Less Than Three Wins Says Roberto

The manager was talking after a great fightback from his side saw them come from two goals down at half time to grab a point thanks to a Jason Scotland double and had it not been for a goal-line clearance it would have been three points.   Carlisle were victorious again yesterday – their fourteenth successive home win – but Doncaster could only manage a point at home to Oldham meaning the Swans have a 10 point advantage over Rovers who are in third.  Mathematically the statistic currently says the Swans need 12 points (or 11 allowing for goal difference) to overhaul the Yorkshire outfit but with their next two games being Nottingham Forest and Leeds there is every chance that the figure could be significantly reduced.

And that is something that the Swansea manager is banking on as he looks ahead to the Swans next league fixture – away on Saturday at Hartlepool United.  “I don’t think you’ll need three wins – it will be less than that, we’ve got seven games now and we’ve got to perform in a way to get as many points as possible.

“Of course, we will try to win all seven, but if you’re asking me how many wins we need to get promotion from League One I think it will be less than three wins.

“It’s another game gone – and a point gained the way the game went – and Doncaster’s next two games against Forest and Leeds could shape their season.

“But there are no easy points because every team playing against the top sides will make it difficult for them.

“We’ve got 79 points and the club record is 85, and the Carlisle game will be another fantastic one. Maybe even a title decider.

“I was disappointed with our level of performance in the first half, it was as bad as we’ve been this season in respect of controlling the ball,” admitted Martinez.

“We tried to win the game in the first minute and that backfired.

“The Sky cameras were here and the players knew the other results beforehand, so that maybe forces you to do things you don’t normally do.”

But Martinez added, “I was really pleased with the reaction in the second half. We took control completely and we performed in the standards that we set out.

“When you’re chasing a 2-0 scoreline it’s very simple to go direct, but we showed the patience we needed to score twice.”