Your Swansea City headlines on Friday, October 7.
Watford complaint issued
Swansea City have lodged a complaint against Watford amid claims that one of their players spat at Ryan Manning during the Championship clash between the sides on Wednesday night.
The Swans came from behind to win 2-1 thanks to second-half goals from Olivier Ntcham and Ben Cabango after Ismaila Sarr had given Slaven Bilic's men the lead in the 34th minute at Vicarage Road.
Due to a technical error with the communications system used by the officials, there was a lengthy delay late on in the Championship contest before 17 minutes of additional time were signalled by fourth official Keith Stroud.
In the final stages of the match, the Hornets appealed in vain for a penalty, and the match officials held lengthy talks in a bid to discuss the incident - which occurred in Swansea's penalty area. And the Swans claim that Imran Louza spat at Irishman Manning in the closing stages of the contest.
It's understood the incident was raised by Swansea in their report of referee Tim Robinson's performance.
Martin's admiration for midfielder
Russell Martin admits he admires the way Jay Fulton has responded to what was a difficult season for the midfielder at the club last year.
The Scot fell behind the likes of Matt Grimes and Flynn Downes in the pecking order last season and was widely expected to leave the club either in January or in the summer transfer window.
He attracted interest from Blackpool and Barnsley but opted to remain in south Wales to fight for a place in the squad. Fulton - who joined the Swans from Falkirk in 2014 - has been a prominent figure in what is now head coach Martin's second season at the club, featuring in all but two of his side's 13 games in all competitions.
And Martin hailed Fulton's turnaround as "incredible" following a "difficult" period at the club.
"If you look at Jay and what he went through last year, the door was never closed," said the Swans boss. "It’s why he played some games towards the end of last season.
"He understood the situation. It wasn’t easy for him. I really admire how he’s dealt with that and what he’s done this year for us has been amazing really.
"We had Flynn Downes who it was really difficult to play in front of. He understood, he didn’t like it. He’s been here a long time and his family is so settled so it was a difficult time for him.
"The way he’s responded is incredible, and I think that’s because everyone here is really honest with each other. It’s never personal, it’s always professional in terms of the decision we make for the team and the squad. It’s all about honesty and respect.
"I think, him as a person, first and foremost, as a character means he can go and deliver the performances he can now. He feels trusted and he feels that he can really contribute."
Swans can compete
Matt Grimes hopes Swansea can maintain their impressive run of form after proving they can compete with the stronger sides in the Championship.
The Swans have won three matches in a row ahead of this weekend's contest with Sunderland at the Swansea.com Stadium. Their latest triumph saw them come from behind to defeat a Watford side who thumped Stoke City 4-0 just four days prior to hosting Russell Martin's men at Vicarage Road.
And club captain Grimes says Swansea's squad must be relentless as they go in search of a fourth successive league victory against Tony Mowbray's outfit. “I think now we’ve shown that we can mix it with the best in the league and we’re just looking to push on now,” he said.
“When you’re winning games, you just want them to come thick and fast. You want to just roll into the next one and maintain momentum.
“We’ll be full of confidence after the last one and hopefully we can get another three points under our belts on Saturday.
“It’s a quick turnaround. We got back in the early hours, and have just two days to recover and be ready to go again, so it’s relentless, but that’s what we’ve got to be if we want to succeed in this league.”
Whittaker scoops award
Morgan Whittaker scooped the League One Player of the Month award for September.
The Swansea loanee netted against Derby County while also scoring match-winners against Oxford United and Ipswich Town to help fire the Pilgrims to the summit of the third tier standings.
“I’m really happy. I’m really grateful this has happened," he told the Plymouth Argyle website. "Against Oxford and Ipswich my goals won the game, and against Derby I scored against my old club. All of them have different meanings, and they are all special.
“I get the credit as Player of the Month, but I can’t do what I have been doing without my teammates doing what they have been doing. It’s a collective. Hopefully we can carry it on.”
READ NEXT:
