The Swans most certainly flattered to deceive last night at the Swansea.com. In a game where all the focus was on investor Snoop Dogg the pre match build up made the game itself feel secondary. After all the glitz and the glamour that turned out to be the highlight of the night - there was little of that on the pitch.

Until Swansea substitute Liam Cullen brought some real quality to the game.

An expertly guided header saved the Swans with thirty seconds of additional time to go. Sometimes maligned but never to be outdone it was Liam Cullen who superbly gave the Swans a point, and yes it was exactly that, a point. His third league goal of the season (out of four) which has enabled extra points for the Swans. Post match Vitor Matos was too kind in this websites opinion. He admitted the first half was poor, it was beyond that with an utter clown show to match the pre match razzmatazz. The passing was shocking, ill thought out and magnificently bad enough for that to be the worst half of football under Vitor Matos. Again from centre backs Cameron Burgess (who almost gave a goal away in the opening seconds) and Ben Cabango, both of whom were too slow on the ball. They are far too passive and seemingly away with the fairies when positivity and aggression is needed.

The teams leadership comes from Cabango, but when the Swans are up against it or play football as dire as this he is anonymous. Too much head down, too much personal reflection, not enough direction and rarely in touch with the players around him. Of course not being able to string passes together with what seemed like every ball falling to a Preston player no matter who from or the intended target. The whole half was summed up by Burgess somehow entering his own cuckoo land and allowing Daniel Jebbison to score the visitors goal. What on earth was he thinking ? When you watch that goal again - a split second before the goal Burgess is aware of Jebbison. Even when the ball passes him and he does some form of ‘John Inman’ prance forwards he looks completely dumbfounded.

Cameron Burgess seems completely radio ga ga at times in defence especially in these scenarios.

Josh Tymon was another who had a very poor game, and it seems when Josh doesn’t tick the Swans struggle. Another who couldn’t find his feet on the ball with a clumsy style not befitting of his season so far. We could go on, in fact the only players who really looked like they wanted something from the game were Gonçalo Franco and Lawrence Vigouroux. Franco has a non stop engine and it was Vigouroux who kept the Swans at 1-0. Personally I’m not going to take any excuses for the first half, and as for the second it may well have been better but it wasn’t that good. Time after time offsides were called, crosses into the Preston area were either mistimed, short, too long or just hopeless.

Again the visitors picked up the ball in almost every instance where it was free. Passes from the defence were ponderous and slow and the introduction of Malick Yalcouyé and Melker Widell added something that was missing all evening to the game. Liam Cullen coming on of course was the clincher. Gustavo Nunes looks to have more ability to confidently take on a player than both Eom and Ronald, the latter now a player who struggles almost every time he has the ball. Eom did track back early on and added to the defensive make up of this Swans side, that can be said on his behalf but Ronald really does need some time off the pitch to reflect. He struggles consistently to beat his man, his crossing is so bad you just know that rarely anything will come from it. What is the point in employing a player in that position with a long record in almost every game of failing ?

It makes no sense.

Vitor Matos does have a lot of time in the bank of course, and has often deployed his players positively, but even he was disappointed post match. "We struggled to find the free man in attack, we lost the ball too easily. They scored, but in the second half we were a lot closer to what we have been when we have played at home in these last months. We created chances, we could have scored and if we had done it may have changed the direction of the game. We didn't score, but the team kept pushing to try and get something out of the game, and that is something I was pleased with. It was a beautiful moment for Liam. The quality was much better offensively, so we need to take that forward and quickly get ready for another game on Saturday."

The second half was better, but when you look at the amount of times moves broke down, the ball was lost or passes were incomplete it wasn’t that much of an improvement. Failure to take chances made is something that happens too much in every game. Last night it was the same story. The thing is we have come to expect good things from this Swansea side but realistically they are not a play off team due to displays like this one. Even if they made it there would be carnage in the Premier League for the Swans unless they very wisely spent their money as per Sunderland this season. Last night was proof that despite the magnificent way Matos has got this side believing and thinking he has a lot of work to do. His success went against him against Preston, we have come to expect far more from the Swans and really that should be the viewpoint with twelve games to go. Vitor’s success has very much raised expectations.

But isn’t that good ?

When he came to the club most wanted just to survive relegation. That hasn’t been achieved as yet but it will be. His home record is a thing of beauty and really to include Derby County at home doesn’t do him any favours. He had only just found the toilets at the stadium when that fixture was played. Matos has brought a lot of hope to the Jack Army, and deep down is probably more than happy the Snoop roadshow has left town. There will always be questions on any manager, especially on player selections. Maybe last night was a game too far for Jay Fulton ? As much as he has his admirers and there are many he isn’t a pick for every game. Granted Marko Stamenić was suspended and looking back over the Bristol City game and last night it seems he was missed.

Mention has to go to Josh Key who came on in the second half and concentrated the minds of the Preston defence putting maximum effort into his game. He did add creativity and created chances. It wasn’t until Yalcouyé took that questionable throw in (it looked a foul throw) with thirty seconds to go which fell to Gustavo Nunes that things got brighter. Nunes delivery into the area was threatening and Cullen bravely headed his effort far beyond the reach of the Preston keeper. It was a spectacular goal for sure. Cullen is much maligned but when he scores goals they have been memorable this season. And on three occasions now they have been winning goals. Think about that. The games against Blackburn away, Portsmouth home and last night against Preston have earned the Swans five extra points this season. The first two games clinching two extra points per game and last night one point.

Does that make him an effective squad player ?

Of course Swans fans are disappointed after last nights result but as we have already stated this would potentially have been a loss earlier on this season. No matter what people search for at this stage of the season this is a very much improved Swansea City side. Reporting on this game in isolation there’s pretty much not a lot to say bar the fact the Swans fought hard until the end of this game. There were six penalty decisions for referee David Webb to make. Four I would say were there to be looked at. Especially Nunes being tripped in the box.

There are positives, and there are needed for Saturdays away game at Ipswich Town which will be a real test.

The last word goes to Swans investor, Snoop Dogg, he brought national and indeed worldwide attention to Swansea City last night, that’s the trade off for him being there. Commercially is where the Swans are at with last seasons commercial revenue surpassed by December (Tom Gorringe) so this is seen as an important addition to the game. It has to be the future, regardless of people’s thoughts on this it is a necessity. Oh and were you there ? If not don't be too concerned. Those small towels that were given out last night are now going for more than a hundred pounds on EBay. Fill yer boots if that’s your thing, but really the message is don't buy them, why would you at that price ?

⚽️ Swans: Lawrence Vigouroux 7 Ethan Galbraith 6 Ben Cabango 5 (c), Cameron Burgess 4 Josh Tymon 5 Jay Fulton 6 (Josh Key 46) 6 Goncalo Franco 8 (Melker Widell 75) 6 Leo Walta 5 (Malick Yalcouye 46) 7 Ronald 4 (Gustavo Nunes 46) 6 Jisung Eom 6 (Liam Cullen 75) 7 Zan Vipotnik 5

Unused Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Joel Ward, Ollie Cooper.

⚽️ PNE : David Cornell, Pol Valentin (Liam Lindsay 83), Andrija Vukcevic (Jordan Storey 71), Ben Whiteman (captain), Ali McCann, Daniel Jebbison (Milutin Osmajic 71), Callum Lang (Alfie Devine 61), Andrew Hughes, Lewis Dobbin (Michael Smith 71), Lewis Gibson, Odel Offiah.

Unused Substitutes: Jack Walton, Robbie Brady, Andrew Moran, Brad Potts.

⚽️ Referee: David Webb, failed to be strong and make two decisions on a Swans penalty claim, one on Nunes which was a blatant trip in the area. Looked like he turned up for an easy night. Numb nuts of a ref. 2/10.

⚽️ Attendance: 20,233
Away : 196

It could save your life.

Photohraph : Swansea City AFC : Snoop photo’s Swansea Independent