MX23RW : Thursday, April 25 19:51:51| >> :120:30131:30131:
[monks data]
Swansea logo
Championship | Gameweek 23
Jan 2, 2021 at 3pm UK
Liberty Stadium
Watford logo

Swansea
2 - 1
Watford

Lowe (43', 67')
Guehi (21'), Bidwell (33'), Grimes (45+1')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Cleverley (20')
Chalobah (42'), Masina (90')

Steve Cooper hails Jamal Lowe's resilience following Watford brace

Steve Cooper hails Jamal Lowe's resilience following Watford brace
© Reuters
The winger-turned-striker has scored six goals in as many games.

Steve Cooper praised Jamal Lowe's resilience as the converted centre-forward kept Swansea on the promotion march.

Lowe scored twice as Swansea fought back to beat Sky Bet Championship promotion rivals Watford 2-1 at the Liberty Stadium.

The former Portsmouth and Wigan winger scored only twice in his first 18 games for Swansea after being moved into a central role.

But the 26-year-old now has six goals in as many games, and his match-winning Liberty Stadium show was his second brace in that sequence with a derby double in a 2-0 win at Cardiff last month.

"He wasn't under pressure from me or the players," Swansea head coach Cooper said of Lowe's lack of goals at the start of the campaign.

"In terms of performance levels I think he's been excellent all season, but what a sign of resilience to keep going.

"The plan is to keep going, that's the focus. He's making good progress and we've asked him to do things which have been different for him in the past.

"He's been a winger and we've brought him in with a certain idea to build him.

"He's still building to what we want him to be, but he'll never fail through a lack of trying."

Lowe's scoring blitz in the last month has taken the pressure off Swansea talisman Andre Ayew.

The Ghana striker has also scored eight goals and Cooper is delighted to see a twin scoring threat up top.

"We've relied on Andre to get us a goal when we're not playing well," Cooper said after Swansea had hurdled Brentford to sit second in the Championship.

"We're playing with two number nines, and for the other one to get goals as well is really important.

"Jamal will get the headlines, but everyone was excellent. It was the right result and the consequence of a brilliant performance.

"I thought we were by far the superior team. We gave up a bit of territory late on, but that happens when it's only a one-goal margin.

"We showed great character and resilience after going 1-0 down against the run of play, to not let it faze us and carry on as we were."

Swansea were held to a goalless draw by Reading on Wednesday but have won five of their last eight games to keep the pressure on league leaders Norwich.

Cooper said: "We were just as good against Reading and it was just one of them. We could still be playing and it would be 0-0.

"This felt a little bit like unfinished business from the other night because we knew we played well."

Watford had won their opening game against Norwich under new manager Xisco Munoz.

The Spaniard was on course for a second victory when Tom Cleverley drove the Hornets ahead after 20 minutes from outside the box.

But Xisco was encouraged by Watford's "personality and passion" despite seeing his side drop to sixth spot, six points adrift of Swansea.

He said: "I am happy with the guys because they give the maximum. We are growing up day by day. This is our way. The team had personality and passion, we had good chances in their penalty box.

"So there are good things, which we need to continue. This is the most important. We know our mistakes, that is our job.

"Sometimes in football when you lose you have this moment. I like the reaction of the guys when we concede the second goal."

Watford occupy the final play-off spot, but their next game is an FA Cup third-round tie against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

"Everybody in football knows we have a good team," Xisco said. "But it's to be continued.

"We will continue work and prepare for the next game. I like the reaction of the dressing room when everyone is sad from this situation.

"We have played good teams and the Championship is strong, they are good players and it is difficult. But we are Watford and we have very good players in our team."

ID:428978: cacheID:428978:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:5576:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Bournemouth manager Jason Tindall pictured on November 7, 2020
Read Next:
Saturday's Championship predictions including Stoke City vs. Bournemouth
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Result
Blanch
Nadal
1 0
6 6
Result
Cachin
Ofner
6 6
3 3
Result
Elahi Galan
Bautista-Agut
64 6 1
77 4 6
Result
Gasquet
Sonego
2 5
6 7
Result
Hanfmann
Mensik
4 63
6 77
10am
Koepfer
Carballes Baena
Result
Kovacevic
Medjedovic
6 5 4
3 7 6
Result
Lajovic
Monteiro
4 3
6 6
Result
Machac
Ruusuvuori
6 1 6
4 6 2
Result
Michelsen
Fonseca
6 0 2
4 6 6
Result
Nishioka
Auger-Aliassime
6 1 4
4 6 6
Result
O'Connell
Arnaldi
4 1
6 6
Result
Purcell
Giron
4 6 77
6 4 62
Result
Ramos-Vinolas
Kotov
3 4
6 6
Result
Tabilo
Cobolli
7 4 4
5 6 6
Result
Zhizhen
Kecmanovic
3 2
6 6
Result
Azarenka
Maria
6 6
3 1
Result
Eala
Cirstea
3 78 4
6 66 6
Result
Annie Fernandez
Potapova
7 6
5 3
Result
Gauff
Rus
6 6
0 0
Result
Keys
Camelia-Begu
77 78
63 66
Result
Podoroska
Navarro
2 1
6 6
Result
Karolina Schmiedlova
Jabeur
4 7 3
6 5 6
Result
Swiatek
Wang
6 6
1 4
Result
Sorribes Tormo
Svitolina
6 7
3 5
Result
Vekic
Sakkari
3 2
6 6
Result
Arango
Yastremska
6 5 4
0 7 6
Result
Osaka
Samsonova
2 6 5
6 4 7
Result
Ostapenko
Bouzas Maneiro
6 6
3 1
Result
Haddad Maia
Errani
6 6
3 2
Result
Lourdes Carle
Kudermetova
6 6
4 4
Result
Mertens
Stephens
6 3 1
3 6 6
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Leicester CityLeicester443041086394794
2Leeds UnitedLeeds44279880374390
3Ipswich TownIpswich432611685533289
4Southampton442591085612484
5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom4420121267442372
6Norwich CityNorwich442191477611672
7Hull City441912136556969
8Coventry CityCoventry4317121468551363
9Middlesbrough44189176460463
10Preston North EndPreston44189175661-563
11Cardiff CityCardiff44195205061-1162
12Bristol City441611175147459
13Sunderland44168205251156
14Swansea CitySwansea441511185762-556
15Watford441217155958153
16Millwall441411194355-1253
17Stoke CityStoke441311204460-1650
18Queens Park RangersQPR441311204157-1650
19Blackburn RoversBlackburn441310215874-1649
20Plymouth ArgylePlymouth441212205869-1148
21Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds44138233968-2947
22Birmingham CityBirmingham441210224864-1646
23Huddersfield TownHuddersfield44917184774-2744
RRotherham UnitedRotherham44412283285-5324


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!