Wednesday, 2 October 2019

Swans overcome Charlton

Charlton lost 1-2 at home to Swansea at The Valley tonight to fall to 8th in the Championship table. A penalty appeal after Aneke was brought down in the box was waved away.

A 65th-minute strike sealed a comeback win for the Swans, after Charlton had gone ahead inside two minutes through Jonathan Leko, who drove home from 15 yards with the aid of a deflection.

Yan Dhanda levelled for Swansea with another deflected effort at the end of a bright passing move, before Ayew's close-range effort secured a sixth victory in 10 league games under Steve Cooper.

The visitors' confidence very quickly took a hit as Charlton scored from the first attack of the game. After Swansea made hard work of clearing a cross from the right flank, Leko unleashed a fierce drive which flew into the top corner with the aid of a slight deflection. The Valley was rocking but Swansea settled and found a way back into the contest on 17 minutes.

Ayew had lifted their first effort of the night over the bar, but the Ghanaian was involved again as Swansea worked the ball into the penalty area. After Borja's lay-off, Jay Fulton squared for Dhanda to slide in only his second senior goal thanks to another deflection.

Swansea were growing in confidence and there was a scare for Charlton keeper Dillon Phillips as Fulton flashed a spectacular effort over the bar just before the break. They threatened once more just after the restart as Fulton met Dhanda's cross with a point-blank volley which was saved by Phillips. The ball then ricocheted off Fulton before the Scot hooked it across for Ayew to head home.

Swansea celebrations were cut short on this occasion as the assistant referee ruled that the ball had gone out for a goal-kick before Fulton centred. Yet Ayew was not to be denied. When Matt Grimes swung in a corner from the left, Joe Rodon rose to flick the ball on and Ayew stabbed home from close range.

Charlton threw men forward in the closing minutes, with one Jason Pearce header causing panic, but Swansea held on.

One fan commented, 'you can’t give away the ball that much and expect to get anything at this level. First time this season I’ve thought we probably didn’t deserve anything from a game.'

Lee Bowyer commented, 'They gave me everything and that's all I ask. They've been done on a set-piece. Dillon didn't really have a save to make all game.'

Report from Louis Mendez here: Second home defeat of campaign

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