Swansea 1 Cheltenham 2

Swansea City 1 Cheltenham Town 2

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The optimists will tell you that the last two times we have been beaten on opening day, 10 months later we celebrated promotion. The pessimists will tell you that the world is about to end and Kenny Jackett is the devil incarnate incapable of managing his way out of a parking space let alone League One. Be an optimist or a pessimist it doesn't matter the simple fact was today that we were beaten by a side that was better than us on a day. A side that to be honest looked as if they wanted it more and a side that was better organised at the back and was only ever really troubled by the presence of Bayo Akinfenwa.

The start of the football season is a date that we all look forward to. The trials and tribulations of last season are long forgotten and a clean slate is in front of us. A start at home against a side tipped for relegation is pretty much what you want and, as I said in my preview last night, it was difficult to see beyond anything other than a home win. That was, of course, until now.

With three new signings in the side and Andy Robinson also named despite his contract negotiations not being completed it was a predictable Swansea side that read the same as the first 45 minutes in the pre season friendly at Port Talbot in midweek

Big Willy

Amankwaah Izzy Monk Williams

Robbo KOL Pratley Butler

Rory Little Leon

Subs: Oakes, Stone Cold, Big Leon, Bayo, Macca

The writing was probably on the wall in the first half. We lacked a shape that was needed so desperately to make the formation work and we lacked any support for the wide men. As ever, when we play Robbo wide, his preference to come into the middle left us without a right hand outlet with Amankwaah not being the answer as a right back on this occasion. Is he a right back at all? Time will tell but I cannot imagine Alan Tate not starting there on Tuesday night. Up front Fallon and Knight were starved of any real decent service as the long ball from Williams was all too often too long for either of them rendering it more ineffective than usual.

In the centre of the park KOL and Pratley for me are players designed to play the same kind of game and therefore not suited to line up alongside each other whilst Butler looked as if there was something about him but was never given any support on the left flank by Williams.

Robbo stung a couple of shots at the keeper whilst Knight missed a couple of gilt edged chances before the half time whistle which came with the best chance having fallen to Butler who saw his curling shot rebound off the far post and off to safety. At the other end Cheltenham were showing little intent to attack on a regular basis bar the first ten minutes but there was moments of concern in our defence through our inability it seemed to communicate with each other.

A change was evidently needed at half time but as our five substitutes warmed up we knew it wasn't to happen. John Ward in the opposition dressing room though possibly sniffed that we were there for the taking but even he couldn't have dreamed for the start to the second half they had.

They were two goals clear before the clock ticked past the hour through some shocking defending, marking and decision making. Take nothing away from the two finishes which were clinical but both were handed to them on a plate. Odejayi capitalised on a defensive mistake by Williams to fire Cheltenham into the lead and just six minutes later McCann outpaced Amankwaah (not that difficult in this particular race) to lift the ball over Willy to make it two nil. Any gameplan we had for the second half was already out of the window as the home crowd contemplated a defeat at home.

Jackett's response was instant. Bayo, Britton and Macca replaced KOL, Butler and Fallon with Robbo moving into the middle with Macca and Britton taking the wings. Bayo gave Knight some restbite considering we had resorted to long balls aimed vaguely at his head - somewhat farcical given the size of the man.

Two could have become three as Cheltenham pushed for what they felt would be the killer whilst we saw Bayo threaten with his physical strength which caused Cheltenham problems from the moment he came on. However, we still never looked like scoring until Macca ran down what looked for all money as if it may have been a dead end alley. However, one look up and one perfect cross later and Leon Knight had pulled a goal back for the home side giving us some hope with 13 minutes left.

That usually sees us press the urgency button and to be honest for that period we did look like we may grab an undeserved equaliser but really it was too little too late. Bayo and Knight combined well on more than one occasion to threaten the Cheltenham goal but good defending blocked us out whilst a couple of appeals for handball fell on deaf ears. The three minutes of stoppage time was not to be enough to let us back into the game and the season started with a Swansea Nil Points game - not what the Doctor ordered.

The simple fact is today we got what we deserved from the game. Cheltenham came and did a job on us well aided by our own shortcomings on the day. Is this a sign of things to come? Ask me again next Saturday but it is clear there is still plenty to work on on the training ground.

Must do better. Much better.

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