Cambridge 0 Swansea 1

Cambridge 0 Swansea 1

Report From South Wales Evening Post

No Lee Trundle and no Paul Connor, but this was not a game for the glamour boys. Instead, it was Izzy Iriekpen and recalled goalkeeper Brian Murphy who came to the fore to keep Swansea City’s dream of an end-of-season play-off showpiece alive. With Trundle injured, Brian Flynn had hoped Rochdale striker Connor would arrive in time to help Swansea to a first away win since the trip to Spotland way back in October. With Connor’s transfer incomplete – it could be sealed by the end of today – the Vetch Field director of football looked to the players already at the club to provide a spark. Fingers were crossed in the away dressing room at the Abbey Stadium that Andy Robinson, Leon Britton or recent acquisition Stuart Roberts could prove Swansea’s matchwinners. In a dreadful game, they could not. Instead, it was the grit of Iriekpen and the late heroics of Murphy that pushed Flynn’s men back to within eight points of seventh place. Iriekpen might have been aiming to end Swansea’s play-off hopes last night. The 21-year-old centre-back had three successful months on loan at Cambridge last season and was offered the chance to stay with the club on a permanent basis. Instead, he began this campaign on trial in South Wales, and today more than ever Flynn will be grateful that he did. Iriekpen enjoyed arguably his finest hour in a Swansea shirt, netting his first goal for the club just five minutes in when Stuart Jones deflected Roberto Martinez’s corner into his path. After that the 6ft 1in Londoner was more concerned with his more regular pastime, defending. And with first Alan Tate, then after he left the field injured Kris O’Leary, his able assistants at the heart of Flynn’s backline, Iriekpen produced his most assured display since signing for Swansea last August. So miserly were those in front of him, Murphy was rarely tested in normal time. Maybe that was for the best. Making his first start since losing his place after a late horror show just a couple of weeks into the season at Oxford, the 20-year-old Irishman looked understandably nervous under Cambridge crosses in the first half. Only once did the home side manage a serious effort on goal before the break, though, and then Murphy was helpless as David Bridges slid a shot against the post. And Alex Revell’s effort from the rebound was dealt with by Iriekpen on the line. The pressure was on Murphy, handed his chance thanks to Roger Freestone’s clangers against Kidderminster and Leyton Orient in Swansea’s two previous matches. He grew in confidence as the second period wore on, although the woodwork once again came to his rescue nine minutes from the end after Danny Webb had beaten the former Manchester City stopper to Luke Guttridge’s cross. In a game of few chances, Murphy had not exactly covered himself in glory, but there had been almost no opportunities for him to display the shot-stopping talents which are his strength. Until five long, nervous minutes of injury time. With the winning post in sight, Swansea’s rearguard began to creak. Two minutes had already been added when John Turner found all the time and space needed on the left flank to lay a perfect pass into Guttridge’s path on the edge of the box. The home crowd had started to celebrate the equaliser when Murphy stretched out his left arm to divert the ball past the post. The resulting corner came to nothing, and now it was the visitors’ turn to smile. For a few seconds. Next, Swansea’s left was exposed, with Cardiff-born substitute Jermaine Easter sent through by Bridges. But Murphy was again on hand to save the day, scooting off his line to deny the on-loan Hartlepool striker what would have been a morale-sapping leveller. ”We could have done with the second goal,” admitted Flynn, ”just as we could have done at Boston a couple of weeks ago when they denied us a win near the end.” In fact, his side had only tested Cambridge keeper Shaun Marshall once, when Michael Howard’s 25-yarder won the corner that led to Iriekpen’s opener. ”Thankfully we have learned from that game and held on this time,” Flynn continued. ”I’m pleased for Brian Murphy because he has been superb in training and his attitude has been magnificent. He’s waited for his chance and he’s got the clean sheet that deserved. ”The surface in the six-yard box in the first half was very hard and that made it difficult for him, but I thought he had an excellent all-round game. ”He’s a young keeper who I signed to provide serious competition for Roger Freestone. I took him out of the side earlier in the season after we had a calamitous last five minutes at Oxford. ”But since then he has worked hard to build himself up again and he has deserved another opportunity.” Of his other hero, Flynn added: ”We needed Izzy to be big in many ways and he did it for us. He was magnificent.” Flynn played down a late melee which saw Murphy grappling with an incensed Iriekpen after Cambridge’s Andy Duncan had clashed with Britton, for the overwhelming feeling for the Swansea boss was relief. It might not have been in style, but never mind. Swansea have at last won on the road again and, for only the second time since he arrived at the club, with Trundle absent. With Connor and possibly Darlington’s Barry Conlon set to add some goal-scoring power in the next couple of days, Swansea can look forward to the visit of leaders Doncaster on Friday night with a little more optimism than would have been feasible a couple of weeks ago. ”We’ve got two consecutive wins and hopefully, with two home games to come next, we have to look for the run of four or five successes we need to push ourselves back into play-off contention,” Flynn said. ”At least now we have made a start.”

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