darryl Duffy or Lee Trundle could provide the final touch.

Nearly all the Swans moves were coming down the right with Leon Britton and Richard Duffy linking well. It was something of a surprise, therefore, that when the Swans opening goal came, it came from the right. A Swans throw in near the corner flag found its way to Tom Williams. There seemed little danger from the cross but an awful Vale defensive clearance went straight to Lee Trundle lurking by the penalty spot. Trunds took one touch to control and fired a right foot shot low and hard under the dive of Anyon.

Vale manager Martin Foyle immediately switched from a back five to a flat back four, but the pressure his defence had been under would surely not improve with less numbers to quell the storm.

The Swans continued to push forward at every opportunity and it was only another 8 minutes before Swans scored their second. Leon Britton made an excellent run and found Denis Lawrence in a forward position. The tall defender beat one man and drew the last defender. He then cleverly threaded the ball through to Darryl Duffy who picked his spot perfectly with the ball going in off the inside of the far post.

It really was now looking all too easy for the Swans. Vale looked dispirited and capable of little going forward and the Bank Holiday crowd were now in excellent voice.

With Vale offering so little it fell once again to Willy Gueret to cause us problems at the back. Firstly he needlessly gave away a throw in. As all too often when presented with a poor back pass he seems to look to punish the defender by kicking the ball into touch when a clearance up field or a pass to Marcos Painter both looked better options. The throw in led to a cross and Willy came for it but never seemed to even get his fist in the air. Thankfully his defenders cleared the danger.

Swans were soon back on the offence and Leon Britton was tormenting his marker time and again. Lee Trundle tested Anyon with a shot that the keeper failed to hold with Duffy almost getting to the loose ball. Leon Britton also went close with a shot on the turn from a Richard Duffy cross that hit Anyon. One yard either side and it would surely have been 3-0.

Darryl Duffy almost got his second latching on to a poor defensive back header that was never going to reach the keeper. Under pressure Duffy lifted his first time effort over the keeper but it sailed wide of the post.

Willy incurred the wrath of Roberto Martinez several times by failing to clear the ball quickly enough with the ball in hand. On one occasion just before half time Roberto actually jumped in the air in frustration at his keepers lack of awareness.

Swans were good value for the 2-0 half time score. But for some bad luck and poor finishing it could have been more.

Vale started the second half well, no doubt with Martin Foyle's words still ringing in a few ears. However, after about 10 minutes or so it was business as usual as the one way traffic was restored.

As soon as the Swans started playing the third and killer goal arrived, and what a goal it was. The brilliant Leon Britton picked the ball up just inside his own half and started running at people. He ghosted and waltzed his way right to the edge of the Vale area before picking out Darryl Duffy's run perfectly. Duffy played his part and rounded the keeper and added an easy finish.

Roberto Martinez took the opportunity to replace Leon Britton with Tom Butler and shortly after Pawel Abbott replaced Lee Trundle. Both Trundle and Britton had been excellent and with Swans most gifted players off it would have been easy for the game to drift toward full time. However, Swans continued to look hungry for goals.

Darryl Duffy continued to torment the vale defence and looked unlucky not to be awarded a penalty when upended in the box.

Ian Craney, Tom Williams, Pawel Abbott and Darryl Duffy all had chances to score and by the end Port Vale would have considered themselves lucky to only concede three.

Many of the small section of Vale fans could take no more with five minutes or so still to go and returned to their coaches. Not the greatest of days out for them but any day away from Burslem isn't such a bad day.

Results unfortunately didn't go our way again today but all we can do is win our remaining games and given today's performance that just may be possible.

Gueret 6 - One save to make in 90 minutes but still caused some worries.

Duffy 7 - Just starting to look the player we were expecting him to be.
Lawrence 7 - Good game capped by assist for the second goal.
Austin 7 - Out for weeks but you'd never have known.
Painter 7 - Didn't put a foot wrong all afternoon.

Britton 9 - Wouldn't have caused much more damage if we had armed him with a machete.
Craney 8 - Probably his best game in a Swans shirt.
O'Leary 7 - Quiet day for the destroyer. Not much to destroy today.
Williams 7 - Decent game but needs to look for Darryl Duffy's run once in a while.

Duffy 8 - Two cracking goals and some excellent runs.
Trundle 8 - Back approaching his best.

Subs -

Butler 7 - Did well but impossible task coming on for Leon.
Abbott 6 - Tried his hardest but lacked composure in front of goal again.
Amankwaah 7 - Easy run out towards the end.

Swansea: Gueret, Richard Duffy, Austin (Amankwaah 81), Painter, Lawrence, Craney, O'Leary, Britton (Butler 59), Williams, Trundle (Abbott 67), Darryl Duffy.
Subs Not Used: Oakes, Jones.

Goals: Trundle 19, Darryl Duffy 26, 59.

Port Vale: Anyon, Pilkington, Walsh (McGregor 42), Miles (Fortune 60), Weston, Harsley, Whitaker, Hulbert, Kamara (Rodgers 64), Sodje, Constantine.
Subs Not Used: Musselwhite, Lowndes.

Att: 12,465

Ref: L Probert (Gloucestershire).

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