Joe’s heroics wins the cup

MATT GRIMES has warned Swansea’s Championship rivals that Wayne Routledge is a man on a mission.

The 33-year-old had not played a minute under manager Graham Potter.

But he marked his return with a goal inside 40 seconds against Brentford last weekend and got the winner against Wednesday.

“Wayne’s been top class all season, he’s so experienced,” said Swans midfielder Grimes.

“We knew he’d fit right back in and he’s shown he still has a lot left and he wants to prove to everyone that he wants to be in the team.

“He’s been working hard in training all season and now he’s got two goals in two games, it’s a great start. Wayne has played so many games in the Premier League, but he wants to get going again because he hasn’t played football.

“Now he’s played two on the spin and got two JOE MATTOCK is no mug when it comes to last-minute heroics.

But it’s a mug he will get from boss Paul Warne for rescuing a point at the death against Reading.

It was the Rotherham left-back’s first goal since he grabbed a last-gasp winner at home to Portsmouth in January.

Warne rewards his scorers with a trainingground mug for a morning cuppa, and Mattock said: “I’ve a bit of a knack for getting last-minute goals.

“It’s a bit strange because I don’t know what to do when I’ve scored. I have no planned celebration so I just kind of run off like a madman.

“I wasn’t sure whether to slide on my knees or do a Klinsmann dive, but luckily Joe Newell was there to give me a massive hug. I’ve got myself a scorer’s mug and I’ll have a little picture as goals and he’s enjoying himself.” Despite Swansea’s first-half dominance, the struggling Owls went ahead after Joe Rodon lost the ball on the edge of his box to Marco Matias, who drilled it home.

But Bersant Celina stepped off the bench to produce a cool side-footed finish from the edge of the area before playing a delicate ball for Routledge to score the winner.

Rodon, 21, has been a revelation in defence, and Grimes has told him to keep on taking risks.

He said: “Me and all the other lads said to him after that it was the first mistake he has made all season, he doesn’t need to worry about it because those things will happen.

“We’re a footballing team who like to play out from the back, we all like to get on the ball and mistakes are going to happen – it’s the nature of the beast.” well in the training ground, which is nice.’’

Reading struck in the ninth minute through the recalled Sam Baldock.

But it was Royals centre-back Tom McIntyre, 20, who lived a childhood dream after caretaker boss Scott Marshall gave him a senior debut.

The Scottish U-21 international said: “It’s the pinnacle of any young boy’s career, making your debut, especially as I support Reading. It was magic.

“I had a whack in the head early on. It was a ‘welcome to men’s football’. You never quite believe it, but I did then.

“It was sore when it happened, but I thought, ‘I can’t come off’. It was a baptism of fire.

“I’ve loved Reading all my life. I’ve wanted to do this since I was four.”