MX23RW : Saturday, July 4 04:13:47| >> :120:58756:58756:

Steve Cooper credits whole Swansea team for Rhian Brewster success

Steve Cooper credits whole Swansea team for Rhian Brewster success
© Reuters
The Swans raced into a 3-0 half-time lead on Teesside.

Swansea head coach Steve Cooper praised his team for handing striker Rhian Brewster the chance to grab the headlines after an impressive Sky Bet Championship victory at Middlesbrough.

The 20-year-old Liverpool loanee scored twice in three minutes as the visitors ran out 3-0 winners at the Riverside Stadium.

His brace and Andre Ayew's penalty effectively clinched the points after only 34 minutes.

Cooper said: "In the first half in particular, he looked a real threat. He got his two goals – he was disappointed he didn't have three.

"He's a really good player, but we are a team that likes to play as a team. Rhian obviously will get some headlines today because he's got a brace, but it's as a consequence of the team playing the way we want to play."

Brewster celebrated his 18th-minute opener by holding up a t-shirt bearing the message "Our colour is not a crime" in support of the Black Lives Matter campaign on a day when the players of both sides and the match officials took a knee before kick-off.

Cooper said: "Rhian has a voice like everybody else and we all support each other. We're as one here and it was just another example of that."

The England Under-21 international doubled his tally in the 21st minute before Ayew completed the job from the spot, in the process maintaining the Swans' bid for a play-off place.

Cooper said: "We've always been in the mix. We've never been too far away from the play-off positions if we haven't been in them, and that will continue after this weekend.

"We have just got to make sure that we just focus on the next game. The games are getting less and less and time is precious. We have got to make sure that we maximise everything that's in our hands."

Boro head coach Jonathan Woodgate admitted he was left "stunned" on the sidelines by a first-half display which belied what he had seen on the training ground earlier in the week.

Woodgate said: "It's hard to explain that type of performance. It wasn't nice to see.

"In the week if you had seen how we were training, it was very good and to turn in a performance like that isn't good enough. But we've got a week to put it right now."

Asked about the experience of playing behind closed doors, Woodgate added: "To be honest with you, I didn't imagine being beaten 3-0, so the experience wasn't good at all."

ID:403187:

Click here for more stories about Steve Cooper

Click here for more stories about Middlesbrough

Share this article now:
Leeds United's players celebrate Tyler Roberts' goal against Hull City on February 29, 2020
Read Next:
The Championship returns: How every club has fared so far this season
>
Latest Sports Video
Did you know...?
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.

rhs 2.0
Premier League
Championship
La Liga
Serie A
Primeira Liga
DFB-Pokal
Turkish Super Lig
Greek Superleague
Swiss Super League
Russian Premier League
Ukrainian Premier League
Norwegian Eliteserien
Danish Superliga
Belarusian Premier League
Segunda Division
Major League Soccer
Chinese Super League
J1 League
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Leeds UnitedLeeds40229960332775
2West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom402014667382974
3Brentford402091170333769
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest401813953401367
5Fulham4019101154441067
6Cardiff CityCardiff40151695751661
7Derby CountyDerby401612125552360
8Millwall411417104844459
9Swansea CitySwansea401415115047357
10Preston North EndPreston40169155250257
11Blackburn RoversBlackburn401511145550556
12Bristol City401510155359-655
13Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds401410164954-552
14Wigan AthleticWigan401311164550-550
15Queens Park RangersQPR40148185966-750
16Reading401310174848049
17Birmingham CityBirmingham401213155163-1249
18Charlton AthleticCharlton411210194655-946
19Hull City40129195468-1445
20Huddersfield TownHuddersfield40129194963-1445
21Middlesbrough401014164052-1244
22Stoke CityStoke40127215061-1143
23Barnsley401011194562-1741
24Luton TownLuton40117224673-2740

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Transfer Talk Daily
Match previews - twice weekly
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
Ultra close-up image of Kevin De Bruyne [NOT FOR USE IN ARTICLES]Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!