It was a wet and grey day which greeted the teams at the Swansea.Com Stadium in west Wales. The Swans electing a few changes with Jamal Lowe and Liam Cullen starting up front and a more advanced Liam Walsh adding to the mix.

The first five minutes were tentative to say the least, the Swans looking for the outlet of Lowe on several occasions. It was slow paced which suited the Swans. Walsh’s start was interrupted on seven minutes when he went down off the ball, that promoted Charlie Patino to warm up. Walsh left the pitch as a precaution and as expected Patino replaced him.

The game continued in a similar fashion, no chances as such for both sides and on fourteen minutes the first sight of goal came from a throw in which Carl Rushworth easily gathered. For the next third of then and the game simply had to get more interesting. Grimes tried by giving the ball away, as did Paterson. However, the Swans broke on twenty one minutes and a Josh Tymon cross was met by Harry Darling, he headed down but it was saved comfortably by keeper Palmer.

Jay Fulton ( below ) was next but his shot spun wide of the Baggies goal.

The Swans were looking comfortable, their passing around at the back going pretty much unhindered, but the rain and wind persisted ensuring a sticky pitch, especially on the flanks. The penetration from the home side wasn’t there at all despite trying to work through the visitors defensive lines. When a cross was put in the Baggies keeper wasn’t challenged and the lack of willingness to do so was more than evident.

With Liam Cullen back in the side as a starter you would have thought he would have seen more game involvement up to the half hour point. Sadly that wasn’t the case but it was Harry Darling operating on the Swans right that worked himself a shooting opportunity. The Baggies only really finding themselves in a dangerous position when the Swans gave the ball away. Fulton this time the offender on thirty two minutes which was wasted by the visitors top goal scorer Asante. Minutes later Asante had a wonderful opportunity, but his low and hard shot was well saved by Rushworth. Having turned the Swans defence inside and out he should have done better.

The worm seemed to be turning, but again the unpredictability of Swansea City’s passing. Patino was the next to give the ball away. Another chance not taken by the Baggies and saved by Rushworth. Really the Swans needed to do the easy things much better. Cullen’s first real action came on thirty six minutes but he was flagged offside from a Grimes ‘forward’ pass. The Swans club captain far too ponderous before selecting his target.

For the final few minutes of the half the visitors pressed, pinball being played in the area, and a penalty shout waved away. Sensing the Swans vulnerability at the back - all of a sudden the Baggies looked dangerous. Aided by the Swans walking pace when on the ball the crowd began to reflect their sides lack of commitment and the positivity in the stands at the start quickly deteriorated.

Half time 0-0.

At last some effort from the Swans, and yes, it was very welcome.

The rain was now lashing down as the teams came out for the second half. There were no Swansea changes. This time last year give a day or so we saw Watford obliterated at the Swansea.Com, 4-0, what price on that today ? A lovely whipped in cross by Patino found Jamie Paterson early on, his volley striking a West Brom defender. Then it was the visitors turn as Bashir Humphreys cut out a probing cross. The defender didn’t know his opponent was offside, it was an immense challenge. There did seem to be a bit more effort from both sides.

Then a wonderful cross from Paterson from a set piece was headed goal-wards by Darling, but it was straight at the keeper. Anywhere else etc … The pitch was most certainly deteriorating as Josh Tymkn’s cross found Jamal Lowe, he will most certainly reflect back on that miss as a real opportunity. However, the Swans pressure was rewarded on fifty four minutes when Grimes lobbed the ball forwards as it was met by Darling, the ball bounced off a Baggies defender and Cullen was there to smash home. It was a deserved goal for the pressure the Swans had put on the West Brom goal since the restart.

The Swans were flying as Paterson drove forwards on the left, his ball in to Lowe again mismanaged by the striker, and the trouble for the Baggies was cleared. The weather was appalling yes, but the Swans seemed to be the better at dealing with it going forwards. Liam Cullen picked up a good cross field ball but his shot was deflected for a corner. His performance from the first half unrecognisable now. Jay Fulton failed to steer his header from the set piece at goal, but you were getting the feeling the Swans had to take these chances. For all his lack of control in front of goal, Lowe was a willing runner up front. His game clearly wasn’t to last the full ninety.

A West Bromwich Albion triple change came on sixty three minutes.

Those changes resulted in some forward momentum for the Baggies with shots coming in from the visitors. That earned them two corners in quick succession as Joe Allen and Jerry Yates waited patiently to come on. Asante for West Brom threw himself down in the penalty area which would have only earned him an audition at the Grand theatre. It was pathetic. The match was now open and end to end. Paterson came off for Yates as Fulton made way for Allen with eighteen left on the clock.

Yates first action saw him seated on the floor and the Swans earned themselves a breather.

A lovely forward pass saw the visitors defence in panic, but they cleared the danger after a succession of Swansea crosses. The Swans continued, Josh Tymon hit a wonderful shot which bounced down from the bar, and from that move the Swans earned a free kick. Grimes took it and a Darling header was straight at the Baggies keeper. Jamal Lowe, as expected left the pitch on eighty four minutes, replaced by Yannick Bolasie. His pace and strength the reason for the substitution.

Misplaced passes and tiredness was setting in as we approached the ninety. Carlos Corberan going ballistic on the touchline urging his side forwards. The visitors burst forwards as four minutes injury time was signalled. A cross beaten out for a corner. It was backs to the wall now. Cullen cleared but the Baggies pressed on. Bolasie picked up on a through ball but his pace wasn’t evident as he was crowded out. Tymon put the ball out for another Baggies corner in front of the east stand. It was competently handled by Rushworth. He was again to the rescue in the dying embers of the game as the whistle sounded for the end of the fixture. The Swans in the second half were magnificent as they take two weeks off before visiting Birmingham City. Next week it’s the FA Cup !

⚽️ Swansea City: Rushworth; 7 Darling, 7 Cabango, 6 Humphreys, 7 Tymon; 8 Fulton 6 (Allen 73), 5 Grimes (c); 6 Cullen, 7 Walsh (Patino 11), 6 Paterson 7 (Yates 73); 4 Lowe 6 (Bolasie 85) 6

Subs: Fisher, Parker, Pedersen, Wood, Naughton

⚽️ West Brom: Palmer; Furlong, Bartley (Ajayi 64), Kipre (Chalobah 64), Townsend; Yokuslu (Pieters 81), Mowatt; Fellows, Molumby (Pipa 75), Diangana (Reach 64); Thomas-Asante

Subs: Griffiths, Swift, Taylor, Higgins

Att 16,797
Away approx : 1,700

Referee : Andrew Davis : Ran the game well 7/10.

Photograph Huw Evans

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