03/01/2015 15:00 v Tranmere Rovers

A free-scoring display sent the Swans into the fourth round of the FA Cup as they eased through a testing tie at Tranmere’s Prenton Park.

Goals from Nathan Dyer, Tom Carroll, Modou Barrow, Bafe Gomis (2) and Wayne Routledge earned the Swans a 6-2 victory.

Swans boss Garry Monk made nine changes to the side that drew 1-1 with QPR for this third-round tie.

Gomis and Dyer were the only survivors as Monk shuffled his pack after a hectic Christmas and New Year period.

The Swans faced a Tranmere side sitting just above the relegation zone in League Two, but fighting back under new boss Mickey Adams.

The former Swansea boss, who had an eventful 13-day reign at the Vetch Field helm in 1997, had seen his side lose just three of their last 15 games.

The Swans were soon into their stride as Gomis created the first chance of the game, the striker firing a left-footed effort just wide after three minutes.

The visitors remained on the front foot as Dyer weaved his way down the left before setting up Marvin Emnes inside the area. His initial shot was blocked and the deflection just eluded Barrow at the far post before Tranmere cleared the resulting corner with 10 minutes gone.

With Swansea keeping possession well, Tranmere’s Danny Holmes became the first player to go into the referee’s notebook after a crude challenge on Barrow in the 15th minute.

Five minutes later the Swans should have been ahead after a great build-up saw Barrow pull the ball back for Gomis whose shot was tipped over superbly by Owain Fon Williams. From the corner, Barrow fired narrowly wide from the edge of the area.

It only looked a matter of time before Swansea would make the breakthrough as Emnes robbed Steve Jennings of possession in the middle of the park. His pass found Gomis who picked out Jay Fulton at the far post, but the young Scot failed to connect with his shot with 28 minutes on the clock.

Two minutes later and a powerful run from Emnes took him to the edge of the area. But having made room for the shot, it skidded inches the wrong side of the post.

The goal eventually arrived in the 34th minute when Carroll rolled in Dyer inside his marker. Dyer cut inside and although his first shot was blocked, the winger followed up to fire the rebound home from 12 yards with the home side claiming a handball by Dyer in the build-up.

Tranmere looked for an immediate response as Holmes fired wide from the edge of the area, before Shamir Fenelon forced Gerhard Tremmel into a save after some sloppy play from the Swans in possession.

It was a good reply from the home side as Jennings saw his shot from the edge of the area blocked in a crowded goalmouth.

Fulton became the first Swans player to be booked just before the break for a foul on Holmes.

But it was the Swans who went in at the interval with the one-goal advantage courtesy of captain Dyer.

Neither side made any changes for the start of the second half. And it took just four minutes for Swansea to increase their lead.

A good break down the right by Barrow saw him slip the ball inside to Carroll who beat his man before firing home his first goal for the club since his loan move from Spurs.

Tranmere boss Adams responded by bringing on Jake Kirby for Josh Thompson in the 56th minute for the first change of the game.

No sooner had he come on than his side were 3-0 behind. When Gomis drilled a low cross across the face of goal for Barrow to fire home from close range with 58 minutes gone. It was the Gambian’s first senior goal for the club.

Tranmere refused to give up though and Cole Stockton had an effort cleared off the line by Kyle Bartley before Jazz Richards blocked another shot in a goalmouth scramble that was eventually cleared.

Tempers were starting to flare though as Max Power was booked for a challenge that sent Barrow crashing into the advertising boards.

The home side pulled one back in the 71st minute though as Power charged down a clearance from Tremmel and the ball dropped into the net.

Swans boss Monk immediately brought on Adam King for Fulton before Barrow found himself in the referee’s notebook with Tranmere upping their game.

With Tranmere eyeing a possible comeback, Gomis killed the game off in the 76th minute with Swansea’s fourth.

It came from a Swans counter-attack as Emnes drove forward before playing Gomis in on the edge of the area. The striker cut back inside and rolled a sublime finish into the far corner to make it 4-1.

Gomis thought he’d made it five in the 81st minute, but his close-range effort was ruled out for offside.

Bartley was booked for a clumsy foul soon after before Tranmere pulled another one back through Stockton in the 83rd minute with a close-range header to make it 4-2.

And the goals kept on coming as Gomis set up substitute Wayne Routledge, who had replaced Dyer, in the 85th minute with a cool finish.

Deep into injury time, Gomis grabbed his second as he weaved his way superbly through the Tranmere rearguard to round off a good day.

 

 

TRANMERE: Fon Williams, Holmes, Power, Ihiekwe, Holness, Laird (Bell-Baggie 72), Stockton, Donacien, Jennings (c), Fenelon (Rowe 72), Thompson (Kirby 56). Subs: Brezovan, Ridehalgh, Shuker, Madjo.

SWANS: Gerhard Tremmel, Jazz Richards, Dwight Tiendalli, Kyle Bartley, Jordi Amat, Jay Fulton (Adam King 71), Tom Carroll, Marvin Emnes, Nathan Dyer (c, Wayne Routledge 78), Bafetimbi Gomis, Modou Barrow. Subs: Lukasz Fabianski, Federico Fernandez, Liam Shephard, Leon Britton, Gylfi Sigurdsson.