DARREN Pratley sent out a message to Swansea City last night after coming off the bench to help Brendan Rodgers's men into the second round of the Carling Cup.

Pratley's Liberty Stadium future remains in some doubt amid continuing interest from Nottingham Forest.

But the marathon man in Swansea's midfield seemed keen to make a statement after netting the second goal in a comfortable 3-0 win over Barnet.

Already ahead thanks to Cedric van der Gun, Swansea put the game beyond doubt when Pratley fired in from 15 yards.

The 25-year-old then shrugged off his team-mates before removing his shirt and holding his name and number up towards the West Stand.

Was this a point made to Swansea's board of directors? Perhaps.

Amid talk of stalled contract negotiations, it was certainly another reminder of Pratley's undoubted talent.

Watching on in the crowd, Scott Sinclair will no doubt be hoping that Pratley is a colleague for a while yet.

Swansea's record signing was paraded before kick-off as Rodgers sent out a team showing seven changes from the weekend defeat at Hull.

International call-ups meant Swansea were without the likes of Ashley Williams and David Cotterill, but most of the alterations were through choice.

Summer signing Scott Donnelly and 18-year-old Joe Walsh both handed competitive debuts.

Walsh, one of this year's youth-team graduates, was on the left side of a defence who were given a rough ride in an opening spell where Barnet might easily have gone ahead.

The Bees only escaped relegation to the Blue Square Premier on the final day of last season, and they began the new League Two campaign with defeat at Chesterfield last Saturday.

But the Londoners were quickly into the stride here as they gave Garry Monk and Co plenty to think about.

When a long clearance skipped off the turf and over the head of Swansea's captain, midfielder Mark Byrne scooted goalwards but dragged his shot just the wrong side of the post.

Within 60 seconds Barnet were pressing again, Ricky Holmes getting in on the left but seeing his effort well saved by Dorus de Vries.

And Swansea were indebted to the big Dutchman again only a minute later as he smothered Glenn Poole's drive.

Stung into action, Swansea gradually got their passing game going and Shefki Kuqi's opening sighter was stopped by Barnet keeper Jake Cole.

On 18 minutes the Finnish frontman had a golden chance to open the scoring – and wasted it.

The lively van der Gun was Barnet's tormentor, the winger cutting in from the left and then being clipped by Sam Cox as he turned back outside.

Referee Andy Penn pointed to the spot, but Kuqi's blasted effort crashed down off the underside of the bar and away to safety.

The woodwork was soon rattling again, Kerry Morgan's cross almost embarrassing Cole as it smacked the bar.

Three minutes later Swansea found the breakthrough. Morgan was involved again, the little winger crossing deep for van der Gun to nod home only his third Swansea goal at the far post.

The former Ajax man, who has been linked with a move before the transfer window shuts, was doing his best to stake a claim to stay.

Donnelly was bright, the new boy seeing one drive deflect wide before a second was beaten away by Cole.

One crisp move teed up a shooting chance for Joe Allen, but the fit-again playmaker's 25-yard drive took a narrow deflection and whistled just the wrong side of the post.

Suited and booted on the touchline, Rodgers looked fairly content, whistling and waving only now and again.

Swansea's new manager sent on fresh legs just after the hour, Darren Pratley and Mark Gower arriving in place of Donnelly and Allen.

The Northern Irishman's team almost made it two, van der Gun cutting inside once more from the left before drilling a shot across the face.

Keen to make amends for his penalty miss, Kuqi set off on another bullocking run before seeing his shot deflect away to safety.

Morgan's 20-yarder flew wide, before Pratley settled any home nerves with a peach of a finish.

Last season's top scorer drove beyond a couple of tackles before drilling the ball high into the net for his first of the new campaign.

Having missed a good chance after good work from Nathan Dyer, Kuqi finally got on the scoresheet at the death after breaking the offside trap and sidefooting beyond Cole.

Job done.