Slick Swans too good for North End

06 February 2010 15:12
The Swans' club record signing curled home a fine first-half free-kick and crossed for Ashley Williams to head home a second goal after the break in a one-side encounter on Saturday.[LNB]Paulo Sousa's side dominated from start to finish and Cotterill also hit a post late on but the two goals proved to be enough and Swansea remain fifth in the table, level on points with rivals Cardiff.[LNB]The Welsh side are now unbeaten in seven and have kept 10 clean sheets in their 15 home games in the Championship this season.[LNB]Swansea soon got into their stride with their attractive brand of passing football and Gorka Pintado had an opportunity to put them in front after 13 minutes.[LNB]Darren Pratley, a target for Nottingham Forest in the January transfer window, picked out the Spanish striker with an inviting cross but Pintado headed over the crossbar from close range.[LNB]It was all one-way traffic and Cotterill tried his luck with a free-kick from 25 yards out but his strike flashed narrowly wide of Andy Lonergan's goal.[LNB]Swansea felt aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty 28 minutes in when lively winger Nathan Dyer burst into the box and went down under a challenge from Eddie Nolan, but referee Phil Gibbs saw nothing untoward.[LNB]But the Swans were deservedly in front 10 minutes before the break courtesy of a fine free-kick from Cotterill.[LNB]Youl Mawene upended the former Sheffield United man on the edge of the area and Cotterill picked himself up to curl a precise free-kick into the top-left corner.[LNB]The Swans carried on where they left off at the start of the second half and Dyer latched onto Pintado's neat flick but failed to hit the target with a wasteful finish.[LNB]But Sousa's side doubled their lead three minutes into the second half when centre-half Williams rose highest to head home Cotterill's cross from the left from six yards out.[LNB]The home side never look like surrendering their advantage and Pratley tried his luck from the edge of the area but Lonergan made a comfortable save.[LNB]Preston substitute Jon Parkin had the ball in the back of the net with just over 20 minutes remaining but the linesman's flag had already been raised.[LNB]Lonergan was called into action once again to keep out a fine long-range strike from Wales Under-21 midfielder Joe Allen.[LNB]Cotterill was unfortunate not to score his second goal of the afternoon when his right-foot drive rebounded off the post 13 minutes from time.[LNB][LNB]

Source: Team_Talk