The Swans could have come away from this game with a point but two errors gave Stoke City the win today. And when there was opportunity to decrease the lead for half an hour in the second half the choices made were beyond poor. Adam Idah not acknowledging a decent travelling Swansea support didn’t go down well either at the end. Some would say the involvement of Josh Key and Cameron Burgess in this game was an error by Swansea head coach, Vitor Matos. Key especially.

Both sides had opportunities in the first ten minutes of this game, the Swans first when Zān Vipotnik should have hit the ball first time and another from a corner. Both efforts were good chances to score. Stoke responded with an opportunity of their own through Manhoef. He also should have ensured his shot was at least on target. On eleven minutes a well struck shot at the Stoke goal by Josh Tymon just went wide of the Stoke keepers left hand post.

Vipotnik sliding in, he was just short of making contact.

The game was more in the Swans favour at this point but Stoke were making strides forcing corners at the Swansea end as well. Vigouroux in the Swansea goal spectacularly clearing a corner. Cullen was booked for a foul which put the Swans under pressure on seventeen minutes. He didn’t seem to touch his opponent and was somewhat annoyed that the referee seemed to have been conned. It was on the Swans right that space was being exposed. On twenty minutes a Swans free kick went backwards but the move ended up with Vipotnik who was clear in on goal. His shot was blocked by Stoke keeper Viktor Johansson when really the Slovenian should have scored. Chances being given up was now a concern.

The Swans were working harder than Stoke but a long ball from Galbraith to Eom summed up their prowess in front of goal, he wasn’t sharp as he blasted over. If someone had said Franco was playing at this point nobody would have believed you, he was totally anonymous. The Swans midfield needed more of a cutting edge edge. Nasty fouls were now being committed by Stoke but unlike Cullen there was no authority stamped on the game by way of a card. Sorba Thomas broke that duck with a nasty challenge on Ronald.

Another great opportunity for the Swans came on twenty seven minutes. A header from Cameron Burgess was parried by Johansen, the chance fell to Cullen who shot but it was immediately blocked. Another chance goes begging. The referee was now taking centre stage blowing up every twenty seconds or so and seemed to be influenced by the small but noisy Stoke support. Again the Swans right was exposed on thirty two minutes a lovely cross in for BoZenik who just couldn’t guide the ball home. This game was now end to end with both sides fancying the opening goal. It was 0-0 but it wasn’t boring.

The referee was still being influenced by the home crowd who as always at Stoke became victims even when it was obvious they were in the wrong. Very coastal. As we approached half time the Swans had clocked up eight shots at goal. Stats which are welcoming and most certainly signified the Matos effect on the squad. However, it was Ben Pearson who opened the scoring in this game. The Swans gave away possession on their left, Burgess again I’m afraid, the ball was worked sideways to Pearson after a poor challenge from Franco and Pearson struck a sweet shot from distance that flew into Vigouroux’s net. To be honest Pearson was lucky to be on the pitch after three fouls, his last two were yellows for sure.

The whistle went from what was turning into another incompetent refereeing performance and the Swans really do need to step up for the second half. Referee Ruebyn Ricardo needs to stop being influenced. Very poor.

The second half borough about no changes for either side but a more attack minded Stoke kicked off the next forty five. Immediatly a good cross into the Swans area was headed over when it was easier to score. Eom was easily shaken off the ball which prompted another chance for the home side. The Swans were under the cosh. The midfield influence of Franco was totally lacking every time he got possession and as we have seen from Matos already this season it surely wouldn’t be long before there had to be changes. It took five minutes for the Swans to get into the Stoke half but every Swansea challenge was being flagged as a foul. The other factor was the Swans just couldn’t keep control of the ball. Stoke had four men pressing on the Swans defence where the counter press that Matos calls for in every game was missing. Stamenic was booked on fifty three minutes for a foul.

Fouls continued, or at least in the perception of the referee. One on Galbraith which was awarded to Swansea saw him apparently booked. Odd. (later attributed to Franco) Nothing the Swans were doing was working. Every Swansea challenge was met with disapproval by the home support. It was a typical Stoke response for home games. Eom wasn’t having a good game at all and surely now we would see a change or two ? Both he and Franco were not contributing at any level. We then saw Stamenic off for Josh Key and Ronald off for Zeidane Inoussa. The Swans were not pressing at all and were contributing to Stoke having the better of the play. On fifty nine minutes space was found on the Swans right a completely unmarked Sorba Thomas recieved the ball, Key was well out of position allowing him to slot the ball home easily. Really Josh Key wasn’t the solution as he proved within a minute of coming on.

What summed up this game for the Swans was an inch perfect ball from Vigouroux to Inoussa putting him clear in on goal saw the Swede lose control and another chance went begging. That’s two in two games he has done that. A free kick from Eom saw the Stoke keeper take the ball at chest height. No challenge and no effort from the Swans to pressure him or even make an effort to do so. Stoke were now looking for goal number three. Deflections were falling to them, miscontrolled balls were falling to them and this looked like a game the Swans couldn't rescue. A wonderful shot from Inoussa was parried on sixty five minutes, it fell to a Stoke player with Cullen not aware enough to get on the ball. Immediately after that Vigouroux was sprawling across the grass to make a save from a low shot.

We had twenty three minutes to play.

A corner for the Swans on their left led to a Stoke corner within ten seconds of it falling to Welsh International, Sorba Thomas. Luckily Tymon (below) intercepted the ball as it crossed the Swans area with a Stoke player waiting for the tap in. The resultant corner was headed across the Swans area by Phillips. Then Cullen was off for Melker Widell and Eom for Malick Yalcouyé. Really these subs should have been made ten minutes beforehand. We now had nineteen minutes to go. Two midfielders in Widell and Yalcouyé who possibly should have started the game. However, retaining the ball was proving difficult even when it was presented to the Swans on a plate.

This game was summed up when a deflection off a Swans player rolled forty yards for a Stoke corner. We’ve spoken before about a lack of luck for the Swans in every game this season and so it continued. There didn’t seem to be any plan to this Swansea performance, and we couldn’t see what the intention was by Matos in this second half. It was a poor performance all round, in fact at times it was as bad as any idea Alan Sheehan had of playing football.

We had fourteen minutes to go.

That seemed to wake up the Swans, a wonderful through pass from Galbraith was met by Widell who couldn’t have put the ball on Vipotnik’s (below) foot any better to blast home a first goal for the Swans in this game. It came out of nothing. Two minutes later Vipotnik worked himself some space but blasted wide. Key again gave the ball away which Stoke seized upon but couldn’t take advantage. On eighty one minutes we saw a sixth corner of the game for Swansea City, out on their right. Adam Idah was coming on for Franco. Stoke were now driving Swansea back. Idah had a chance out on the right to cross but it really was poor. Then the game slowed down. A Stoke throw taking forty eight seconds. The offending player booked. Swansea really do have to find a way of dealing with these lost minutes in a game.

The contribution of Key was now actually affecting the Swans. Losing the ball which meant more build up play breaking down and crossing into the crowd when in plenty of space. He really shouldn’t have been on the field for this game. A well timed cross by Inoussa beat the keeper presenting Idah with a wonderful chance to score. He only had to take one step for a tap in. He didn’t. Again the lack of effort even three yards out very noticeable. Then a shot was blazed over by Burgess. We had five of the added seven minutes gone, but two of those were for an injury to Tymon. The Swans seemed out on their feet especially when good tackles were being given against them.

There was one more chance but a pass hit the referee, that summed up the game. No time added for Tymon’s injury and another complete fool masquerading as a referee decided it was all over. The Swans will surely learn from this, we are not seeing a competent side away from home even under Matos. Those two home wins may have been greeted with a sigh of relief but Wrexham are next up in the Championship’s televised game next Friday (8pm). A week to learn more and to get some of these poor on the ball moves corrected.

⚽️ Potters : Viktor Johansson, Ben Pearson (Steven Nzonzi 82), Sorba Thomas, Bae Junho, Robert Bozenik (Sam Gallagher 72), Tatsuki Seko (Bosun Lawal 82), Ben Wilmot (captain), Eric Bocat, Junior Tchamadeu, Ashley Phillips, Million Manhoef.

Substitutes: Jack Bonham, Aaron Cresswell, Divin Mubama, Tomas Rigo, Sam Gallagher, Lamine Cisse, Maksym Talovierov.

⚽️ Swans : Lawrence Vigouroux 7 Ethan Galbraith 7 Ben Cabango (c) 6 Cameron Burgess 4Josh Tymon 6 Marko Stamenic 5 (Josh Key 59) 3 Goncalo Franco 4 (Adam Idah 83) 4 Liam Cullen 6 (Malick Yalcouye 71) 6 Ronald 5 (Zeidane Inoussa 59) 6 Jisung Eom 4 (Melker Widell 71) 7 Žan Vipotnik 7

Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Jay Fulton, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Kaelan Casey, Adam Idah.

⚽️ Referee: Ruebyn Ricardo : Another diabolical referee, both sides had their challenges and play interrupted by this excuse in black. Tymon was down for two minutes in added time but he didn’t add it on. Incompetent.

Attendance: 23,089

Away : 521

Photographs : Swansea Independent / IMAGO/Zachary Locke via Reuters Connect / IMAGO/Zachary Locke via Reuters Connect