The under 23 development side play Sheffield United today in Chesterfield, the game kicks off at 1pm and can be watched LIVE on You Tube.
Match build up
The under-23s are in decent form, having suffered just one defeat in their last eight games, while they were 2-0 winners against Wigan Athletic last time out thanks to Ali Al-Hamadi’s brace at Landore. O’Leary knows that the hectic season-ending schedule will provide a tough test of his players’ credentials.
But the under-23s coach insists they must be able to deal with the scenario. "We’re going into a really tough period where we’ve got three games in less than a week,” he said. All of them are away and long-distance journeys. It’s going to be difficult and testing, but this is how it is at first-team level. You’ve got to adapt and learn to deal with this amount of games.
"Every game poses a different challenge, but we’re going into it off the back of some decent performances. The Swans face Sheffield United on Tuesday followed by Colchester on Friday then Sheffield Wednesday on Monday. This is the next part for the players, where you have to play, recover, play then recover, and be at a level where you can’t decrease by one per cent or you will get found out.
"We’re going to do our best. It’s going to be difficult, but we’re going to be competitive.”
Ali Hal-Hamadi: With three games remaining, he fancies his chances of reaching double figures; a target that he revealed ensured he maintained focus during his rehabilitation. "Over the past few weeks, it’s been a bit frustrating,” he said. I’ve been getting the chances, but the goalkeepers have made good saves or I’ve hit the woodwork. "I made sure I stayed patient. As long as you keep getting in the right positions, the goals are always going to come. "I was injured during the first half of the season, but I’m not going to use that as an excuse.
"Throughout my injury, I was always determined to get into double figures. I’ve got three games and as long as I keep playing the way I am, I’m confident I’ll get there.”
For both of his goals against Wigan, Al-Hamadi demonstrated his poacher’s instincts with a pair of one-touch finishes from close range. And although far from spectacular, it is those efforts that give the 19-year-old the most satisfaction.
"As a striker, the one-touch finishes mean a lot to me,” he added.
"I’ve been working on those a lot over the past few years, and been in the right place at the right time. To people, they may look like tap-ins, but it’s hard to get in those positions and get those goals. They mean a lot more to me than a 40-yard screamer. The day before the game, I was going through some of my clips and I’ve been guilty of trying to get on the ball too much rather than just getting in the box to get goals. I’m always keen to get involved in the team and make sure I’m doing my part, but there was an emphasis on staying on the shoulder of the centre-backs and making sure I took my chances."I was happy to get the win; we’ve missed that feeling as a group. We’ve been playing so well but not getting our rewards, so it was good to get the three points.”
Watch game LIVE on You Tube today with a 1pm kick off
Swansea Independent, First, Fast and Ready