GILL TALK HELPED TO FIRE SWANS AFTER LATE BLADES WOE
RUSSELL Martin has revealed details of a training ground talk given by assistant boss Matt Gill that inspired Swansea City’s 3-0 win over Hull City.
Swansea suffered more late agony in midweek as they conceded in injury-time for the fifth time this season to lose 1-0 at home to Sheffield United.
On the morning after that contest, Gill addressed the Swansea players in place of head coach Martin to galvanise the squad ahead of the clash with the Tigers.
“I was really tired on Wednesday, after Tuesday,” said Martin.
“Gilly had a meeting with the players about what it means to play and behave this way and how he wished he had it in his career and to not let the opportunity pass them by.
“What they’re really frustrated about is that they’ve not got more points.
“We should have. But we have to use that frustration into something that really drives it.
“I was uncharacteristically tired. I was in the meeting, I nearly cried. It was brilliant.
“I think they’d (players) heard enough of me on Tuesday night and I’d heard enough of myself.
“It’s why we have a brilliant support staff. That’s why you have brilliant people around you, especially when you have difficult moments, to make sure that you have the energy and give the attention that people require.
“He took charge on Wednesday and Friday and he was incredible.
“The league is crazy. If you put a few results together you can be in and around it. The process is what it is with us, we’re really consistent with it.
“We’ll keep building and we’ll see where it takes us.”
Swansea responded to the loss against the Blades in perfect fashion by producing a fine display to beat Shota Arveladze’s men.
Ryan Manning, Luke Cundle and Joel Piroe all struck for the hosts who won for the third time this season to move out of the Championship’s relegation zone.
Hull, seeking to end a run of four defeats in their last five games, almost struck the first blow when Jean Michael Seri let fly with a long-range shot in the third minute that forced Steve Benda to dive full stretch to tip over the bar.
Two minutes later Piroe hit the bar for the first time and Ollie Cooper forced Nathan Baxter to save smartly in the Hull goal with a shot from eight yards.
Swansea continued to press forward and, in added time at the end of the first half, Baxter got his fingertips to a thunderous left-footed shot from Piroe that he somehow managed to turn onto the bar and away.
Hull started the second half more brightly and threatened through a strong run from Ozan Tufan and a shot from the edge of the area by
Dimitrios Pelkas that went just over the bar.
Swansea hit the frame of the goal for the third time through loanee Cundle in the 52nd minute before the home side finally made their pressure tell when Manning volleyed home at the far post in the 61st minute.
Three minutes later a horrendous mix-up between Baxter and Tobias Figueiredo six yards from the Hull goal handed Cundle the simplest of chances to open his account for Swansea.
Cooper carried into the box, the ball went free and as Figueiredo went to clear his ankle was caught by his goalkeeper to leave Cundle with an open goal.
Figueiredo was also involved in the third goal after he gifted the ball to Piroe in his box to allow the Dutchman to tap home in the 84th minute to complete the rout.
The only negative on what was an enjoyable afternoon for Martin’s men was the hamstring injury sustained by Wales star Joe Allen in the first half.
But Martin allayed fears that the midfielder will be absent for a significant spell.
“I thought the way the players reacted to it was great because he has become really important for us already,” explained Martin.
“But he says he doesn’t feel it’s a bad one. I think he has a good understanding of his body and he is hopeful that he has just come off as more of a precaution because he felt something, rather than it being a serious injury.
“But we won’t know until we get him scanned. I would have thought it gives him a slim chance of being involved on international duty this week.
“But obviously the main focus with the international players we have is to try to make sure they are on the plane in November.
“He is a really important for us as he is for Wales, so hopefully for everyone’s sake it’s nothing too serious.
“It’s his hamstring. But it’s not the one he has done before. That’s why there’s not a huge amount of concern at the minute.”
Swansea return to action after the international break at West Brom on October 1.