It was one of the most one sided games you could ever see, and even then Gillingham came good with a goal right at the end before the Swans scored number three. It was painful at times, the negativity almost infuriating when so many chances and opportunities were made. The desire to pass backwards time and time again when a bit of courage would have worked was so annoying. But a win is a win and the Swans go through.
The Swans started the game with six players from Saturday on the bench. Josh Key, Harry Darling, Eom, Josh Tymon, Gonçalo Franco and Liam Cullen were all relegated to the dugout. Unseen players for many months, Kristian Pedersen and Nathan Tjoe-A-On started as did Ollie Cooper with Zan Vipotnik making his home debut.
The game started with total ball domination by Swansea and it took four minutes to force an opening but Cooper’s finish was too soft. Pinball followed resulting in Ronald putting in a cross which Vipotnik really should have scored from. On seven minutes Cabango was fouled but the referee didn’t seem to see it, the ball spun to Jay Fulton whose long range shot was well saved.
Gillingham seemed to be happy to defend with all their players behind the ball. With nine minutes gone the visitors had hardly crossed the halfway line, Ronald had a decent chance to put a cross in, he did, but he only found the keeper. It wasn’t a big crowd by any stretch of the imagination but for a fixture of this nature it was respectable.
The main issue again up until the thirteenth minute was final passes as per Saturday. It needed someone to take the game by the scruff of the neck. Ronald who was impressing was that man, his pace ensuring he broke into the opponents area, but again his shot was saved. There had been at least two good chances for the Swans to open up the scoring. A similar pattern was forming. Not least the slow passing and lack of penetration. On fifteen Abdulai crossed but it was a poor effort.
The passing continued, the domination too, and the pattern of play was as expected. Those crucial passes either going out of play or not finding their man. On eighteen Pedersen was booked for a ridiculous foul when it wasn’t needed. This led to the Gills first set piece of the game. The ball floated out. A corner was earned for the Swans on twenty minutes. It was quickly taken, the second corner with no cross into the box. Vipotnik anyone ? The issue was, the Swans seemed reluctant to do anything more than pass the ball around amongst themselves with little change to the routine. Vipotnik had another chance, he completely miss hit his effort. Then Ronald took it upon himself again to make a difference. Cutting in from the Swans right he took on his player and curled a wonderful effort in to the Gillingham net.
The Swans were ahead on twenty four minutes.
The calm passing continued. Despite the away sides resilience they were leaving more spaces in midfield. The Gills second opportunity to put pressure on the Swans came on twenty eight minutes. A long throw though came to nothing. On thirty eight after several Swansea moves breaking down the Gills had their first shot on goal from Clarke. It was a warning for the Swans defence who seemed very lackadaisical in possession. More Swans moves broke down with Abdulai not willing to take on players but favouring a one two to utilise his pace. Nothing came from these passing moves, and the crossing was poor.
A run by Ronald on goal saw him brought down by Ehmer for a free kick in Matt Grimes territory. He chose to pass to Cabango who blasted his shot well wide. A minute of extra time was signalled, and really the Swans should have been three up. Another free kick saw Fulton inches away from making contact.
Referee Rock brought the half to an end with the Swans ahead, but with a lot of work to do.
The second half started with one sub on for Gillingham and none from the Swans. More errors from the Swans gave the visitors confidence but it wasn’t long before the slow defensive passing continued. Rose, the Gills sub was putting himself about and was clearly being told to start aggressively. Yes, it was dominating football but the Swans seemed very slow in thought with referee Rock favouring booking Swans players when at least one Gills central defender was warned three times for fouling his opponents.
On fifty one minutes we saw a shocking challenge by Euan Williams on Naughton, and it was disgraceful, that saw him appropriately given a red card. Gillingham were down to ten men, and that tackle showed no class from Williams. After that the likes of Abdulai slowed the game down as good as any Matt Grimes moment. He chose persistently to pass backwards when his role was clearly to attack and use what pace he has to threaten the defence of the Gills. That was frustrating, and as long as the game continued the Swans threat lessened. And that after fifteen minutes of a dreadful second half. The Swans displayed no threat despite their control of the ball. It was tedious and in fact boring.
That pattern continued.
On sixty five minutes the Swans brought on Tymon, Cullen and Key for Vipotnik (below) Tjoe-A-On and Naughton, and all we could hope for was an upturn in mindset by the home side. Key made an immediate impact crossing for Cullen on sixty nine minutes to tap the ball home for number two. Already a better class of player proving positive. The Swans seemed more eager to press after scoring with Ronald subbed for Eom and Ollie Cooper for Franco. Straight away we saw pace from Eom. He was put through for a golden chance but slipped and clattered into the Gills keeper. It was a wonderful through ball.
We were seeing the same type of errors, but with slightly more pace. Indecision taking over from confidence. Even Abdulai began to turn in a better performance with more familiar players around him, a hard and low cross on seventy six minutes bounced around the area but was cleared. Franco had a snap shot after more over passing which he didn’t connect with properly. We were into the last ten minutes. Key threatened again. Then a cross from Eom saw Abdulai make a complete hash of his effort. He wasn’t having a good game, his composure just wasn’t there.
On eighty one Tymon crossed but the ball went out for a corner.
Eom then danced his way through the away defence but his soft pass was deflected for a corner. Nothing came from that as the Swans favoured to keep possession from their corners. Then on eighty three a double save from the Gills keeper first from Eom and then Cullen. Tymon raiding down the Swans left was a vast improvement on what we had seen to date, bar Ronaldo. Now the Swans were pressing, chasing down almost lost causes. That’s what this game needed from the off and the Swans would have scored a hatful. Franco tough in the challenge and threatening the referee’s yellow card.
The Gills scored on eighty six minutes.
A cross from McKenzie saw Hawkins head home. The Swans defence was disorganised, Pedersen off the pace of the ball but Hawkins took his chance well. Was it a cross the Swans keeper should have come out for ? Slow and ponderous passing had nearly caught up with Swansea. The lack of urgency and desire to go backwards against a ten man League Two side had come back to haunt the Swans. Just as it usually does and most certainly not surprising. We saw six minutes given as extra time. Again Eom burst through into the Gills area, his cross saw nobody in a dangerous area, and the ball ran across the penalty box.
The away side threatened with a few minutes remaining. A long throw came in but Cabango was fouled. Panic evident. Right at the final whistle another tap in for the Swans after a move from Eom saw Abdulai slot the ball home. It was only really putting gloss on the game in what was an extremely frustrating night of football.
It’s hard to be negative when Swansea City win, but the overall performance was as frustrating as it was a relief to see Swansea go through. Against a League Two side with ten men for much of the second half there’s definitely some cause for concern. Failing to take chances and the negative football at times was disconcerting, some will be happy others not so happy. That’s what it’s like following the Swans.
⚽️ Swansea City: Vigouroux 5 Pedersen 5 Cabango 6 Naughton 6 (Key 67) 6 Tjoe-a-on 5 Tymon 67); 6 Fulton, 5 Grimes (c), 6 Cooper 5 (Franco 73); 5 Abdulai, 5 Vipotnik 5 (Cullen 67), 6 Ronald 7 (Eom 73) 6
Substitutes : Broome, Darling, D.Watts, Thomas
⚽️ Gillingham; Morris; Giles, Ehmer, Ogle, Clark (Hawkins 46); McKenzie; Clarke (Wakeling 78), E.Williams, J.Williams (Lapslie 60) Nolan (Rowe 46); Gbode (Whyllie 67)
Substitute: Turner
Att : 6,019
Referee David Rock 6/10. A lower score for not carding Gillingham players for persistent fouling. Called it right when Williams was sent off for a shocking challenge on Naughton.