Cooper hails Routledge as winger stars in cup
STEVE Cooper paid tribute to Wayne Routledge as the evergreen winger helped Swansea City see off Stevenage 2-0 in the FA Cup third round.
Routledge featured in Premier League Newcastle’s humiliating 3-1 defeat in Hertfordshire 10 years ago.
But the 36-year-old’s early strike helped Swansea quash any thought of another cup upset, and Cooper hailed Routledge’s contribution as his side push for promotion.
“The objective was to win the game, all our preparation was normal,” Cooper said.
“We changed the team, we appreciated it would not be a free-flowing performance.
“To win 2-0 away from home is a positive.
“It wasn’t as free-flowing as we would have liked but we predicted the game would go like that.
“Wayne could have played anywhere. We are so fond of him, he’s such a good guy and player. He has a big heart, he’s a big role model.
“He’s there when I need him. “I can always count on him and there is a bit to go with Wayne, that’s for sure.
“I don’t want to lose Wayne now, he’s part of the fabric and I can’t imagine not coming into training and seeing him.
“He’s been a proper player for the club.”
Swansea lost 5-1 at QPR at the same stage last season but there was to be no repeat this time around.
Routledge headed in from Yan Dhanda’s seventh-minute cross, his first goal of the season in his eighth appearance.
Stevenage started the second half well but were caught out on 50 minutes, with Viktor Gyokeres’s glancing header finding the net.
In foggy conditions, the hosts should have pulled one back nine minutes from the end when Gyokeres handled in the area but Luke Norris’s spot-kick was brilliantly saved by Freddie Woodman.
Stevenage boss Alex Revell saw enough from his side to convince him they can succeed in their League Two survival battle.
“I felt that apart from the two goals, which were disappointing, we played some really good stuff, we were positive and we looked like we could be a threat,” said Revell.
“The final pass let us down. We got the penalty at a great time and if we had scored it things might have been different. We’re disappointed as it would have set up a fantastic finish.”