LLORENTE HELPS SWANS FLY OUT OF THE RELEGATION ZONE
Spaniard’s header brings relief for Clement and takes Welsh club out of drop zone
PAUL CLEMENT had been pacing the touchline for most of the evening, gesticulating, pointing, shouting and screaming. But by the time Everton forced a series of corners in the dying minutes and the Swansea City fans broke into a rousing chorus of Hymns and Arias to try to rally their team, he could barely move for the tension.
Clement squatted on his haunches in his technical area, his head bowed, barely even watching any more as a shot from Romelu Lukaku cannoned around in the Swansea penalty area and this great, unexpected shot at deliverance hung in the balance.
When the final whistle eventually sounded, Clement, who took over at Swansea in early January when they were four points adrift at the foot of the table, turned to Everton manager Ronald Koeman and shook his hand.
Then he exhaled, puffing out his chest in a huge breath of relief, and punched the air with both hands as he walked on to the pitch. The hope of salvation had extended its hand to Swansea in the afternoon and now, a few hours later, they had reached out and grabbed it.
At the start of the day, they were favourites to be relegated alongside already doomed Sunderland and Middlesbrough. By its end, they were out of the bottom three, one point clear of Hull.
When their rivals in the desperate fight against relegation, Crystal Palace, were hammered at Manchester City, and Hull City, who had been resurgent, slipped to a shock defeat at home to Sunderland, Swansea knew that they had to take the opportunity that had been handed them because it might not come again.
That brought its own kind of pressure but somehow Swansea withstood it. A first-half goal from Fernando Llorente was enough to secure the three points they needed for the biggest win of this and many other seasons here in this corner of South Wales. For the denizens of Swansea, it was the perfect day.
Even though Swansea had won only one of their last eight league games, some speculated before the match that this might be the ideal time to play Everton, who were in seventh place at the start of the game, 13 points clear of their nearest rivals, West Bromwich, and already assured of European football next season.
But hope can hobble a team sometimes and tension gripped the home side in the early stages. It was released after 15 minutes when the diminutive Swansea skipper, Leon Britton, outjumped Kevin Mirallas to win a header and great cheers rang around the stadium.
Mirallas was suitably embarrassed and kept lifting his foot to peer at the sole of his boot as if some fault in its design had prevented him from getting off the ground.
Swansea knew they would need more of that kind of commitment to compete with the visitors, who have evolved into such an accomplished side under Koeman.
Everton did not begin like a team who had nothing to play for and enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges.
But after a peaceable pitch invader had strolled on to the pitch midway through the half to give Lukaku a hug before being escorted off, the game exploded into life.
Swansea were convinced they should have been awarded a penalty when Gylfi Sigurdsson was brought down from behind and Clement held his head in his hands on the touchline when referee Martin Atkinson waved play on.
But it was a short reprieve for Everton. A minute later, Jordan Ayew found space on the right to squeeze a cross past Gareth Barry on the byline.
There are few centre forwards you would choose to attack a back-post ball ahead of Llorente and he rose to nod it past Maarten Stekelenburg at close range.
Swansea nearly went further ahead five minutes later. This time, it was a low cross that found its way through a crowded penalty area to the back post, where it seemed certain that Alfie Mawson would ram it into the empty net. Mawson made a clean contact on his shot but Mason Holgate flung himself at the ball and deflected it wide. It was a superb block from one of the most promising young players in the league. Koeman brought Ross Barkley on for Dominic Calvert-Lewin at halftime and the England midfielder’s free- kick soon after the break spread panic in the Swansea area before it was hacked clear. But a couple of minutes later, Swansea came close to doubling their lead once more. Ki Sung-yueng drove a cross-shot into the box and when it cannoned back to Ayew, his snap shot hit the outside of Stekelenburg’s lefthand post and bounced away to safety. Swansea began to tighten up as the half wore on and a massive result came closer. Everton were dominating possession now and the home team were camped in their own half for long periods.
Nerves fluttered when Lukaku unleashed a long-range shot that Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski did well to hold at the first attempt.
But Swansea proved they could still be dangerous. A Federico Fernandez header from a Sigurdsson corner was goalbound until it hit Barkley’s head and from the next corner, Stekelenburg had to fling himself to his right to keep out Llorente’s towering header.
Swansea could not muster the second goal they needed to relieve the tension and the stadium roared its defiance as Everton pressed for an equaliser in the closing stages. When the final whistle brought its deliverance, Clement was one of the last to leave the pitch, applauding the supporters all the way. Swansea’s great escape is full of life again.
As regards James McCarthy’s escape from Goodison, should he want one, it emerged yesterday that Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez wants to revive a £20million deal for the Republic of Ireland midfielder if he gets the budget he wants from Mike Ashley this week.