Planet Swans ArchivesSecond half goals from Jonathan De Guzman and Wilfried Bony, with two own goals from Swansea corners gave us our biggest league win of the season and our first home league win since March.
Once the first goal went in Sunderland were hapless in the face of the Swans onslaught with three goals in seven minutes enough to leave them rooted to the bottom of the table with just one point from eight games and with many of their travelling support heading out of the ground with twenty five minutes of the game remaining.
Such was the dominance of the Swans in the second half in particular the final scoreline could easily have been more but we were more than happy with four as we returned from the international break with a bang.
Having said that had you said to any Swans fan at half time that there was a four goal win in the offing and they may have looked at you a little oddly after a forty five minute period where neither side looked likely to break the deadlock in the game.
Indeed it was Sunderland who wasted probably the best chance of the half when some sloppy defending from a corner handed Steven Fletcher the chance to give the visitors the first goal of the Gus Poyet era but he managed only to pull his shot wide of the goal and keep the scoreline blank.
Whatever Michael Laudrup said at half time though clearly worked as it was a completely different Swans side that came out for the second half in style of play if not personnel on the pitch. Although yet again though it was Sunderland who spurned the first chance of the second half when Bardsley skied over from close range when it looked easier to hit the target.
That miss gave Swansea the second kick on that they needed and Michu and Bony both missed good chances to open the scoring before the first goal came. A corner on the right hand side was headed across goal by Rangel and it was Bardsley at the other end of the pitch that deflected it into the net to give the Swans the lead.
If the first was a little fortunate there was little doubting the quality of the second when it arrived a minute later. Routledge was in action down the left and his pass found De Guzman who hit a perfect curling shot from outside the area that gave Westwood no chance and the Swans lead was doubled and the game was effectively over as a contest.
A little more than five minutes later the Swans got their first league penalty since their first season in the Premier League when Leon was felled on the edge of the area. Up stepped Bony and put home the third which led to a mass exodus from the away end as some made their way back to the North East early.
Sunderland had collapsed like a deck of cards and it was becoming clear why they were bottom of the league with confidence clearly low as the Swans went on the hunt for more goals. De Guzman was denied by a superb save from Westwood and the keeper also denied Dyer as the Swans looked for their fourth.
The fourth came from a Chico header that was later credited to be a Steven Fletcher own goal and it was the least the Swans deserved for their second half performance.
A home league win at last and a comprehensive won giving us some good impetus for the next two home games in the next week or so before the small matter of the South Wales derby in two weeks time.
A very good day at the office.
