Swansea City again failed to secure the points in front a very low crowd at the Swansea.com this evening. With the fans unhappy with the fayre on offer and a month of some crazy moments the dissatisfaction was evident.
It was another evening of frustration for Swansea City, some of their own making and a lot as a result of some pretty atrocious refereeing from official, Dean Whitestone. His reluctance to penalise Rhys Norrington-Davies attempting to haul down Peart-Harris which would have resulted in a penalty and a second yellow card. Another first half incident saw a ball bounce up and against a Blades defender, hitting his arm but the official waved away any claims. This all after a dominant Swans performance in the first half which saw Bianchini out the Swans ahead after a corner was met by Ben Cabango. His header was saved but Bianchini headed the Swans ahead.
There were more than several good chances in the first half for the Swans, Cullen twice got shots away and the Swans looked nothing like the side we have seen over the first month of this year. The fact the run of the ball wasn’t going with the Swans, and of course some very dubious referee situations. We did see incidents of the ball being given away, Captain Grimes on two occasions but over the first forty five minutes, the Swans worked hard to get the ball back. The home side looked rejuvenated after the weekend and their collective effort should have seen more rewards.
The second half spun on the first five minutes of the game. The Blades brought on reinforcements and from the off they were all over the Swansea defence. Within two minutes Rhian Brewster swepped home a chance to the right of a Vigouroux who really should have stopped the effort. Then a few minutes later Harry Darling went in for a challenge on Brewster on the half way line. He was late, it was clumsy but at no point did Darling leave the ground and the tackle was a kick not a stamp. Astonishingly the home crowd were greeted with a red card for Darling in what very much looked like a yellow, he was distraught and the writing was on the wall from that moment.
There was little dispute that Josh Key brought down Tyrese Campbell in the area on sixty eight minutes. From the spot Burrows sent Vigouroux the wrong way in front of around five hundred visiting supporters. It wasn’t a lack of effort in this game by the Swans, it was a lack of execution from set pieces, crosses and corners which highlighted again the inadequacy in this Swansea side. Both halves of this game saw poorly thought out dead balls bar the corner which led to the early goal. However, despite the referee having a howler, the lack of presence in key areas and rash decision making lost this game.
The fans were visibly unhappy at the end, both with the officials and some with Luke Williams, his tenure creeping closer to what seems today as an inevitable end. This Saturday the Swans are at Norwich City and lose that and surely the board in SA1 will have some serious thinking to do. In many minds now that serious thinking should have already been done. Be that as it may, that decision will lay with Chairman, Andrew Coleman who it seems at this moment in time is doing everything at the club from arranging the cleaners roster to trying to make trips to Europe scouting players.
The club is most certainly having the worst of times, and that is most certainly down to the lack of staff off the pitch. Coupled with the inability to spend money or at least be serious about making real bids for players they want. Another week of telephone calls ahead.
⚽️ Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux 5 Josh Key 5 Ben Cabango 6 Harry Darling 6 Josh Tymon 6 Matt Grimes 6 (captain), Gonçalo Franco 8 Liam Cullen 5 (Kyle Naughton 59) 5 Ronald 6 Myles Peart-Harris 7 (Sam Parker 88), Florian Bianchini 7
Unused Substitutes: Jon McLaughlin, Jay Fulton, Joe Allen, Žan Vipotnik, Jisung Eom, Josh Ginnelly, Cyrus Christie.
⚽️ Sheffield United: Michael Cooper, Alfie Gilchrist (Femi Seriki 46), Rhian Brewster (Ben Brereton Diaz 71), Gustavo Hamer, Callum O'Hare (Billy Blacker 91), Harrison Burrows, Anel Ahmedhodzic, Jack Robinson (captain), Rhys Norrington-Davies (Sam McCallum 46), Andre Brooks (Tyrese Campbell 46), Sydie Peck.
Unused Substitutes: Adam Davies, Jamal Baptiste, Louie Marsh, Ryan One.
Referee: Dean Whitestone : Incompetent to the end, hear nothing, see nothing, say nothing. 1/10 ( for finding the car park)
Attendance: 13,373
494 away
⚽️ Luke Williams post match
⚽️ Watch the highlights.