Planet Swans ArchivesReport – BBC Sport
Scott Sinclair fired in two penalties to maintain Swansea City’s promotion push and ruin Dougie Freedman’s first game as full-time Crystal Palace boss.
Darren Pratley opened the scoring as he side-footed in Sinclair’s low cut-back.
Nathan Dyer’s trickery won Swansea a penalty as the tiny winger was hacked down by Palace defender David Wright and Sinclair cooly slotted home.
Struggling Palace were condemned when Steffen Iversen handled in the box and Sinclair converted his second penalty.
Sinclair’s 16th goal this season sealed a convincing triumph for a side that moved the Swans briefly up to second in the Championship.
And Swansea’s fourth successive home victory since Christmas was often like a training exercise for the promotion hopefuls as Palace, who remain in the Championship drop-zone, showed why they had only won once on the road this season.
Swansea controlled the first-half without seriously testing Palace keeper Julian Speroni’s goal.
But the best move of the opening period led to the deadlock being broken as Swansea opened up the Palace defence to take the half-time advantage.
A beautiful one-two between Sinclair and Gower set the former Chelsea winger down the left flank.
And Sinclair’s low, pull-back from the by-line was allowed to run by Swans new boy Luke Moore, running in at the near post, but rammed home by Pratley.
The midfielder charged into the area to slide his shot past a wrong-footed Speroni celebrated his seventh goal of the season and third in four games.
It was Swansea’s other winger that created their second goal as the tricky Dyer cut in from the right flank, skipping past four players before being hacked down by David Wright just inside the area.
Referee Jon Moss had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot and Sinclair showed great composure to slot home the resulting spot-kick to Speroni’s left, sending the Palace keeper the wrong way.
Within five minutes, Sinclair repeated his penalty scoring feat after Steffen Iversen was penalised for handling Alan Tate’s goal-bound header from a Sinclair corner.
The 21-year-old this time fired his penalty to Speroni’s right to score his fourth goal in three games and seal the victory for Swansea.
Palace only enjoyed one clear-cut chance at the Liberty Stadium when new boy Jermaine Easter was put through on goal just moments after coming on as a substitute.
But the Wales international, a Swansea player just last week, was denied a denied a debut goal by a superb stop from Swans stopper Dorus De Vries.
Swansea, though, comfortably saw out their convincing win to complete their first double over Palace.
