Wolves - Fan's Views
Wednesday, 11th Sep 2002 00:00

Swansea 2 Wolves 3 - The Fan's Views

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Match Report by Phil Sumbler

Why is it that when we get higher division opposition we always raise the game and look anything but strugglers in the third division. Remember West Ham and last season QPR, we looked the better side and yet again we managed to do it again tonight.

Wolves arrived at the Vetch riding high yet again in the First Division after numerous play off defeats in the past years. With Premiership experience in their ranks through the likes of Paul Ince, Denis Irwin and Nathan Blake (lovely 'warm' reception for him!) technically we should have been outclassed and maybe for the first five minutes there were several in the ground who thought that we may have been. Wolves started sharply and looked slick on the attack and with the defensive problems we have had of late we could easily have been two down inside this period when seemingly we hadn't woken up.

But we soon did and Nick Cusack was unlucky with a header which could have put us ahead and so the stage was set for an exciting first half that conjured up memories of great days past at the Vetch with the atmosphere loud for the crowd, which surprisingly was announced at only one short of 4800, when it seemed nearer 1000 more in the ground at least.

And the crowd had an early chance to air their voices when Swansea were awarded a free kick on the edge of the area for a shove on Cusack and Reid and Thomas lined up over the ball. Smart money was on Reid to take it with his left foot but he ran over the ball and Thomas hit it over the wall, onto the underside of the bar and in past the despairing Michael Oakes. A dead ball specialist as well as a proven striker is looking rolled into one in James Thomas and a few third division defences would do well to remember that as the season moves on!

But this is Swansea of the 2002/2003 vintage and soon we watched as the defensive frailties of late caused a Wolves equaliser as we failed, yet again, to clear a ball in the area and Nathan Blake glanced a header past Roger and the score was 1-1. Where was that T-Shirt Nathan?

We all know at the moment that we can score goals and the ever impressive Thomas was soon on hand to create a goal for Jamie Wood. Winning the ball from a defender in the Wolves area, Thomas was clipped and could easily have gone down to look for the penalty but he kept his nerve and squared for Wood to hit past Oakes and put the Swans back up as we smelt a cup upset yet again.

Wood could easily have added another to his tally but he shot tamely at Oakes when a fuller contact would have seen a certain goal but Swansea were playing well at this stage before gifting Wolves another equaliser. We've seen it before and at this rate we will see it many more times as we failed to clear a ball from the area and were punished again with a shot into the corner to make the half time score 2-2 in what was certainly entertaining and one that Sky TV would have been thanking the heavens that they chose to cover.

The second half was probably never going to live up to the expectations that the first half created and it didn't but it was entertaining to say the least. Both sides were prepared to pass the ball around well and look for opportunities and a couple of dubious offsides against Swansea will be debated by a few tonight over a beer or two. And on that point so will the James Thomas disallowed goal from the first half now I come to think of it!

Wolves however were looking the stronger team and their attacks seemed to create a little more danger than the Swansea ones and their winner was top drawer finishing from Alex Rae. Collecting a ball that was half cleared from the area he struck a volley with such sweetness that it hit the net and came straight back out after it but the goal was good and Wolves were ahead. If you are reading from abroad then it's worth subscribing to Swans World to see this one !!!! ;-)

Wolves should have wrapped it up two minutes later as Roger went walkabout and was beaten to the ball by the Wolves player who squared it only to watch in agony as his team mate screwed the ball wide of the empty goal but this was only a reprieve for the Swans as Wolves put 11 men behind the ball and held out for the win that they probably narrowly deserved.

My Swans man of the match would go to James Thomas for his first half endeavors and general all round play but special mention to Nick Cusack again for his play and also Kristian O'Leary who looked the only solid aspect of the defensive line.

To summarise this was a good Swans performance and performances like this will see us climb the table. However, we have to remember that this was a 'raise your game' occasion and we have to produce this against the likes of Exeter and Boston and not Wolves if we are to climb!

Thoroughly enjoyable but disappointing at the same time that we couldn't get a win.

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