Blake thrilled to get off the mark

Matthew Blake revealed his joy after scoring his first goal for Swansea City Under-23s in Monday night’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal.

The left-back got off the mark for the development side in fine style with a precise free-kick that bounced in off the post to establish a 2-0 lead in the Premier League 2 showdown.

Blake, who has missed large parts of the season through injury, has made a positive impact since his return to the side in recent weeks, with his dangerous left-footed crosses and set-piece deliveries causing endless problems for opposing defences.

The 19-year-old also assisted the opening goal of the 2-0 victory over Chelsea last month, while his cross led to the own goal which set the ball rolling as the Swans beat Wolves by the same scoreline last week.

And he has been pleased to influence the team in a positive manner.

“It was lovely to score a goal like that and get off the mark for the under-23s,” he said. “I haven’t struck a free-kick like that for a while!

“After a few weeks out, it’s been good to come back and hit the ground running. I didn’t feel like it took me too long to get back into the groove. Once you get a good performance under your belt, you can kick on from there.

“All you want is to do well for yourself but, at the same time, not let the boys down. I want to play the best I can between now and the end of the season and give one big effort in these last four league games.”

After being pegged back to a 2-2 draw, the Swans are four points from safety with four games remaining in Premier League 2.

But, despite the disappointment of letting the two-goal lead slip, Blake believes the point could prove vital come the end of the season.

“Arsenal are a team with so much quality and you know you’re not going to get as much of the ball as you’d like,” he added.

“We were looking solid in the first half but, even though we went 2-0 up, we knew it was still going to be a tough ask. We just didn’t deal with the situation as well as we could’ve done.

“We’d have taken a point before the game. Being in the situation we are does mean we need to pick up as many points as possible, so losing a 2-0 lead isn’t ideal. 

“However, this point could go a long way for us and be crucial come the end of the season.”