Review Of The Season - Part III

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As the Swans entered February, the league table was looking good and it got better despite being held to a draw by Southend - they didn't lose ground was the main thing and the game in hand was still there. That game in hand though disappeared four days later as Garry Monk was red carded for the third time in the season as the Swans went down 1-0 to Mansfield at the start of what was going to be their worse run of the season.

Leyton Orient beat them 3-1 at Brisbane Road before a 0-0 home draw against Grimsby did little to ease the frustrations that were starting to show. And those frustrations got worse as it became three away defeats on the bounce against Darlington as the lead disappeared. By the time Scunthorpe arrived on the last Saturday of the month, what should have been a 'don't lose' game had become a 'must win' game. And thankfully for us the Swans obliged with 2-1 victory to end the month in fourth place, level on points with both Macclesfield and Scunthorpe above them.

February's Match Reports (Click The Graphic For The Full Report)

March started as badly as most of February had been for the Swans though as they were beaten by Notts County before scraping through to the final of the FAW Premier Cup thanks to a penalties win over TNS. A 2-2 home draw against Rochdale and an away draw against Northampton saw most of the predictions saying the play offs at best and another season in League Two as a result of them.

But much as it did back in August it took a perfect Bank Holiday win to get things back on track. Macclesfield were beaten at the Vetch with some comfort as Kenny Jackett changed to a 4-3-3 formation with superb dividends and on Easter Monday, the Swans finished the month by winning away at Cheltenham - a result that saw them remain as they had done a month earlier in 4th place but level with Scunthorpe in third. It was going to be a nail biting end.

March's Match Reports (Click The Graphic For The Full Report)

With just six games left it promised to go down to the wire but the Swans got April off to a great start with a 3-0 win at the Vetch against doomed Cambridge United. But it was different emotions the following week as a last minute own goal from Garry Monk cost the Swans a precious point against promotion Rivals Lincoln.

There were just four left now, and Kris O'Leary was the unlikely hero the following week as he scored the only goal to defeat Oxford under the Vetch floodlights. But the anger returned the following week as the Swans capitulated at Bristol Rovers - with Andy Robinson playing his last part in the league with a red card.

The last weekend in April had long been billed as the final at the Vetch but with the FAW Final and a potential play off it was always hard to bill it as that. The most important thing to us that day was three points and we got them courtesy of an Adrian Forbes goal which sent us into the last weekend of the season in fourth place but knowing that all of the last three promotion places were up for grabs.

April's Match Reports (Click The Graphic For The Full Report)

An army of 5,000 travelling Jacks invaded Bury for the last day and were given the dream start when Forbes again was on target to put the Swans ahead inside 30 seconds. A mini pitch invasion then, and another at the end sandwiched a nervous game for the Swans but as the final whistle blew, the result from Southend's game at Grimsby had finally been confirmed and the Swans were back in League One. Scenes of happiness at the pitch were spoiled by the arrest of Willy Gueret but there was no denying the fact that the Swans had achieved their season goal.

And so it was back to the Vetch for the real last game, a 2-1 victory over Wrexham that added the FAW Premier Cup to the party and joyous scenes ended the Vetch as the place was ripped apart in the hunt for souvenirs.

The season had ended and as the final preparations were made for the move to the new stadium, it was the likes of Nottingham Forest and Swindon who would partake in it rather than Barnet and Rushden and Kenny Jackett and his players could set off for the summer and reflect on the season that was the very last at the Vetch Field.

April's Match Reports (Click The Graphic For The Full Report)

Photo: Action Images

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