Swansea City sign off in style with final day win over Liverpool (From Western Telegraph)

Swansea City sign off in style with final day win over Liverpool

9:25pm Sunday 13th May 2012 in Pembrokeshire sports news

Swansea City 1 Liverpool 0.

It was Elvis day at the Liberty Stadium and Danny Graham's winner left the bumper crowd all shook up.

Swans boss Brendan Rodgers had urged the club's fans to dress like 'The King' to highlight the stupidity of bookmakers who had placed shorter odds on Elvis being alive than Swansea City staying in the Premier League.

Elvis was certainly in the building as thousands of Swansea fans took up the chance to revel in Rodgers' men not only surviving but flourishing in the top tier.

The home side were on top for long periods of the first-half and almost took the lead on 10 minutes when Joe Allen robbed Jonjo Shelvey and fired across goal. Danny Graham was inches from sliding the ball home at the far post.

Swansea pressed forward and were only denied by a string of good saves from Alexander Doni, deputising for Pepe Reina.

Doni dived smartly to his right to turn a Gylfi Sigurdsson free-kick around the post and saved again with his legs when Swans winger Nathan Dyer was worked into a good position inside the box.

Doni's opposite number, Michel Vorm, was a virtual spectator and only had a tame Shelvey effort to deal with as the visitors lacked any penetration.

With half-time approaching tempers suddenly flared as Andy Carroll and Ashley Williams grappled.

Carroll, furious with Williams for kicking out at him as he shielded the ball, leapt up and grabbed the Swansea skipper near the throat.

The pair went nose to nose before they were separated with Swansea fans calling for the £35m Liverpool striker to be shown a red card.

But referee Mark Halsey issued both players a yellow and the teams went into half-time locked at 0-0.

Dyer should have opened the scoring on 55 minutes after good work down the right by Angel Rangel gifted the winger time and space just 12 yards out.

But Dyer seemed to take an age getting his shot away and Liverpool cleared their lines.

That let-off sparked Kenny Dalglish's men into action and Carroll went close with a spectacular effort.

The big frontman chested a bouncing ball into the air and launched himself into a over-head kick which was kept out brilliantly by Vorm, diving full-length to his right to palm the ball away.

The arrival of Craig Bellamy on the hour mark provided the Liberty crowd with a pantomime villain but his introduction, for the ineffective Stewart Downing, came at a time when Liverpool looked the far more likely to grab the opening goal.

Danny Agger headed straight at Vorm from a corner and Carroll wasted a golden chance when he snatched at a first-time effort with his weaker right foot and could only fire straight at Vorm.

And the Anfield side were made to rue that miss when Graham grabbed the winner on 86 minutes.

Rangel again raided down the right and picked out the Swans striker with a measured pass into the box. Whereas Carroll had snatched at his effort Graham struck a sweet first-time shot which flew past Doni and sent the Liberty crowd wild.