Rodgers: It Was A Mammoth Effort To Beat Stoke

Swansea City manager Brendan Rodgers shares his thoughts after his side beat Stoke City 2-0 today at the Liberty Stadium.

Scott Sinclair opened the scoring after just 8 minutes from the penalty spot after Wayne Routledge was brought down. Danny Graham then scored his first Swansea City goal with 5 minutes to go to give the Swans another three points.

Brendan Rodgers spoke about how big an effort it took from his players to beat a tough Stoke side:

'It was a mammoth effort,'

'Stoke are a difficult team to play against but our performance was excellent. To keep the clean sheet we had to close the gaps and be well organised and I think we put down a marker today as we showed we have steel in the side.

'It's a collective effort. It has been a hallmark of this team and our defensive organisation is critical, especially when you face teams like Stoke. But the players were outstanding and they got their just rewards from the game.

'We knew we needed to be tactically good and well organised defensively, and the first 20 minutes we were sensational. We've created a winning mentality here but today - with and without the ball - we were fantastic.'

Rodgers also praised goalscorer Danny Graham:

'He's been fantastic since he's come here,'

'Without the ball he was a great presence for us today and he linked the play well.

'It was a wonderful finish and he showed great technique and composure.'

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