Mawson and Ayew see Swans through to the next round
SWANSEA City survived some nervy moments but eventually booked their place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup as goals from Alfie Mawson and Jordan Ayew sank Reading at the Madejski Stadium.
The Championship side took the game to their hosts, but lacked the composure in the final third to make it tell against a solid Swans rearguard, led by the excellent Mawson.
He turned in a Renato Sanches corner seven minutes into the second half to put the visitors ahead, with substitute Ayew finishing the job on the break with eight minutes to play.
It was far from plain sailing, but a win and another clean sheet will do Paul Clement’s men no harm at all ahead of Saturday’s Premier League assignment against Watford.
The head coach had made seven changes from the draw with Tottenham, with Wilfried Bony, Luciano Narsingh, Wayne Routledge, Roque Mesa, Leroy Fer, Angel Rangel and Kristoffer Nordfeldt all handed chances to impress.
Narsingh showed the threat his pace can pose in behind defences, while Mesa turned in his most assured display yet in the middle of the park.
Bony, making his first start since rejoining the club, had a quiet night for the most part, although he held the ball up well and was not helped by a lack of service at times.
Sanches had another mixed night as he looks to recapture some fitness and form, although setting up the opener and being involved in the second will boost his confidence.
Swansea still have much to work on in an attacking sense, and they did wobble on occasions at 1-0, but there were signs of some strides being taken in that area.
That will please Clement, back in the town of his birth, as will guiding the club to the fourth round of this competition for just the second time since they won it in 2013.
While there may have been excitement among the travelling fans over seeing Bony alongside the likes of Narsingh and Mesa from the start, it was the hosts who posed the greater attacking threat over the opening 20 minutes.
A long ball sent Arian Popa racing through to beat Nordfeldt to the ball and take it away from the keeper, only to force himself too side to shoot and allow the Swansea cover to snuff out the danger.
He soon blazed over again as Swansea initially struggled with the width and movement offered by their hosts.
The Swans best early chance had been wasted when Narsingh did one step-over too many and delivered a cross that was nowhere near any other red shirt.
The Royals kept pressing, with skipper Chris Gunter doing brilliantly to round Martin Olsson and pick out Roy Beerens and John Swift in support, but the latter’s shot was straight at a grateful Nordfeldt.
That opportunity seemed to rouse the sluggish Swans, with Leroy Fer twice leading good attacks that were ended by poor crosses from Routledge and Rangel when they really should have done better.
Rangel thought he had made amends when he drove forward and fed a lovely pass into the path of Narsingh, who shrugged off his marker to slot home, only for the referee to penalise the Dutchman for a foul.
It looked a very harsh call, and the winger’s frustration only increased