Neath 1 Swansea 5

Neath 1 Swansea 5

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TWO games, 10 goals - things could have hardly started better for Roberto Martinez's new-look Swansea City side with a 5-1 win over Neath Athletic last night. After the 5-2 victory in Sweden over Ostersund, the Liberty Stadium outfit showed their class once more as they put the Welsh Premiership newboys to the sword.

Martinez got his chance to show off seven of his eight summer signings at Llandarcy Park last night as well as two trialists in Senegalese striker Ibrahima Thiam and Wales Under-19 international left-back Jamie Price who was released by Birmingham last term. Martinez, like on Saturday in Scandinavia, sent out two sides - one in each half - as he builds towards another assault on reaching the Championship. Last night it was on-loan Liverpool winger Paul Anderson who stole the show. The former Hull man showed electric pace that endeared himself to the Swansea faithful and with another goal - although wickedly deflected off Sean Cronin - to add to the brace he grabbed at Ostersund, the Liberty Stadium outfit look to have got the genuine wide man they have been craving for. But it was not just about the highly-rated youngster for Martinez at Llandarcy Park, it was about making sure his players continued their pre-season programme and getting ready for the trip to Oldham on August 11. Some in the crowd at Neath will be believing they are ready now, but the meticulous Spaniard does not and having put his players through a gruelling 32 training sessions, including one before last night's game, there are still three more weeks to go to have his players in the best shapes of their lives. Swansea got off to the perfect start at Neath when Kevin Austin headed them into the lead after only two minutes following a Leon Britton corner which saw him link-up with the first-half skipper Lee Trundle before whipping over a cross to the powerhouse centre-back. Swansea continued to move the ball around with pace and accuracy that left Andrew Dyer's men chasing shadows for the opening 20 minutes. The football was so stylish at times it stopped traffic, but it wasn't the slick movement of the ball that halted a car on the road outside Llandarcy Park it was an Andy Robinson free-kick that sailed over the bar, through the trees, over the fence and onto the main road. The Swansea boss's two new Spaniards looked to have worked up a good understanding of each already with Angel Rangel playing some lovely balls over the top for Guillem Bauza to run on to. Bauza showed that Trundle may have some competition in the tricks department this season as the former Espanyol B striker produced some clever backheels to play his new team-mates in. But it was Trundle who doubled the Swansea lead on 28 minutes after the Scouse striker won himself a free-kick on the edge of the Neath area. The 31-year-old curled the 25-yard effort around the Neath wall leaving Craig Morris with no chance. If Swansea were guilty of anything last night it was that they did not score more goals as a hatful of scoring chances went begging in both halves. Neath created several opportunities of their own in the opening 45 minutes and it was former Swan David D'Auria pulling the Llandarcy Park's side's strings from the heart of the midfield. The man who has just come out of retirement to help Neath in their inaugural season in Wales's top flight played some fine balls in for his to get on to but Willy Gueret was equal to the efforts of Andrew Hill and Sean Cronin. It was all change in the second period with Neath making nine changes during the interval and Swansea sending out a new XI which included the trialists. Thiam looked strong in attack, but the towering striker's finishing let him down badly, while former Birmingham youngster Price, who was nicknamed the new Robbie Savage for his long blond hair, showed some intelligent touches which would have pleased Martinez. Darryl Duffy grabbed the Swansea third goal on 62 minutes, when the menacing Anderson rifled over a cross for the former Hull hitman to turn home. And the ex-Rangers youngster netted his second seven minutes later when the on-loan Liverpool starlet created some room to put in Duffy to find the net. Neath pulled a goal back on 78 minutes when Andy Hammett made the most of a mistake by Garry Monk and despite the Swansea skipper's best effort to make amends for his slip, the Neath striker squeezed the ball past new keeper Dorus de Vries. Anderson signed the game off as it had started with a goal. It was a strike that was well deserved but the young winger's shot looked destined for the arms of Damien Davies until it took a nasty deflection off the legs of Cronin. Martinez takes his squad to Stebonheath Park tonight (7.30pm) to take on Llanelli. Admission £6 adults, £3 concessions. Neath (1st half): Morris, Timothy, Parry, Showdery, Cronin, D'Auria, Evans, Pridham, French, Hill (capt), Jarrod Price. (2nd half): Morris (Davies 64), Folland, Bevan, Jenkins (Jarrod Price 82), Cronin, James, Jones, Raven, Shaw, Hammett, Fairburn. Swansea (1st half): Gueret, Rangel, Graves, Austin, Painter, Britton, Pratley, Collins, Robinson, Trundle (capt), Bauza. (2nd half): de Vries, Tate, Monk (capt), Graves, Price, Anderson, Bodde, Craney, MacDonald, Thiam, Duffy. Scorers: Neath - Hammett 78; Swansea - Austin 2, Trundle 28, Duffy 62, 69, Anderson 87 Yellow card: Pridham 23 Referee: Lee James (Swansea) Attendance: 2,200. Star choice: Paul Anderson.

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