It’s very hard to sum up a game where your team puts in their worst display of the season and then they snatch a draw at the end of the evening. A lovely Matt Grimes corner finding Harry Darling on eighty nine minutes who then expertly headed in an equaliser. However, it covered up so many issues seen throughout this fixture.
To say the first half was shocking by the Swans would be an understatement. Misplaced passes, poor control, half hearted effort and no direction sums up the visitors efforts. Stoke caused more problems for the Swans defence and Carl Rushworth pulled off the best save in the first forty five. There really didn’t seem to be a game plan by the temporary Swans head coach Alan Sheehan. The pace was annoyingly slow, and the misplaced passes count was horrendous. Jay Fulton had an effort at goal which sailed over the Stoke bar. And Josh Key jumped on a defensive mix up and crossed to nobody when he had far more time.
It was very disheartening for the travelling Swansea fans, after Saturdays more dominant display this was simply not good enough. Matt Grimes was as guilty as anyone in the Swans side. He seemed ponderous and unsure with Charlie Patino outmuscled every time he got on the ball. You can normally look to Jamal Lowe in these situations but he too was noticeably absent after a few runs which took him in to Stoke players.
Stoke City will possibly feel unlucky that some of their efforts went unrewarded, however for the majority of the half they were no better than the Swans. Gooch and Laurent picked up yellow cards for the Potters and Ben Cabango for the Swans after a crazy challenge on Burger.
The second half started a bit more livelier, the Swans looking to expose the clear weakness on the Stoke left. Yannick Bolasie came on for Charlie Patino, an effort to get more attacking threat in to this Swansea side. The home side responding with weakly taken shots which didn’t bother Rushworth in the Swans goal. However, the Swans poor passing returned. There really had to be a change in effort for them to take anything from this game.
Stoke had a penalty shout denied by the referee on fifty eight minutes. There was nothing to get excited about. Swansea kept giving the ball away as Stoke failed to take advantage of what was on the hour mark the worst Swansea performance this season. Daniel Johnson had an effort tipped over the bar by Rushworth, and the disarray in the Swans defence was more than evident. From the corner the ball dipped on to the top of the net.
Stoke City were looking the best side as the half progressed, their urgency evident. Then a wonderful move involving Key saw Paterson’s shot hit Hoever on the line. The Swans called for a penalty. At last some energy was on the pitch. On sixty three minutes Liam Walsh came on for Jerry Yates. More positivity from the Swans saw Josh Tymon’s shot blocked and the game was at a tempo not seen until this point.
On sixty eight minutes Harry Darling hauled down Mmaee in the box after a good ‘play on’ was given in favour of the home side. That was a penalty - Johnson slotted the ball home. That was 1-0 to Stoke City. Once again with twenty minutes to go we can only call the Swans performance diabolical. Swansea’s defending became desperate, no tackle seized upon to relieve the pressure. It was quite simply directionless and to be honest embarrassing.
On seventy five minutes Liam Cullen and Ollie Cooper came on, that was four changes to no avail. The travelling Jacks were showing their frustrations at the level of their teams performance. And rightly so. Another chance for Stoke after a cross box header just fell out of reach. Everything now was taking far too long, a free kick from Liam Walsh deflected for a corner. From the set piece Harry Darling (above) got on the end of the ball and unlike recent times he bravely guided his effort into the Stoke goal. A little bit of effort at last is rewarded.
With the game entering six minutes of added time Stoke had a wonderful chance to retake the lead, but when your luck is out you find yourself repenting at your leisure. How the Swans took something from this game is mystifying. Alan Sheehan can point to four points from six away from home, but the performance tonight should cause Swans fans some concern.
⚽️ Full time stats below.
⚽️ Stoke City: Bonham; Tchamadeu (Lowe 90 ) McNally, Rose, Gooch; Pearson, Laurent (c), Burger (Thompson 81); Hoever, Mmaee, Johnson (Junho 72)
Subs: Simkin, Vidigal, Gayle, Wesley, Clark, Leris
⚽️ Swansea City: Rushworth 7 Key, 5 Cabango, 6 Darling, 7 Tymon; 5 Fulton,5 Grimes (c); 5 Paterson 5 (Cooper 76) 5 Patino 4 (Bolasie 46) 5 J.Lowe 6 (Cullen 76); 5Yates 5 (Walsh 66) 6
Subs: Fisher, Humphreys, Naughton, Parker, Congreve
ATT: 18,550
Approx 300 away.
Referee : David Webb 6/10 : Did ok, didn’t lose control.