Swans 6 Bees 0
The Swans started with an experienced line-up contradicting news from the papers that Hollins would be lining up a very young squad again as at Oxford. Dropping Price, Roberts & Mumford who were the pick of the players at Oxford Hollins reinstated Fabiano, Romo & O'Leary pushing Jenkins back into his familiar role in the centre of midfield. Me & my sister were discussing our predictions for the result just before kick off. Her confident prediction was 6-0 to us but I was happy to settle for a win. Who says women know nothing about football!
The Swans took the lead with their opening attack. A wicked cross from a corner by Romo was headed goalwards by Verschave despite rigorous man marking from the Bee's defence. Fabiano and Verschave's pure speed was troubling Brentford's tall but slow defence and counter attack after counter attack by them created some excellent chances for themselves and for Coates but they where unable to extend their lead despite going close 3 times. That was until another corner resulting from an attack by Fabiano won the Swans a corner on 11 minutes. From the corner a downward header from Cusack was stopped on the line by a defender only for Kris O'Leary to react quickest and knock the ball into the net. 2-0 up after 15 minutes and the smallest crowd at the Vetch for 7 years were in shell shock after the 22 home matches previous had been very bitter. The Swans sat back for a while but continued to press on the counter attack with Savarese and Verschave scorning decent opportunities from distance. The Swans were dealt a reminder that the match was not over though just before half-time when Owusu turned just outside the box and tried to lob Freestone but the ball hit the top of the bar and went over. Halftime drew the inevitable wonder how many goals Brentford going to score after a Hollins half-time team talk would send them to sleep again! How surprised we were when the Swans further extended their lead 3 minutes into the 2nd half. Again from a corner flicked to the far post for Cusack to glance the ball past the full back on the line. Brentford nearly got one back almost immediately however when another 30 yd hit the stanchion of the goals leaving Owusu an open goal but a despairing tackle from Coates forced the ball out for a corner. From then on it was 100% Swansea with quality ball and a beleaguered opposition the Swans should have beaten their club league record 8-1 against Hartlepool with more opportunities missed but I'm just being picky now ;-) The crowd wanted more and they got it! The Swans scored a cracker for their fourth goal from another counter attack, Romo carried the ball 40 yds at pace before whipping a ball across for Savarese who dummied leaving the ball for Coates to strike a finger number from 15 yds nearly breaking the net! The fifth was nearly on-par for quality finishing when a cross from the left was glanced from a tight angle by Verschave, to be fair though a defender should have been covering the post to have stopped it but I'm not complaining! The party had begun and the crowd started their repertoire of getting the players and management to "Give Us a Wave", this continued to the referee, the linesman and even the small band of Brentford travelling support! The Swans scored the sixth and final goal when another Corner was power headed by Chris Todd for his first professional senior goal. At the final whistle the team got the standing ovation they truly deserved to the tune "What a Beautiful Day" by the Levellers how long we have waited to hear it when last year it was close friend! The best game played by the Swans in my 17 years of supporting the side, total quality "Sexy football" as Rudd Gullit used to say in complete contrast to what came from the matches previous. I'm still Anti-Hollins and 9th Floor but let's just enjoy this day. Down but with our Heads held High! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||