Swansea City 3 Leeds United 0: match report
Read a full match report of the Premier League game between Swansea City and Leeds United at Liberty Stadium on Saturday Feb 26 2011.
PREVIEW
LIVE
REPORT
NEWCASTLE
1 - 1
FT
BOLTON
Saturday, February 26 15:00
Premier League
St James' Park
Nolan (13)
(HT 1-1)
ATT: 48,062
Sturridge (38)
On the button: Scott Sinclair hit the target for Swansea City twice Photo: ACTION IMAGES
By Rob Stewart 5:50PM GMT 26 Feb 2011
Swansea City remain on course for a place in the Premier League courtesy of two goals from Scott Sinclair and a third from former West Bromwich Albion striker Luke Moore.
Sinclair, the 21-year-old former Chelsea starlet, struck either side of half time, to earn Brendan Rogers' side an 11th home win of the season and a ninth in their last 11 Championship games.
Moore, who couldn't buy a goal in January, applied the finishing touch to a sublime Swansea performance, with his second in as many home games.
In contrast, Leeds United, who had lost only three of their previous 16 away matches, were a shadow of the side so deserving of their place in the top six.
However, they were unfortunate not to have been awarded a first half penalty when Alan Tate's blatant handball went unpunished. Still, they were second best for much of the contest and threatened only twice, through South African David Somma.
The 25-year-old striker, who earned Leeds a point against fellow high-flyers Norwich City at Elland Road seven days ago, saw his first half header beaten onto the bar by Swansea goalkeeper Dorus de Vries and was denied once again, by the Dutchman, after Neil Kilkenny's precise pass 10 minutes into the second half.
Having scored eight times in their last three games, since losing to Cardiff City three weeks ago, Swansea might have been three goals to the good before Sinclair's well-executed finish.
Stephen Dobbie struck an upright after five minutes, Sinclair volleyed high and wide from Mark Gower's corner and Nathan Dyer ballooned his shot over the top.
The goal itself was reward for Sinclair's sublime movement in the final third. After collecting the ball deep in the Leeds half, the young forward exchanged passes with Moore before side-footing the ball past Kasper Schmeichel.
Leeds knew their luck was out when Tate handled a Robert Snodgrass shot, a dozen minutes before the break, but got away with it. A minute later, de Vries added to the visitors' frustration by rising well to push Somma's header onto the bar.
Max Gradel's clumsy challenge on Dyer, eight minutes into the second half, gave referee Phil Dowd little option but to award a spot kick and though Leeds remonstrated, Sinclair kept his cool and made safe three more valuable points.
Gower's 67th minute free-kick was pushed around the post by Schmeichel, but the visitors were powerless to prevent Moore from nipping in to seal the spoils.
Match details
Swansea (4-5-1): D de Vries; A Rangel, A Williams, A Tate, N Taylor; J Allen, S Dobbie (L Britton 76), M Gower, N Dyer, S Sinclair; L Moore (C Beattie 79)
Goals: Sinclair 13, 55 pen, Moore 72
Leeds United (4-4-2): K Schmeichel; A Bruce, E Lichaj, G McCartney (B Parker 73), A O'Brien; M Gradel, N Kilkenny, J Howson, R Snodgrass (B Paynter 73); D Somma, L Becchio (S Watt 61)
Referee: P Dowd (Stoke)
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