SWANS FULL OF TEEN SPIRIT
Dhanda’s sweet entry bags the spoils for the Welsh visitors
YAN DHANDA scored with his first touch in senior football as Swansea City roared back to stun Sheffield United.
The 19-year-old, a summer signing from Liverpool, smashed home from close range after Ollie McBurnie had equalised Sam Baldock’s second-half opener.
It marked a first win from Graham Potter’s new-look Swansea side, and the 44-yearold was quick to praise his young side.
“When the goal comes you have a choice,” said Potter.
“You cave in or you respond. We responded brilliantly, and I thought the character of the lads was amazing.
“At 1-1, away from home, we could have made a more defensive sub. But Yan can get a goal and we thought it was worth taking a chance. What did I say to him? ‘Just go on and score!’ He did just that and I’m really pleased.”
After a summer marred by a High Court battle for control of the club, this was the worst possible start for Sheffield United.
Chris Wilder very nearly quit as the enmity between coowners Kevin McCabe and Prince Abdullah bubbled over, but the lifelong United fan stuck around.
With no resolution in sight and transfer funds scarce, fans fear this is merely the calm before the storm – and a feeble second-half collapse did little to lighten the mood.
Initially, at least, it was business as usual. United started as United so often do; shock and awe, fire and brimstone, bodies surging forward like a candy-striped tide.
Yet no breakthrough came for the Championship’s early-goal specialists. Swansea, compact and confident, despite a raft of summer departures, began to find space.
Joel Asoro, a £2m signing from relegated Sunderland, looked especially lively down the right and was unlucky to see his cut-back cleared af-
ter skinning Enda Stevens. Martin Olsson had a tame freekick saved and, early in the second-half, newboy Barrie McKay teed up Asoro for a drive that was well blocked by John Egan.
These are early building blocks for the Swans, who are starting from scratch after relegation from the Premier League. It will take time to rekindle the principles abandoned by the club’s American owners and longer still to retrieve the trust of supporters, but there were glimmers of a progressive style.
Bersant Celina, on loan from Manchester City, looks a tidy technician and Potter will have been especially pleased with the contribution of Mike van der Hoorn, whose performance at centre-back did much to allay worries over the recent sale of Alfie Mawson to Fulham.
All that said, a young Swans outfit always looked lightweight and tentative in comparison with a side that bristled with battle-scarred nous.
Harder and harder the Blades pressed. Deeper and deeper Swansea sagged. Leon Clarke had a snapshot cleared, David McGoldrick – released by a Celina pass – dragged wide.
The former Ipswich striker then picked out the charging John Lundstram who, goal gaping, hacked wildly into the stand. It was a bad miss, but the midfielder redeemed himself just moments later, slipping in George Baldock who fired low into the bottom corner.
Game over? Not likely. Initially ragged and weary, Swansea were instantly galvanised by the introduction of Jefferson Montero, who caused havoc down the left
First, his cross was met by Jay Fulton, whose header was tipped over by Dean Henderson. From the resulting corner, Swansea worked the ball to McKay, who played a delightful one-two with McBurnie.
Clarke inadvertently forced another save from Henderson, and McBurnie gleefully dispatched the rebound. Suddenly buoyant, Montero launched another raid forward, whipped past John Egan and found McKay at the back post.
The Scot – who’d earlier rattled the crossbar with a fine volley – skipped inside, teed up Dhanda and the debutant did the rest.
“They’re a dangerous team and you can’t defend like that against quality players,” said Chris Wilder, the Sheffield United boss. “Graham will look at their first goal and say it’s a well worked goal. But we’ve gone to press when we shouldn’t have, not gone with runners. It should have been a draw at the very least, so I’m very disappointed.”