Swansea City: Lean Britton says Sunderland match is ‘massive’

Ghana worldwide Andre Ayew grabbed his seventh goal of the campaign for Swansea City but it was not enough as the Welsh side threw away a first-half lead to succumb to a 4-2 loss against Sunderland.

The game was a topsy-turvy one, with referee Graham Scott and his officials awarding Swansea a freaky penalty, harshly sending off right-back Kyle Naughton and failing to spot offside calls for Jermain Defoe’s first two goals.

The Poland international’s woeful clearance found only Adam Johnson, who quickly shifted the ball on to Fabio Borini.

While Swansea’s FA Cup exit at the hands of Oxford United last weekend looks extremely damaging on paper, particularly given the fact that Sunderland were eliminated at Arsenal, the reality is that a cup run was never going to be a priority for Alan Curtis’ side and the club’s fortunes have improved since the sacking of Garry Monk at the start of December.

The 33-year-old has scored five goals in Sunderland’s last two Premier League games, as Allardyce’s men have recorded victories over fellow strugglers Aston Villa and Swansea.

“Then they got the penalty where it looks like he’s kicked the floor”.

Sunderland levelled the scores within four minutes of the restart when Van Aanholt cut inside and hit a powerful drive that flew into the top corner via a deflection off Fernandez.

Ayew was replaced in the 93rd minute by Jack Cork.

“I spoke to him the other day and asked him if he could stop scoring before he plays us”.

Seven minutes before the interval, Swansea were reduced to 10 men after another terrible decision from the referee.

If Allardyce was aggrieved by that controversial decision, he was much happier in the 37th minute when Scott sent off Naughton for a foul on Yann M’Vila.

It was a superb piece of attacking, but Sunderland’s marking was wretched, and neither Cattermole nor Jones covered themselves in glory as they floundered in the box.

Johnson played a through-ball in behind the Swansea defence for Defoe – who again very debatably beat the offside trap – and the striker produced an immaculate finish to roll it beyond Fabianski.

But two minutes later, Sunderland went ahead as Defoe netted his second. Rangel tapped home the rebound, but was rightly adjudged to have been offside.

Patrick van Aanholt raced clear down the left but the winger somehow sidefooted miles wide, while his Dutch team-mate very almost picked out Borini from another rapid Sunderland counter.