Daily Mirror - 26.08.2019

26.08.2019 DAILY MIRROR

mirror.co.uk/sport/football^13

DM1ST

BY CHRIS BRERETON

ELLIOTT BENNETT insists he is

losing no sleep over Blackburn’s

lack of goals.

Tony Mowbray’s men have been

miserly at both ends of the pitch.

This drab stalemate with Cardiff

was their third straight clean

sheet as new goalkeeper Christian

Walton continues to impress.

But Rovers have not scored

from open play so far in the

Championship.

They have a squad packed with

quality finishers such as Sam

Gallagher, Bradley Dack and

Danny Graham.

And new skipper Bennett

(above) reckons it is only a matter

of time before Blackburn click.

He said: “I don’t think there’s a

lot wrong to be honest.

“If we weren’t creating chances

then I’d be disappointed but we’re

getting in and around the box.

“It’s that final bit that isn’t quite

landing for us.

“It’s about the ball finding the

right players and when that

happens they will score goals.

“They are the fine margins in

football.

“As long as the lads at the back

are keeping the ball out of the net,

those at the top end will score

plenty of goals for us this season.”

Rovers poured forward in the

last 10 minutes and both Bradley

Johnson and Derrick Williams

fluffed their lines from less than

six yards as the Bluebirds

scrapped hard for a point.

Cardiff boss Neil Warnock said:

“It’s lovely to get off the mark

with a first point away from home

and first clean sheet. It’s tough to

go away from home anywhere in

the Championship.

“It was nearly our own fault

almost conceding at the end. But

credit to the lads, they stuck at it.”

BLACKBURN 0

CARDIFF 0

RIVALS WILL

HAVE ELL TO

PAY SOON..

MOTM DANNY GRAHAM (BLACKBURN)

BLACKBURN: Walton 7, Bennett 7,

Lenihan 7, Williams 6, Bell 6, Johnson

6 Travis 6, Gallagher 6, Dack 7

(Rothwell 71), Downing 6 (Nyambe

81), Graham 7 (Armstrong 71)

CARDIFF: Smithies 6, Peltier 6,

Morrison 7, Flint 6, Bennett 6, Bacuna

6, Ralls 6, Whyte 6, Tomlin 7 (Hoilett

57, 6), Murphy 6, Glatzel 7 (Bogle 61,

5)

REFEREE: David Coote AT T: 13,291

IN ASSOCIATION

WITH

COOPER

DUPER

SWANSEA 3

Naughton 63, Celina 68, Baston 75 pen

BIRMINGHAM 0

SWANS ON SONG

Borja Baston scores from the spot

after (below) Bersant Celina and

Kyle Naughton were on target

New boss Steve hails sensational

Swans after goal blitz sinks Blues

BY ALEX BYWATER

STEVE COOPER’S dream

start at Swansea continued

with a battering of woeful

Birmingham.

The former England youth

boss has built on good

work by Graham Potter

last season, and his

team’s fluid passing

was simply too good

for the Blues.

Three second-half

goals in the space of 12 min-

utes from Kyle Naughton, Ber-

sant Celina and Borja Baston

sent Swansea second in the

Championship and level on

points with leaders Leeds, who

they visit on Saturday.

They are now 14 games

unbeaten at home, their best

run since moving to the Liberty

Stadium in 2005, and this is

their best start to a campaign

since 1978-79. It was goalless at

the break, but head coach

Cooper (below) said: “I was

happy with how we were

playing. I just felt we needed to

be more prepared to take risks

at the top of the pitch, and

fortunately the players did that.

“We made a load of passes,

scored three goals and

dominated possession, but I’m

equally happy with how we

defended.

“I believed we should win

every game we’ve played so

far and that will

continue, so I’m not

surprised we’ve won

certain games. I believe

we can dominate and

play what’s in front of us.”

Swansea had 77 per cent

of the first-half possession,

created chances for Yan

Dhanda, Andre Ayew and Borja

but could not find a way

through.

It was Dhanda who went

closest when Borja wrongly

chose not to shoot and squared

the ball to the former Liverpool

player, whose effort was

headed off the line by Kristian

Pedersen.

Cooper brought on Naughton

for Jake Bidwell at left-back for

the start of the second half.

Borja forced a fine save from

Lee Camp and a Swansea goal

arrived just after the hour.

As Borja appealed for a

penalty, claiming to have been

shoved, the ball fell to Naughton

on the edge of the box and he

fired home.

Celina made it 2-0 after being

played in by the impressive

Mike van der Hoorn, who won

possession from Fran Villalba

high up the pitch.

Borja sealed the win to mark

his 27th birthday in style,

converting a penalty after

Dhanda was felled by Marc

Roberts, to become the

Championship’s leading

scorer with five goals.

Blues could not

muster one effort on

target and caretaker

boss Pep Clotet

said: “I’m

very dis-

appointed

because

we did a lot

of things right

in the first half.”

74 % POSSESSION 26%

6 SHOTS ON TARGET 0

5 SHOTS OFF TARGET 3

(^5) CORNERS 1
(^2) OFFSIDE 3
(^8) FOULS 13
(^0) 1 CARDS 5 0
MATCH STATS
REF: Andy Woolmer ATT: 17,277
SWANSEA: Woodman 6,
Roberts 6, Van der Hoorn 8,
Rodon 7, Bidwell 5
(Naughton 46, 7), Fulton 7,
Grimes 8, Celina 7 (Garrick
84), Dhanda 7 (Byers 84),
Ayew 7, Borja 7
BIRMINGHAM: Camp 4,
Harding 5, Dean 6, Roberts
5, Pedersen 6, Seddon 5
(Crowley 76), Davis 5
(Bellingham 76), Sunjic 5,
Villalba 5, Gimenez 4 (G
Gardner 57, 5), Jutkiewicz 5
MOTM MATT GRIMES (SWANSEA)