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Page last updated at 11:01 GMT, Friday, 12 February 2010

Swansea City eyeing club record for clean sheets

CHAMPIONSHIP - SWANSEA CITY v NEWCASTLE UNITED
Venue: Liberty Stadium Date: Saturday, 13 February Kick-off: 1300 GMT
Coverage: Full commentary on BBC Radio Wales (SW FM), live text commentary online and score updates on BBC Sport website.


Dorus de Vries
Dorus de Vries has conceded just three goals in the last 10 league games

Goalkeeper Dorus de Vries wants to break the record for Swansea City clean sheets as the Championship side continue their push for promotion.

Ahead of the crunch home clash with Newcastle United on Saturday the Swans had notched up 17 shut-outs.

Now de Vries has his eye on beating Roger Freestone's record of 22 clean sheets in the 1999-2000 season.

"It's a big number but there are many games left and hopefully many clean sheets to go," said de Vries.

"As a team you want to break records every season.

"If you get a target it's always nice to build forward to it. It's a great thing for a team.

"[It shows that] Swansea City is hard to beat, it's hard to score against [us]."

Swansea City are determined to make up for their 3-0 reversal at St James' Park in November.

Since that 28 November defeat the Swans have only lost once in the league, racking up five wins and five draws.

And de Vries is hoping the Welsh club can capitalise on Newcastle's 3-0 defeat to Derby County on Tuesday night, which saw them lose top spot in the Championship.

"All the players straight after Tuesday's game were looking forward to [the Newcastle game]," he said.

"It's a big game. Newcastle lost to Derby 3-0, which was a heavy defeat for them, and we had a great result at Crystal Palace.

"We could have done much better as a team [at Newcastle]. We conceded real early and were two or three goals behind after 25 minutes.

"It's different now. We are playing home. We have progressed a lot as a team and we have come back from a great result at Crystal Palace which is a confidence booster.

"You always take these things in mind and say: 'we have something to settle with them' [after the St James' Park result]. That's why we are looking forward to Saturday."

606: DEBATE

Added de Vries: "Let's keep them [the clean sheets] coming. As a team we are confident. We can play our passing style but we can also do the other side which is great defending by the guys in front of me.

"We are a strong as a unit and we are still growing together. It's a big part of Swansea City: the unity we have [as a squad].

"Hopefully we can rely on that on Saturday and build on that because Newcastle United are still favourites to be champions in this league.

"They are really experienced by we but we are playing at home and that's nice for us."



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see also
Swansea 1-1 Newcastle
13 Feb 10 |  Championship
Sousa ready for Newcastle challenge
12 Feb 10 |  Swansea
Crystal Palace 0-1 Swansea
09 Feb 10 |  Championship
Sousa hails 17th Swans clean sheet
09 Feb 10 |  Swansea
Derby 3-0 Newcastle
09 Feb 10 |  Championship
Sousa hails keeper De Vries
03 Oct 09 |  Swansea
Newcastle 3-0 Swansea
30 Nov 09 |  Championship
Centurion de Vries loving Swansea
23 Oct 09 |  Swansea
BBC Sport Wales coverage
03 Oct 11 |  Wales


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