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Swansea now feeling Moore safe after Luke's winner
LUKE MOORE says he is ready to shine for Swansea finally after ending his 11-month Premier League goal drought.
The former Aston Villa and West Brom striker has only been a bit-part player under Michael Laudrup, making just one start from 15 appearances this campaign.
But the 27-year-old hopes he can show manager Laudrup that he can cut it on a regular basis after his 86th-minute winner – his first league strike in 357 days.
Moore said: “That has been a long time coming.
“I just try to get in the box as much as possible when I get the opportunity to play. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that I have been frustrated this season. We are all professional players and, when you’re not playing, it can be a lonely place.
“Hopefully, I can kick on for the latter part of the season. I need to finish the season as best as I can.”
Moore was an unused substitute in Swansea’s 5-0 Capital One Cup win over Bradford at Wembley last Sunday. But the forward, who has one year remaining on his contract, took centre-stage when he broke the deadlock just 10 minutes after replacing Leon Britton.
It was disappointing for Luke and the other seven or eight who did not play a part at Wembley. But when players get any opportunities, they have to grab them. And Luke is a fine example.
He seized on sloppy Newcastle defending to beat Rob Elliot from close range as Davide Santon and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa failed to deal with a cross from Wayne Routledge.
The finish left Laudrup delighted with his unlikely hero, the manager saying: “It was disappointing for Luke and the other seven or eight who did not play a part at Wembley. But when players get any opportunities, they have to grab them. And Luke is a fine example.
“He came in, got 15 minutes, and scored a goal.”
Victory puts Swansea on to the magic safety number of 40 points, and club captain Garry Monk said: “Three points at this stage of the season with the run-in that we have got, it was important to try to get to that 40-point mark as quickly as possible.”
For the Magpies, their Europa League last-16 trip to Anzhi Makhachkala in Russia on Thursday awaits.
But manager Alan Pardew is expected to be without defender Fabricio Coloccini once again with his back injury.