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Schipluiden 0 Swansea City 2 -- Evening Post
The boys from Sparta Rotterdam will not be quaking in their boots.The Dutch top-flight side welcome Swansea City tomorrow having beaten Schipluiden 17-0 - yes, 17 - in a recent pre-season warm-up match.
Last night, Swansea eventually saw off the same opposition by just 2-0 in a contest which did not exactly inspire the travelling Welsh fans who have made it to Holland.
Schipluiden, after all, are a team of local part-timers who only train twice a week.
Nevertheless, Roberto Martinez was unconcerned.
''The result doesn't matter to me at all,'' he insisted. ''I wasn't pleased with certain things that we asked the players to do, but they know what we have to work on.
''We are stepping up with each game and this kind of game is a lot better than training. We are working on different things tactically and I'm pleased overall.''
Swansea made hard work of it in the first half despite Darryl Duffy, who was back in action sooner than expected after illness, putting them ahead with just nine minutes on the clock.
Kristian O'Leary was the architect, winning the ball back impressively on the right flank before lifting in an inviting cross.
Unmarked, Duffy gobbled up the chance, glancing a header into the far corner of the net.
It looked like being a long night for the Dutch amateurs at that stage, but Swansea contrived not to add to their advantage before the break despite dominating almost throughout.
They carved enough opportunities to be well clear at the turnaround, Duffy firing over the top and then seeing an effort saved by keeper Simon Dijkshoorn as he looked to add to his tally.
The impressive Ferrie Bodde, back in the village where his parents live, was involved in most of Swansea's better moves - although there were not too many of them.
The Dutchman saw one 20-yard drive beaten away, then picked out Ian Craney with a clever flick, only for the Scouser's snap-shot to cannon off the post.
Craney, who is still waiting for his first Swansea goal, saw another effort blocked by Dijkshoorn, while Marcos Painter twice advanced from left-back to go close.
Martinez had a face like thunder at the break, staying on the pitch and sending No. 2 Graeme Jones into the dressing room.
There were nine changes for the second period, with Jason Scotland among those coming on to make a long-awaited debut.
The Trinidad & Tobago international, fit to play 25 minutes after a calf injury, showed some classy touches but Swansea continued to toil.
Scotland had the ball in the net when he met Leon Britton's cross with a firm header, but the offside flag denied him a debut goal.
Martinez's glum expression remained as Schipluiden threatened for the first time, Jos Burgman driving straight at Willy Gueret.
Britton thought he had doubled Swansea's lead, only for Dijkshoorn to palm his dipping effort over the top midway through the second half.
Swansea's right winger finally managed to break through 14 minutes from the end, latching on to Andy Robinson's quickly taken free-kick and rolling a shot into the corner of the net.
Celebrations were particularly muted, for this was a fixture Swansea should have won much more comfortably.
Pre-season has a tendency to throw up freaky results, but Martinez will hope for better against the amateurs of Alphense Boys tonight and then in the real tester in Rotterdam.
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