It wasn’t a bad game, but the Swans should have wrapped this up in the first half. The positive was Ronald, the negatives is sadly Jerry Yates who again missed an absolute sitter in the first half. He wasn’t totally to blame as the same happened in the second half for substitute Charlie a Patino. The other concern has to be the low turn out from the home fans. With lots of empty seats if there were 14,500 there I would be surprised.
The Swans started with more positivity but the usual story introduced itself to the game over the first forty five minutes. Ronald on his home debut was invading space on the right flank and was making opportunities for several decent goal chances. None were taken. Jerry Yates failing to convert a tap in, and then Jamie Paterson blasting over after good work from Josh Tymon. On the balance of opportunities made the Swans were streets ahead. They really could have been four up with more anticipation and intelligence on the ball. The home side seemed to want to play in tight spaces when more viable opportunities were available.
Of course the inevitable happened when a good set piece was finely placed in to the net by Morgan Whittaker. A blatant foul on Ollie Cooper in the area wasn’t seen by referee Sam Allison and the poor luck continued. When a player wraps his arms around an attacking opponent in the area, it’s a penalty. Yates was brave in a high challenge with Plymouth keeper Conor Hazard but was ruled offside by the linesman who all of a sudden was seeing things more clearly. Overall it was frustrating as ever, the Swans were the best side, but we’ve seen that many times this season, it’s just the application and concentration which again was an issue.
Going in to the second half there has to be more clinical finishing, and far more effort.
Plymouth relied on several mistakes by Ben Cabango and Matt Grimes to counter attack the home sides defence, the play less rapid by the Swans. Ronald was less effective but the space he wanted the ball played in to wasn’t recognised. Placheta made his Swans debut as did Charlie Sagoe Jr. Charlie Patino also came on. Liam Cullen had a tremendous effort which struck the bar as the visitors defended well. The luck was with them, the fouls, and the shirt pulling continued unchecked. Grimes continually passing backwards in injury time when he should be going forwards allowed Plymouth to regroup. With a minute to go Grimes delivered a free kick, it found Patino but again an absolute sitter was missed.
That was the story of the game, the Swans could have won this easily, their total lack of awareness when presented with clear cut opportunities. The Plymouth keeper threw himself around his goal bravely, he was stopping everything that was thrown at him. Saigon Jr had a wonderful effort saved but it was spilled, no Swans player could take advantage. The whistle blew on ninety six minutes, every Swans player deflated, the scoreline was obvious since Whittaker scored. The lack of class up front was noticeable. You can’t fault the Swans effort, but those chances missed as a result of that effort were at times shocking. This was a must win game for the Swans, and this evening Luke Williams must be wondering why he didn’t get the points. This was Argyle’s first away win of the season, where better to get it ? Williams still looks for his first league win as Swansea manager and the Swans have a week to prepare for an away game at Hull City.
It really doesn’t look hopeful.
⚽️ Swansea City: Carl Rushworth, 6, Kyle Naughton, 4 , Nathan Wood-Gordon, 6 , Ben Cabango , 5 Josh Tymon, 7 , Jay Fulton 4 (Przemyslaw Płacheta 57'),5 8 Matt Grimes,5, Ronald 7 (Charles Sagoe Junior 77'), 5, Oliver Cooper 6 (Charlie Patino 77'), 5, Jamie Paterson, 7 Jerry Yates 4, (Liam Cullen 68') 6
Subs: 1 Andrew Fisher, 33 Bashir Humphreys, 18 Charlie Patino, 17 Przemyslaw Płacheta, 50 Filip Lissah, 7 Joe Allen, 19 Mykola Kukharevych, 20 Liam Cullen, 24 Charles Sagoe Junior
⚽️ Plymouth Argyle: 21 Conor Hazard , 26 Ashley Phillips, 17 Lewis Gibson, 22 Brendon Galloway, 2 Bali Mumba (Matthew Sorinola 86'), 18 Darko Gyabi , 27 Adam Forshaw, 14 Mikel Miller (Lino Sousa 86'), 10 Morgan Whittaker (Julio Pleguezuelo 90'+5), 16 Alfie Devine (Adam Randell 75'), 9 Ryan Hardie (Ben Waine 75')
Subs: 25 Callum Burton, 3 Lino Sousa, 5 Julio Pleguezuelo, 20 Adam Randell, 29 Matthew Sorinola, 34 Caleb Roberts, 35 Frederick Issaka, 11 Callum Wright, 23 Ben Waine
Referee: Sam Allison
Swansea.com Stadium
Attendance: 16,965
Half-time: Swansea City 0-1 Plymouth Argyle
Full-time: Swansea City 0-1 Plymouth Argyle
Referee : 🟥🟨 Sam Allison : 6/10. Took,too long to see the continual fouls committed by Argyle. Missed a penalty for the Swans in the first half.