Swansea City news as Ben Cabango pinpoints key…

Swansea City news as Ben Cabango pinpoints key improvement under Russell Martin as Swans boss nominated for award

Here's your round-up of all the latest Swansea City news for Thursday, October 6.

Cabango hails set-piece success

Ben Cabango has hailed the impact of set-piece coach Andy Parslow, adding that his late winner at Watford is the result of hard work on the training ground.

Parslow joined the Swans in the summer, having previously worked at AFC Wimbledon, and his arrival has coincided with a marked improvement in Swansea's threat from dead ball situations.

Indeed, the Swans have already matched last season's tally for goals from set-pieces, and Cabango is in no doubt that Parslow's influence has proved the difference.

“One of the big things this season has been putting the defensive side of our game together and we have also worked so hard on set-pieces.

“Those elements of the game help so much, just look at the last two games. We have had two set-piece goals and we have won by one goal in each game.

“It shows the difference it can make, those little details can be so important over a season and they were in this game.

“I hope Andy Parslow will be buzzing because he has been talking to me about the need to score more goals, it has come now and I am happy with that. I hope we can keep it going.”

Martin nominated for award

Swansea City boss Russell Martin has been nominated for the EFL Championship Manager of the Month award for September.

Martin takes his place on the four-man shortlist after overseeing wins over Queens Park Rangers and Hull City, with his side conceding just one goal over the course of the calendar month.

Other coaches to be nominated include Norwich City boss Dean Smith, Sheffield United’s Paul Heckingbottom and Birmingham City manager John Eustace.

The winner will be announced on Friday.

Bilic - We deserved to win

Slaven Bilic insists Watford should have been handed a penalty shortly before Ben Cabango's winner, and insists his side deserved to claim all three points.

"It (the technology failure) is a situation that doesn't happen very often," he said. "I don't want to say it was the reason we lost the game, I think it affected both teams.

"A lot of goals come from set-pieces but the guy (Ben Cabango) was alone in the middle, it is very hard to accept it.

"You can't blame the players who came on but we lost the shape we had in the first half.

"I'm quite pleased with the way we played. We had another big chance to go 2-0 up. They didn't create a lot of chances - we created more."

Morrison impressed by Ntcham

ITV pundit Clinton Morrison hailed the impact of Olivier Ntcham, following Swansea City's impressive win at Vicarage Road.

The former Celtic star struck just after half-time to restore parity against the Hornets, as the Swans bounced back from Ismaila Sarr's opener midway through the first half to secure an impressive three points.

Analysing the game for ITV's EFL highlights show, Morrison said: "They've got some really good players in their team, Michael Obafemi and Olivier Ntcham, he's a very good player. What a signing when they signed him. He gets lucky with the deflection, but he'll always score goals. This is a brilliant header from Ben Cabango. Watford's defending is poor, you can't let a centre-half have a free header, but it's a brilliant header, so credit to Russell Martin."

Morrison also believes referee Tim Robinson was correct not to award the Hornets a penalty shortly before Cabango's winner, despite the protestations of Slaven Bilic.

"We've looked at this six or seven times," he added. "I don't know where Watford are appealing. Probably on the pitch, they've got a better view, they think it's a handball.

"I'm sitting here and thinking the referee makes the right decision because I can't see a handball. I've looked at it from numerous angles. I think the referee gets it right.

"Even here, slowing it down, when can you possibly see a handball? I can just see a Swansea player sandwiched, I can't see a handball, I think the referee makes the right decision.

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