Phil Sumbler
Michael Duff is a man who has the pressure eased on him and it showed last night as the Swans secured a third consecutive win to keep their move up the Championship table in motion.
As he celebrated with the fans by acknowledging all corners of the ground at the final whistle he reflected back on some good football played and what he felt was a performance in which the Swans were good value for the win.
An early goal from Jamal Lowe was added to in the closing stages by a first Swans strike from Bashir Humphreys who secured the three points with a powerful strike after Lowe saw two blocked shots.
It could have been more as well with Jerry Yates denied what looked a stonewall penalty when his header was cleared off the line with what looked like assistance from a hand whilst at the back there was more than an element of luck in the Norwich equaliser.
The Swans have now picked up ten points from twelve since surrendering so meekly at the Cardiff City Stadium just under three weeks ago and look very much a different side to the one that we saw in that particular fixture.
With one game left ahead of the international break (away at Plymouth on Saturday) Duff will definitely look back after that game – whatever happens – at a decent mini run of fixtures between the two early breaks in the season.
“I was delighted with the performance and the result. We were good value for the win,” he said.
“I think the reaction we have shown since the Cardiff game has been really good.
“They are a really good team, but I thought we played some really good football in the first half and we scored from a high press again.
“Their goal came from a poor press but sometimes that can happen when you are looking to get high up the pitch.
“Second half we had to sit in for a little bit, you look at the quality of the subs they bring on, but I don’t remember Carl making too many saves.
“We had more than 20 shots, and then the work-rate, the players sticking together and defending the box, that gave us the platform to go on and win the game.
“We had one off the line with Jerry, where I don’t know how it did not cross the line, then we had the goalmouth scramble.”
You can watch everything that Duff said after the game here:
