Match report

SWANS FALL TO WORST DEFEAT OF CAMPAIGN
SWANS HOPES TAKE A DIVE

John Burgum's Evening Post report

FORMER Cardiff City striker Phil Stant rattled Swansea City's hopes of reaching the Third Division play-offs with a two-goal second-half blast at Sincil Bank this afternoon. Patched-up Swansea, severely disrupted by injury and suspension, were never in the hunt after Colin Alcide had put the home side ahead. Gareth Ainsworth added the other from the penalty spot on a day manager Jan Jolby will want to forget in a hurry.

HOW THEY LINED UP Lincoln City: Vaughan, Bamett, Holmes, Dennis, Robertson, Austin, Ainsworth, Sterling, Stant, Brown (S), Alcide. Subs: Martin, Brown (G), Stones.

Swansea City: Freestone, Thomas, Moreira, O'Leary, Edwards, Jones, Ampadu, Penney, Price, Molby, Coates. Subs: Chapple, Heggs, Jenkins (60?mins for O'leary).

Referee: TA West (Hull). Attendance...........3,348

GOAL CHART..ALCIDE 18... AINSWORTH (pen) 56,.... STANT....... 62, 74.

FORMER Cardiff striker Phil Stant scored twice as Swansea's play-off hopes suffered a setback when they slumped to their heaviest defeat of the season. Forced to make four changes through injury and suspension plus the return to Everton of loan recruitment John Hills, Swansea sprang a surprise by handing Jason Price his first league start. The inclusion of an extra defender meant no place for either Lee Jenkins or Carl Heggs, both sitting on the substitutes' bench after recovering from injuries. Back into the side to replace Thomas Willer and Hills came Kristian O'Leary and Joao Moreira while Kwame Ampadu was preferred for the extra midfield spot. Unchanged Lincoln, needing to win to retain an outside chance of reaching the play-offs, included former Cardiff striker Phil Stant. Price quickly took up his position on the right of Swansea's detence and that allowed Steve Jones to move into the centre of defence alongside O'Leary and Christian Edwards but the most significant positional change involved skipper David Penney moving out of midfield to join David Thomas up front. There wasn't much opportunity for either striker in the opening five minutes which Swansea spent defending a series of searching crosses frorn Stant, Ainsworth and Alcide. When Ainsworth finally got free of Moreira, the Portuguese fullback appeared to make contact as the Lincoln winger went headlong in the box but the referee, who was badly positioned refused to give Lincoln the penalty they claimed. The Swansea defence stayed under pressure and, when Stant produced another teasing cross, Aicide forced Freestone to make a twohanded save on the goal line. Swansea eventually broke the stranglehold when Molby exploited a gap in the Lincoln defence and Price forced his sides' first corner. When Lincoln failed to clear the danger Penney produced a powerful left foot shot which Vaughan saw late but still managed to keep out with a full-length punch. As Swansea kept up the momentum Penney was presented with another opportunity but this time his shot was defected wide of the goal off one of his own players. Just as Swansea were beginning to find their feet they went a goal behind on 18 minutes. There seemed little danger then the ball reached O'Leary but the defender's clearance cannoned off ALCIDE and looped over Swansea's stranded goalkeeper. Swansea were still struggling to come to terms with Lincoln's constant aerial bombardment and their pace down the flanks where Ainsworth was exposing the defensive frailties of Moreira. Another Ainsworth run and cross which left Moreira trailing eluded Freestone but was also too good for the supporting Lincoln players. The contrasting styles was never more evident than when Swansea tried to play their way out of defence and very nearly succeeded. Thomas and Molby led the breakout but Price failed to produce a cross to test the Lincoln defence As Swansea stayed under pressure Price gave away a free-kick mfor bringing down Alcide and would have escaped a caution had he not disputed the decision which brought a booking for dissent. Just before the break another promising Swansea attack ended with a Molby shot which was heading for the target before it cannoned off a defender for a corner.

Half-time: Lincoln City 1.....................Swansea City 0

A Barnett throw-in spelled trouble for the Swansea efence and, when Moreira failed to clear the danger, Ainsworth forced Freestone to his knees at the near post. The pattern was followed by Molby and, when Price hooked in, Vaughan made a one-handed save to deny Thomas. As Swansea came again Molby lifted the ball over the Lincoln defence but it bounced awkwardly for Thomas and the chance was lost. Any hopes of a Swansea comeback receded on 56 minutes when Edwards brought down AINSWORTH on the edge of the box and the Lincoln player got up to score from the penalty spot. Within a few minutes Swansea had brought on Jenkins in place of O'Leary to stiffentheir midheld but there was worse to come for the Swansea defence which conceded a third goal on 62 minutes. Penney lost the ball in midfield and when Lincoln played it through at pace to Alcide, the livelyLincoln player forced a savefrom Freestone before Brown followed up to crunch the ball against the underside ofthe bar. When it rebounded into play STANT followed up to pass the ball over the fine although it needed a linesman's flag to confirm that it had actually crossed the line betore Edwards hooked it back into play. With the rnatch a lost cause frustration set in and Molby was cautioned for dissent before leading a sterling recovery which produced a succession of corners and brought a shot from the player-manager which Alcide headed off the line. But Ainsworth then sliced through the flimsy Swansea cover on 74 minutes to set up a chance for STANT and the stand-in Lincoln captain made the most of the close range opportunity to score his second of the match.