By Gareth Vincent
South Wales Evening Post

Phil Brown believes Swansea City can follow his Hull City side all the way to the Premier League this season.

Brown saw his reshuffled Tigers line-up humbled by Roberto Martinez's second string in a Carling Cup cracker at the Liberty Stadium on Tuesday.

And the man who steered Hull to the top flight for the first time in their history back in May reckons Swansea could join them in the elite league at the first time of asking.

"They will acquit themselves well in the Championship, I have no doubt about that," Brown said.

"They have started the season well and, if they play with the kind of confidence they showed against us week in, week out, they will be a threat even to go up.

"They have a fantastic stadium and a fantastic set-up. It's built for the next level and I wish them all the best."

Brown, Sam Allardyce's long-time No. 2 at Bolton, saved Hull from Championship relegation after taking the reins halfway through 2006-07 and then won promotion against the odds via last season's play-offs.

"I think Swansea will certainly be a threat at home," he added.

"How they travel I don't know because I don't know the nature of the camp, but you can see that they are technically gifted and they are intelligent in their passing and their movement.

"Roberto has clearly got them playing with confidence and that stands them in good stead.

"The only thing I don't know is how they will cope come the end of the season when you need to be battle-hardened because, as I say, I don't know the camp."

Brown made 11 changes to the side which had started for Hull in the Premier League in midweek, though he sent on heavyweights Michael Turner and Marlon King in a bid to save the game.

Martinez retained only three players from Swansea's Championship win at Plymouth, and Brown's rotation took little away from the home side's success.

Swansea recovered from a soft Dean Windass opener to level through the outstanding Gorka Pintado, then triumphed in extra time thanks to Jordi Gomez's spot-kick.

"Without a shadow of a doubt the better team won," Brown conceded.

"Full credit to Swansea, they played some magnificent football and created a lot of good chances.

"We lost our shape and our discipline in the second half, while Swansea got hold of the ball and got hold of the game.

"The heroics of (goalkeeper) Matt Duke got us into extra time, but Swansea deservedly won it."