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Swansea bit Palace in epic nine-goal thriller


Substitute Fernando Llorente scored twice in stoppage time as Swansea recorded their first win since the opening day of the season in a remarkable encounter with Crystal Palace.
The Liberty Stadium witnessed an astonishing seven goals scored after the break and four in 11 second-half minutes.






Swansea were 3-1 ahead before Palace produced an extraordinary fightback to take a 4-3 lead.
It seemed as if the visitors would end their five-match losing run in the league, but then up popped substitute Llorente with two late goals as the ground erupted on the full-time whistle.

Regarding entertainment value, this match gets top marks. But look past the scoreline and it was a game that featured truly atrocious defending.
Palace took the lead in the 19th minute when Wilfried Zaha easily wriggled away from Neil Taylor and Federico Fernandez before slotting a low angled shot past Lukasz Fabianski.
The Swans hit back in the 36th minute through Iceland's Gylfi Sigurdsson, when he whipped his 20-yard free-kick over the wall and inside keeper Wayne Hennessey's far post.
It was 1-1 at half time and midway through the second period there was little to suggest of what was about to unfold.
Then the match exploded.
Dutch midfielder Leroy Fer scored twice at the far post in the space of two minutes. His first was following up from Llorente's blocked header - the Spaniard's first touch of the match - before he poked in after Sigurdsson's free-kick was flicked on by Jordi Amat.
A 3-1 lead became 3-2 in the 75th minute when the Swans failed to clear their six-yard area and James Tomkins poked in.
What followed was a goal rush:
  • 3-3, 82 mins: Palace's Wilfried Zaha curls a delivery into the area which is inadvertently flicked in by Jack Cork.
  • 3-4, 84 mins: Palace striker Christian Benteke's snapshot comes off the post and goes in.
  • 4-4, 91 mins: Swans forward Llorente pokes in high past Wayne Hennessey from Sigurdsson's shot, after his initial effort was saved.
  • 5-4, 93 mins: After a scramble in the area, Llorente stabs the loose ball past Hennessey.
Referee Kevin Friend played another four minutes of stoppage time, but Swansea weathered Palace's final assault for a much-needed three points after a thrilling contest.


The Spanish striker was dropped from the squad for last weekend's match at Everton, and this week his agent was reported in Italian media to have said that "things aren't going well" under new manager Bob Bradley.
The American boss explained in the build-up to the match against Palace that Llorente had a future at the club but suggested he lacked fitness.
Bradley decided to twist and bring on the former Athletic Bilbao striker, nicknamed El Rey Leon [The Lion King], who made an instant impact with a header that led to Fer's first.
But it was two goals in stoppage time that will have ensured him of a place among the hearts of Swans and could prove to be a timely fillip for both player and club.
Swansea boss Bradley said: "That's one we won't forget. I've been on the wrong side of those occasionally. I'm going to give the players all the credit today. They fought until the end."

Man of the match - Fernando Llorente


{Source: BBC Sports}

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