Swansea City booked their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup after easing to a 6-2 win over Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park this afternoon.
Nathan Dyer fired the visitors into a slender 1-0 half-time lead, before Tottenham Hotspur loanee Tom Carroll added a second shortly after the restart.
The Premier League side then looked to have done enough to avoid a giant-killing as Modou Barrow struck a third goal to make it 3-0.
However, Max Power reduced the arrears, before Cole Stockton did the same after Bafetimbi Gomis had added a fourth, but Wayne Routledge and Gomis struck to cap a fine win.
Well hello and thanks for joining our live text commentary as Swansea look to avoid what would be a massive upset against lowly Tranmere in the third round of the FA Cup. I'm Shane and I'll be guiding you through all the action at Prenton Park.
I think we'll kick things off by taking a quick look at the teams, shall we? I'll have this for you in the coming minutes so stay tuned.
SWANSEA XI: Tremmel, Tiendalli, Amat, Bartley, Richards, Carroll, Fulton, Emnes, Dyer, Gomis, Barrow
TRANMERE XI: Fon Williams, Donacien, Holness, Thompson, Ihiekwe, Holmes, Power, Jennings, Laird, Fenelon, Stockton
SWANSEA SUBS: Fabianski, Shephard, Fernandez, King, Britton, Routledge, Sigurdsson
TRANMERE SUBS: Brezovan, Ridehalgh, Rowe, Baggie, Kirby, Shuker, Madjo
We'll start with the Swans and I can tell you that Swansea boss Garry Monk makes NINE changes to his first XI from the 1-1 draw with QPR on Thursday afternoon. Winger Nathan Dyer and striker Bafetimbi Gomis are the only ones to keep their place.
Gomis spearheads the Swans' attack today alongisde summer signing Modou Barrow. Further back you'll find youngster Jay Fulton, Spurs loanee Tom Carroll, Dyer and Marvin Emnes in midfield. Then we've got Kyle Bartley, Jordi Amat, Jazz Richards and Dwight Tiendalli in defence, in front of goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel.
Incidentally, Wilfried Bony, who netted a last-gasp equaliser against Rangers on New Year's Day, has jetted off to join up with his Ivory Coast teammates ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations. It's not a strong City team, but it should most definitely be enough to sweep aside the League Two outfit, who we'll look at now.
Nowhere near as many wholesale changes for the hosts as manager Micky Adams elects to make just two changes from the 2-1 win over Northampton Town, with Chris Shuker and Kayode Odejayi dropping out for Cole Stockton and defender Michael Ihiekwe.
We've got Stockton partnering Shamir Fenlon up top, with Marc Laird and Max Power providing wide support from the flanks, while Steve Jennings and probably Ihiekwe, despite being a defender by trade, will line up in the middle of midfield. It's an unchanged back four from last Sunday's win over Town, with Janoi Donacien, Marcus Holness, Josh Thompson and Danny Holmes starting in defence in front of keeper Owain Fon Williams and that's your lot!
Surprised, and pleased, to see Adams stick with so many of his best players because Rovers are 22nd in League Two, level on points with 23rd-placed Dagenham & Redbridge! There would've been far more cause for them to rest some of their bigger names because Swansea are ninth in the Premier League and enjoying a pretty good season as far as I can tell.
To illustrate the size of Tranmere's task today; Adams's side are 81 places below their top-flight counterparts in England's football pyramid, but it is the FA Cup folks, a weekend where gamblers pay more attention to their betting coupons than usual due to the sheer unpredictability element of this competition. Let's see if the world's oldest cup competition can throw up some of its magic. Kickoff in three minutes!
KICKOFF: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we're off at Preton Park. Swansea, playing in their red and black away kit, will kick us off in the second half but it's Tranmere who do the deed in this 45. Let's go.
Max Power, Tranmere's leading scorer this season with nine goals, is reportedly a target of Swansea oddly enough. Let's see how he does on what might just be his audition today.
SHOT! It's going to be difficult to differentiate between Gomis and Marvin Emnes this afternoon because they look quite similar, but one of them has just had Swansea's first shot, but it was a shocker that prompted a 'wahey' from the home fans, which ought to illustrate how poor it was.
Incidentally, it's a big chance for Gomis, who really must step up to the plate in Wilfried Bony's absence. They signed Nelson Oliveira remember, so Gomis's first place isn't cemented over the next month or so while Bony represents Ivory Coast in the AFCON.
Pretty even game so far it has to be said. Swansea with all the possession as you might expect, but Tranmere haven't looked bad going forward.
CLOSE! This is so very close to the first goal, and it's Emnes, whose deft first touch deceives Marcus Holness, before firing left-footed at Fon-Williams's goal but it floats just wide. First real chance.
Emnes is having a very decent game in centre midfield for the Swans so far, and he's just fired a brilliant daisy-cutter of a ball for Modou Barrow, who just wasn't quick enough to reach it.
BOOKING: Danny Holmes becomes the first player booked following a rash challenge on Modou Barrow. He went through him for a shortcut really.
It's all gone a bit scrappy in recent minutes unfortunately, which will suit Tranmere far more than the free flowing style of Swansea. Gomis hasn't done much up front really.
CHANCE! Massive chance for Swansea, and it's Barrow who does really well, beating his marker before fizzing a realy good ball in, but Gomis, for some reason, went with his left instead of his right and it allowed Fon-Williams to tap over.
Really good challenge from Kyle Bartley to snuff out a rare Tranmere attack. As expected, the hosts are being caned in every area and Rovers are yet to have a shot. It is the FA Cup, though, so who knows what can happen.
These sides have actually met in the FA Cup once before - back in 2004 when Tranmere actually won 2-1. They'll do well to score twice this afternoon, though.
CHANCE! Another great chance for the visitors, as Gomis leads a break-away attack, before clipping over to Fulton who had run into the box unmarked, but the youngster tried a 'chest-and-volley', and never made it to the volley part.
SO CLOSE! Swansea really turning the screw now as Emnes ventures forward in possession, shrugs off a few half-hearted challenges before rifling just wide of Fon-Williams's far post. They'll score before half time, surely?
GOAL!!! TRANMERE 0-1 SWANSEA (Nathan Dyer)
It's been coming for 33 minutes in fair, and Swansea finally have the lead. It's Nathan Dyer, who cuts inside and has his initial shot blocked, but he's quick to volley the rebound past Fon-Williams. Suspicion of handball as the diminutive winger might've handled it before scoring, but Swansea don't care.
The hosts have a free kick in a very decent position now after Tiendalli fouled Fenlon. Let's see what comes of it.
Disappointing end to that. Fenlon, who won the free kick, tried to execute a training ground routine by playing it short, but Tom Carroll read his intentions and snuffed out the chance. Cross it mate!
Tranmere, to their credit, have been the better team since falling behind. Football's a funny old game at times init. Max Power had their first shot a moment ago, while Holmes has just doubled their tally with a pretty poor effort. They're well in the ascendency ahead of the last six minutes in this half.
SHOT! Another shot by Power now, and it proves a little tricky for Tremmel, who saves comfortably but fumbles to allow Cole Stockton a chance to follow it up. However, he re-gathered the ball to thwart the Rovers forward.
UPDATE! Blyth Spartans are winning at home to Birmingham City. It's 2-0! Tranmere will take heart from that. Swansea are much better than Brum, true, but Rovers are better than Spartans so it evens out #FACupMagic
HALF TIME: TRANMERE ROVERS 0-1 SWANSEA CITY
Well, pretty decent first half for Swansea, who dominated and earned a thoroughly deserved half-time lead.
But Tranmere, to their credit, did come back into the game really well and that Dyer opener brought them to life. They finished the half well on top and they might feel optimistic that they can get back into it in the second half.
GOAL!!! TRANMERE 0-2 SWANSEA (Tom Carroll)
what a fine way to start the second half, and it's Spurs loanee Carroll, who bursts into the box, goes around Holmes before casually slotting past Fon-Willias. Modou Barrow with the assist. He's done well, has Barrow.
That's a worrying sign. Marvin Emnes, far and away Swansea's best player today, goes off to receive treatment, but he's back on almost instantly. I'd be surprised if the former Middlesboro man doesn't get himself on the scoresheet.
Tranmere responded brilliantly after going one down, but that Carroll second has knocked them for six it seems and it's still all Swansea. This could be three or four, my friends.
SUB: Micky Adams rolls the dice and replaces Josh Thompson with Jake Kirby. He netted against Northampton Town after coming off the bench last Sunday, so Adams will hope that Kirby has a similar effect here again.
GOAL!!! TRANMERE 0-3 SWANSEA (Modou Barrow)
Stick a fork in it, folks. Modou Barrow marks his first start for the club by netting a killer third, and he owes the goal to Gomis, who expertly controlled Dyer's pass, before going past Holmes and driving a cross-come-shot into the box for Barrow to tap home. That should be that.
CLOSE! Should be four, as Gomis, who probably deserves a goal, fires Barrow's square ball narrowly over the bar. Wilfried Bony is certainly not worried about his starting spot when he comes back from the AFCON, because Gomis has been a bit wasteful.
It's all gone a bit Jeremy Kyle at Prenton Park. Tranmere so nearly bag a consolation a few epic goal-mouth scrambles, before Max Power comes in and scythes down Barrow, which has infuriated Dwight Tiendalli and the two engage in a heated exchange, but referee Paul Tierney defuses the situation.
We know the FA Cup is magical and all, because the trophy itself was made in Hogwarts, but let's be realistic; Swansea are going to win this and win well. Tranmere have done well at times, but there's a gulf in class between their first XI and what is essentially a second-string Swansea.
We've had to wait a good 70 minutes to see Cole Stockton, and he very nearly bags a consolation, turning Bartley before firing at goal, but Tremmel does well.
GOAL!!! TRANMERE 1-3 SWANSEA (Max Power)
Oh god. Swansea goalkeeper Tremmel has reminded his manager Garry Monk why he's the second choice keeper. Tranmere are back within two goals of the visitors, but it's all down to Tremmel, who takes an age to punt the ball down-field, and Max Power puts him under pressure and his kick-out rebounds off the Tranmere ace and drops into the net. Silly play.
Swansea will still win this obviously, but it makes the last 15 minutes that bit nervier than it would've been had Tranmere not got off the mark. As a neutral I'd quite like to see it go 3-2 soon enough and it'd develop into a 'proper cup tie' then - whatever that means.
GOAL!!! TRANMERE 1-4 SWANSEA (Bafetimbi Gomis)
Ok you can stick that proverbial fork in this one again, folks. Gomis adds a fourth by shimmying on to his left foot to pass the ball beyond Owain Fon-Williams. Four different goalscorers, which will please Monk I'm sure.
No wonder Tranmere are 22nd in League Two because their pitch is absolutely shocking. It's like a rugby surface.
DISALLOWED GOAL! Swansea think they've got a fifth through Gomis, who taps home Wayne Routledge's first-time pass, but it's chalked off for offside. Good decision.
GOAL!!! TRANMERE 2-4 SWANSEA (Cole Stockton)
Bloody hell. Take that fork out again because this one might not yet be done, as Cole Stockton adds a second to give the hosts a glimmer of hope. Five minutes left not included stoppage time, so ideally we're looking eight or nine minutes.
GOAL!!! TRANMERE 2-5 SWANSEA (ROUTLEDGE)
Have you taken the fork out yet? Don't bother. It's 5-2 and game over now. It's a free-flowing move by Swansea, as Gomis plays in the overlapping Routledge, who casually slots home a FIFTH goal. What a game.
FOUR MINUTES ADDED ON:
The travelling fans can finally afford to 'ole' at every pass. Cracking game, even if it's slightly lacking defensive quality because both back fours - including Gerhard Tremmel - have been shocking.
We've got no analysis or ratings on this one, so I'll give my man of the match now: Marvin Emnes. He's just been brilliant in both halves. He didn't get on the scoresheet, but he's been the heart of soul of their attack today and he'll reflect fondly on his performance.
GOAL!!! TRANMERE 2-6 SWANSEA (Bafetimbi Gomis)
Sorry Gomis pal I've already given man of the match to Emnes, but the Frenchman netted his second just then to add a sixth. He's deserved that brace, but he could've had about five on his own.
FULL TIME: TRANMERE 2-6 SWANSEA CITY
Well, have we caught our breaths? Good, because it's all over now. There was only one goal at half time believe it or not. Didn't I say I fancied a decent second half? Crazy scenes.
Anyways, that's us. Thanks for joining Sports Mole's live commentary as Swansea cruise into the fourth round, while Tranmere might want to go back to the training ground and work on their defending. Enjoy your weekend.
Written by
Shane Callaghan
Shane Callaghan
