Graham Potter hails ‘resilient’ Swansea as Jay Fulton header sees off Preston

Posted Sunday, August 12, 2018 by PA

Swansea manager Graham Potter praised his team’s resilience after they brushed off a testing week to beat Preston 1-0 and make it back-to-back Championship wins.

The Welsh side lost four key players in Federico Fernandez, Jordan Ayew, Sam Clucas and Jordi Amat on Thursday’s transfer deadline day to leave Potter with a paper-thin squad.

But after their opening-day victory at Sheffield United, Jay Fulton’s header was enough for Potter’s men to down North End at the Liberty Stadium.

An early injury suffered by goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt, who was forced off midway through the first half, did not knock Swansea off track.

“I am very proud of the players and the supporters. They were tremendous,” Potter said.

“People keep talking about how tough the Championship is and I agree with them. You have to be resilient and if you don’t do that then you’re dead in any league.

“We were resilient and when we lost our goalkeeper, we could have felt sorry for ourselves. We didn’t, even though I think Preston would probably have deserved a point.”

Potter missed out on a deal for Brentford’s Ryan Woods on Thursday, and Swansea’s fans voiced displeasure at American owners Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan and chairman Huw Jenkins throughout this game.

Potter will look to sign a defender and midfielder with the loan market still open, but said: “I don’t want to whinge about players we didn’t get.

“I need to focus on the players who want to be here and play for Swansea. I understand the fans’ frustrations and that there is disappointment, but the club has spent money in the past and that’s not always the answer.

“You need to judge any window at the end of the season.”

Swansea were dealt a blow when Oli McBurnie missed an early penalty. Barrie McKay was felled in the box by Alan Browne, but Declan Rudd expertly saved McBurnie’s low penalty down to his left.

Swansea then lost Nordfeldt to a groin injury with Erwin Mulder stepping in, but at the other end of the field Fulton rose to head home Joel Asoro’s cross in the 32nd minute for what proved to be the game’s only goal.

Preston were poor before the break but much better in the second period. Tom Barkhuizen, Manchester City loanee Lukas Nmecha and Josh Harrop all had chances, but Mulder pulled off a string of stops.

Preston boss Alex Neil said: “We lacked belief in ourselves in the first half as much as anything. Our quality just wasn’t there and we didn’t move the ball well enough.

“I was really disappointed with us defensively for the goal. Darnell Fisher was booked for giving away a free-kick which I didn’t think was a foul. We cleared the free-kick, the ball got helped back in, and Ben Davies nodded it into a dangerous area. While Ben stood there, the lad got across him.

“At half-time I told the lads we could either sit in and not believe we are good enough or we could get up against them. We did the latter, we moved the ball much better, and the quality was miles better. Overall I think we deserved more.”