Trundle Double Serves First Swans Win
Swansea City 2 Doncaster Rovers 0 |
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I guess when you are already three games into a season without a win then it becomes the result that is ultimately more important than the performance. Probably moreso when you have targeted promotion as the aim of the season. And that was certainly the case this afternoon at the Liberty Stadium as the Swans ran out victors despite never looking overly convincing against another of the pre-season favourites to challenge for a place in the Championship. But cometh the hour and cometh the man as Lee Trundle grabbed a brace of goals to send Dave Penney and his side home pointless but only after Kenny Jackett had been forced into changes from his starting line up. New signing Dennis Lawrence was thrown straight in to the deep end following his midweek arrival from Wrexham meaning a move to left back for Kevin Austin and a drop to the bench for Tom Williams. Preferring to run 4-4-2 after last week's 5-3-2 Kris O'Leary was also benched meaning a start for both Macca and Butler with Trundle preferred along side Fallon to Knight. Big Willy Amankwaah Izzy Lawrence Austin Butler Britton Pratley Macca LT10 Fallon Subs: Oakes, Bayo, Knight, Williams, KOL A heavy downpour of rain two hours before kick off ensured a wet playing surface at the Liberty Stadium for the game but in truth it was never going to worry Swansea who were more likely to be concerned by low flying seagulls such was their intention to keep the ball in the air as much as possible. Ironically when the ball did come down on the floor we looked closer to the side that played so well for the first four months of last season but the simple fact is we didn't keep it on the floor long enough. Yet again we were insistent on the long hoof for Rory Fallon and to be fair to the big Kiwi he does his best with this tactic but it doesn't do him any favours either. It is also more evident that playing that tactic to a forward line of Fallon and LT10 is just playing into the hands of the opposition. Indeed, from today's game it became more evident that we have four strikers who should probably only ever start in two combinations - Fallon and Knight or Bayo and LT10. The standard of the referee was set inside the first three minutes when he was completely oblivious to a deflection from an Amankwaah cross which should have seen him pointing to the corner but instead signalling a goal kick. It was the first in a series of absolutely baffling decisions where clearly the last touch doesn't really count! And of course the push in mid air is allegedly an acceptable move in football these days but then again we should be used to officials and their incompetence. It happens most weeks after all. To Doncaster fans who didn't make the game that wasn't sour grapes - he was equally as incompetent for both sides. Trust me. A goalless first half was as predictable as it was pretty boring as the two sides cancelled each other out and neither goalkeeper was forced into a meaningful save. Swansea potentially had the more possession but reference earlier comment about low flying seagulls for the reason for the goalless scoreline. Two weeks ago against Cheltenham a goalless first half soon changed with the visitors grabbing quick goals at the start of the second period. And Doncaster did start more lively in the second half but never again really threatened whilst the Swans continued to be their own worst enemy by basically being too narrow and all too often heading down dead alleys because of the lack of creativity of space. A change had to be made and as O'Leary replaced Butler it freed Leon Britton to do what he can do on the right hand side and we looked a little more dangerous. On the left the crowd were on the back of McLeod and a substitution was only a matter of time as a result. And it was a double substitution that saw Bayo replace Fallon and Williams replace McLeod which eventually gave the Swans the final impetus that they needed. With Bayo on the pitch we looked more dangerous (see earlier point about striker partnerships) and it was his flick header that set LT10 into the clear for the opening goal which he finished with some ease with his left foot. At this point it was reward for the Swans who had started to probe a little more and also served to make the first 70 minutes or so as irrelevant as we went from relegation fodder to potential European Champions with one quick sweep of a scouse left foot. One became two in stoppage time as Trundle again found himself in space and applied a copybook finish to double the Swans advantage. Victory had been longer coming then we would have hoped but I guess the main thing was that it came in the end. Let's not pretend that the whole performance has made us that much better then we were last Saturday or the Saturday before but what it will serve to do is give us the confidence that we can take going forward. It has been said many times in the past few years that winning breeds confidence and it certainly was a case today that the win was more important than anything else. Onwards...... Click Here To Share Your Views in "Your Reports" Click Here To Rate The Players Click Here For Match Pictures |