Gap In Class Showed

Lee Trundle admits that he was surprised at the fightback given by Newport County in the weekend cup tie but the result showed the gap in class between the two sides.

Trundle notched the 7th minute opener that set the Swans on the way to a second round tie at Darlington in an eventful game which saw the Swans open a three goal first half advantage before eventually having to settle for a 3-1 win.

With any game between league and non league opposition there is always the potential banana skin to worry about and that is something that Trundle said had kept them focused in the lead up to the game.

“We were focused on what we were going to do on the day and that’s what worked for us. You’ve got to prepare yourself right.” Trundle told the Western Mail

“It was a hard situation for us because Newport had nothing to lose and we had everything to lose.

“But we showed we’ve got a bit more class and that’s what’s got us through.

“We were expecting them to come out fast, It’s always tough going to smaller places in the FA Cup, but we came out of the traps well and the early goal was important.

“If you don’t score early it gives them a lift because they’re still in the game.”

Meanwhile Newport scorer Ian Hillier revealed that he had supported the Swans as a youngster and was thrilled with his goal against his league opposition “It was great to get a goal against Swansea – I still look for their results,” admitted the 26-year-old from Neath.

“My dad used to take me down to Swansea quite a lot when I was a kid and I said to him before the game that I thought I’d score.

“He said I was due a goal and it was great to get one with so many family and friends at the game.”

“The gaffer told us to relax a bit more and in the second half we showed that. We felt at half-time that we had nothing to lose, so we thought we’d have a go and we were all over them.

“If we’d done that from the off, it might have been a different game.”

And that was something that Trundle was in agreement with “It’s funny because the gap in class showed in the first half, it’s usually in the second half when non-league players start to tire,” he said.

“But, fair play to them, they came back into it and gave it a good go.

“They made a game of it and it was a good cup-tie.”