Mixed feelings for Martinez

Swansea City manager Roberto Martinez had 'mixed feelings' following his side's 1-1 FA Cup fifth-round stalemate with Fulham. The Championship side should have booked a quarter-final place for the first time since 1964 but the conquerors of holders Portsmouth will have to try again in London on Tuesday 24th February after failing to turn superiority into goals.Winger Mark Gower had two great first-half chances but hit a post with one and failed to beat goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer with the other and the Swans needed a second-half strike from Jason Scotland - his 12th in as many games - to cancel out an unlucky own goal by skipper Garry Monk.Martinez, who also hopes to take the Swans into the Premier League via the play-offs, admitted he had been both frustrated and encouraged.He said: "I have mixed feelings. I am delighted with the performance and the way we reacted to the disappointment of our own mistake in conceding a goal and disappointed that we didn't win the game.Deserving"Sometimes you don't get the results your performances deserve and today was one of those days. We were the better side by miles."We scored a good goal and can take a lot of positives from a game against a side from the Premier League that is in the right end of the table."But you need to win when you play like that, no matter who you are playing against."Martinez refused to blame ex-Southend man Gower, who has yet to find the net once for Swansea in 32 games and had been completely unmarked right in front of goal for the Schwarzer save.He said: "I would have been more disappointed if we hadn't created those chances. Off the ball and on it, Mark Gower was outstanding. He got into two great positions and nine times out of 10 he would have scored."Maybe he has a bit of a mental block but he gives the team so much with his link-up play. He is not there to score goals."Fulham manager Roy Hodgson admitted his side had been second best but was confident it would be a different story in the replay.HodgsonHe said: "It was a jaded performance from our side and a very good one from them. We had a lot of players away on international duty this week and that showed a little bit but all credit to Swansea, they played very well."I am pleased with my team in the sense that when things are not going your way it is very important that you rely on your defensive organisation to keep the opposition at bay and we did that reasonably well."I can only hope that in the replay we can show a bit more of the form we have had this season because we were not at our best."I'm not angry though because we were up against a team that has done extremely well. They are unbeaten in 16 games and knocked Portsmouth, the cup holders, out at Fratton Park."

Source: SKY_Sports