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Search forTigers are tamed as Swans let the Bull loose
Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 08:00
Gorka Pintado, nicknamed El Toro in his native Spain, produced a sensational display from the substitutes' bench to guide Swansea into round three for the first time since 1982.
Roberto Martinez's men had trailed to Premier League new boys Hull City after gifting a goal to Dean Windass.
But the introduction of Pintado inspired Swansea to a deserved victory. After levelling the scores, Pintado feared the worst when he missed a penalty at the end of normal time.
But Jordi Gomez showed him the way in the extra 30 minutes as the men from the Humber were humbled.
Martinez has spoken of a desire to improve Swansea's miserable record in this competition but, with most eyes on the league as ever, he had made eight changes to the team which won at Plymouth over the weekend.
Dorus de Vries, Marcos Painter and Garry Monk were the three who were retained, with Shaun MacDonald — the hero of round one — and Joe Allen, making his first appearance of the season, among those drafted in.
Hull boss Phil Brown went even further than his opposite number, changing all 11 starting players following a 1-1 draw at Blackburn on Saturday.
Nicky Barmby, Bernard Mendy and Caleb Folan had all come off the bench at Ewood Park and started here, with Peter Halmosi and Windass among the other more recognisable names in the visitors' line-up. Swansea old boy Sam Ricketts didn't even make the bench.
There were no survivors from Hull's unforgettable visit to these parts five years ago, when Swansea triumphed to preserve their Football League status.
But there may have been a trip down memory lane on the home bench, where Kris O'Leary, Alan Tate and their manager will have appreciated the relative lack of tension this time around.
Martinez, though, would not have enjoyed the fix Swansea got themselves into as they presented Hull with an 11th-minute goal.
Monk, of all people, opted for a quick free-kick on the edge of his own box when clearing his lines might have been the wiser option.
Monk fed Matty Collins at right-back and, with nowhere to go, he sent the hot potato back to his captain.
This time Monk had to rush on his weaker foot, and the ball went straight to Barmby.
He played the ball towards Folan, whose clever dummy allowed Windass to skip round Collins before rolling a shot beyond a helpless de Vries.
Martinez's side were rattled for a spell, but gradually their passing game clicked into gear and slowly they began causing concern in the Hull defence.
Guillem Bauza narrowly lost out to Wayne Brown at the near post after a measured Allen pass and some fabulous footwork from MacDonald.
And the willing Spaniard's flick carved a half-chance for Swansea just after the half hour, but Jordi Gomez hit his shot all wrong as grey shirts closed in.
Swansea had done okay, but it was Hull who led at the break.
After a quiet start to the second period, Martinez sent on Pintado and Angel Rangel for Allen and Collins, making it six Spaniards on the field in white.
The impact was so nearly instant.
Andrea Orlandi slid a ball up the line for Pintado, where the substitute was taken out by Wayne Brown but picked himself up and drove into the box.
Racing in from the right, Pintado opted to pass when he might have shot and watched in agony as Bauza fired over the top from eight yards.
Suddenly, thanks largely to Pintado, the contest caught fire.
Bauza went through one on one but lost out to Matt Duke as he tried to round the keeper.
Then came two close shaves at corners. And in a refreshing change, they were Swansea corners.
Orlandi's first delivery was met with a brilliant Pintado bicycle kick which Matt Duke did well to turn around the post.
The second was met firmly by Pintado's forehead, but this time full-back Nathan Doyle hacked off the line.
A minute later, Pintado's excellence was finally rewarded.
A free-kick wide on the right was rolled short to Gomez, who chipped a cross to the far post for Pintado to glance a header into the bottom corner of the net.
Swansea were deservedly on terms, but the Pintado show was almost rudely interrupted when the Tigers broke and Ryan France shot.
The ball was heading for the bottom corner until de Vries intervened with a fine right-handed save.
Phil Brown sent on Marlon King, and Hull's frontline striker twice came close to re-establishing his team's advantage.
But Rangel cleared after King had clipped the ball round de Vries, then the former Watford man fired across the face.
The spotlight soon returned to Pintado, who stormed through the Hull midfield as if it wasn't there and cracked a 20-yarder against the post.
Next he helped Gomez's long ball to fellow sub Febian Brandy, but he shot straight at Duke when he had only the keeper to beat.
There was an even better chance to win it in stoppage time when Wayne Brown chopped down Brandy in the area.
The script was written, but Pintado's spot-kick was superbly saved by Duke and Hull had the chance to avoid an upset in extra time.
But it was Swansea who finally grabbed the lead they deserved in the last minute of the first period when Gomez found MacDonald and his good feet drew a clumsy challenge from Michael Turner.
Gomez stepped up for Swansea's second penalty of the night and showed that it is possible to score from 12 yards even if you're not Jason Scotland, coolly sending Duke the wrong way.
When Folan blew a golden chance to level, Swansea's thrilling victory was sealed.
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