A rejuvenated Swansea City consolidated their place in the play offs despite a complete change in the flow of the game in the second half at the swansea.com stadium. A loud and passionate crowd also ensured a blistering encounter on a warm west Glamorgan day.
It was Swansea City who started the brightest with clever inter passing ensuring early chances from set pieces, one cleared off the line, and a golden opportunity for Luke Cundle in front of goal, but he took a touch too many. Ryan Manning and Oli Cooper were dangerous and on ten minutes Cundle had a fierce shot parried out by Sunderland keeper Anthony Paterson. It looked far too easy with the swans dominance and Matt Grimes continuing on from Wednesday night with movement forwards.
As we stated a few days back both Harry Darling and Luke Cundle returned to the swans starting eleven. That’s here –> Swans Indie Match build up
The dominance had to pay off when a lovely ball from Manning found Grimes who squared for Cooper to score his first goal for Swansea City. A fully deserved lead for the home side. Sunderland looked ragged and the inevitable equaliser didn’t come as we have seen so many times after the swans take the lead. Goals are now coming from all over the pitch for Swansea, a huge difference to last season.
Coopers industry caused further issues when Neil was booked for pushing him down on the half way. Harry Darling starting for the first time in a while looked assured moving forwards and all of a sodden with four changes and a strong bench Swansea looked a far different proposition. Piroe turned too slowly to take advantage of a Latibeaudiere assist attempt and the story of the game continued. Sunderland had a lot of men back when the swans passed through the lines meaning they had little stability up front on the counter attack.
The swans continued to hunt in packs with nice one and two touch moves and again on twenty one minutes Piroe was inches away from another chance after a decent Latibeaudiere run. The confidence was oozing through the fans and the team but with a slender lead it was clear Sunderland were going to put more feet on players than required. Cory Evans brought down Cundle out of pure frustration making it two black cats bookings in five minutes.
The very fact Sunderland couldn’t even get a foot on the ball in the first half meant the swans had to probe constantly to eek out a chance. The black cats had everyone behind the ball, and at this point they were just trying to stay in the game. Mention has to be made of Jay Fulton, what he does off the ball goes often unnoticed. For a player who doesn’t sulk and who doesn’t effectively go on strike when the chips are down despite his very limited game time last season is a credit to him. The last third of the half saw a lull in the game but that was really down to Sunderland and their off the ball tactic of trying to stifle the game.
Sunderland’s first corner came on thirty five minutes but came to nothing but they did start to show some commitment going forwards at last. Then the second away corner came on thirty nine minutes. That was cleared by Ben Cabango who found Manning and Oli Cooper held off when he could have been in through on goal. The challenge from Sunderland’s Evans on Manning was ‘ industrious’ to say the least. Manning again was the brightest swans player, he was quite literally everywhere and Evans challenge was not only dangerous it had all the hallmarks of a player trying to put an opponent out of the game.
He got away with it and with a yellow already under his belt he was fortunate.
It looked like the swans were playing out the first half and Sunderland, despite no goal chances had definitely decided there needed to be two teams in this game. They stepped up their holding line in midfield and were aided by the swans taking their foot off the gas. Patrick Roberts looked the most dangerous for the away side. Jay Fulton looked to change matters as Embleton should have taken a third booking for the visitors. For some reason he got away with it.
The resulting free kick saw a lovely ball delivered in by Manning to be met by Cabango and the chaos his header caused fell to Harry Darling to stab home a second goal. He was delighted.
Thank you Darling, Swansea go two up
The second half took a slight change in tactics by Tony Mowbray with a higher front line. Joel Piroe continued to look off the pace and Sunderland’s continued pressure started to look like it could lay off. An early free kick saw that out on the Swansea right. Steven Benda met it firmly and the attack fizzled out. It wasn’t a surprise that Swansea’s complacency would cause issues at the back, with more attackers going forwards Sunderland’s rifled home a well taken goal to make it 2-1. It was a complete contrast to the first half. Sunderland became vicious in the tackle and Jay Fulton was the victim in a very poor Evans tackle. He actually got the yellow. What Jay did wrong will remain a mystery for a long time to come.
Michael Obafemi and Olivier Ntcham were needed and that came to fruition on fifty seven minutes. Obafemi on for Cundle and Ntcham on for Cooper. The swans were rattled and not in any way the side they were in the first half. Sunderland looked a completely different side in the first third of the half and looked very likely to score a second. The changes were needed. The game had gone from a stroll in the park for Swansea to a real struggle.
The black cats continued to press, their possession good in the right areas with Swansea playing the away side role. Spaces began to appear and the swans reliance on Cabango and Nathan Wood would become crucial. Sensing something from the game Roberts left the field and Jewisness Bennett came on for the visitors. Darling had to step up when Grimes gave away the ball to block a shot, and this really couldn’t go on. The passes that found players in the first half became sloppy now, and another corner on sixty five minutes resulted. There seemed to be only one scorer at this point.
Then Joel Piroe failed to latch on to a keeper error really adding to his off the pace afternoon to date. Remember that complacency we spoke about ? Sunderland’s domination continued but a period of hope for the swans started with a swans shot by Fulton excellently saved then an absolute sitter if a header fell to Piroe. It has to be said his heading ability isn’t good. He missed. Matt Sorinola replaced Nathan Wood in a surprise change and the last third of the half was with us.
Sorinola’s addition opened up the Swansea right and a lovely pass was inches away from a touch from Ntcham. The game had balanced itself out at last. Piroe now playing deeper was failing to see the obvious ball and caused the swans further problems in defence. He will most certainly have better games this year before January. Despite a bit more width Swansea still found it hard to find their men and eventually we saw Armstrong Oko-Flex on for Piroe. A Swansea corner on eighty seven minutes taken by Manning. Again Swansea we’re second to the ball and the danger was cleared.
We were again entering ‘Swansea City danger time’ and the Swansea.com crowd were biting finger nails and very aware of their sides previous misdemeanours in injury time. Six minutes were added by the fourth official. To an extent Swansea City surely have learned from these games against Stoke, Millwall and Sheffield United ? Manning found space on the Swansea left and really fluffed his lines when Obafemi was in open space with a clear opportunity to score. At this point we saw the swans managing the game, with only seconds to go it was good to see. Sunderland’s desperation was obvious as the referee entered in to proceedings offering the black cats one more chance. Swansea aided them by giving the ball away as the invisible man Jay Fulton who does so much blocked a shot on goal.
Today we saw a different Swansea City, hardly competitive in the second half but assured in the first. However, they were exhausted. What a week it has been for the swans, three wins on the bounce and four in a row. The first half was the catalyst for this win and it was deserved. We no longer see the swans chucking away games and now they have a week off. Then it’s Burnley. A real top six battle.
Swansea City: Benda; Wood (Sorinola 77), Darling, Cabango; Latibeaudiere, Fulton, Grimes (C), Manning; Cundle (Obafemi 58), O Cooper (Ntcham 58); Piroe (Oko-Flex 87).
Subs not used: Fisher, Naughton, Stevens.
Goals: O Cooper 13, Darling 45+1
Yellow cards: Fulton 54, Latibeaudiere 90+4
Sunderland: Patterson; Gooch, Batth, O’Nien, Alese, Evans (C), Neil (Matete 77), Embleton (Ba 77), Roberts (Bennette 63), Pritchard (Diallo 77), Clarke.
Subs not used: Bass, Cirkin, Wright.
Goal: Clarke 51
Yellow cards: Evans 23, Embleton 54, Clarke 90+6
Referee: Gavin Ward 6/10 : Loves a card