This game did have its usual frustrations as the Swans huffed and puffed at times to seal this encounter. That said two great goals were the difference between these two sides. You can look back on our reports this week to see just how we felt this game would go, and it surely did.

Swansea City started this game with total control over the first seven minutes. Initially a lovely move which saw Ethan Galbraith almost reluctant to put the ball away. His shot was weak. Corners and free kicks were defended by the visitors with two nasty fouls on Swansea players predictably, well, it was Stoke as the opposition today. Swansea were creating chances and on ten minutes Josh Tymon should have scored after a lovely through ball from Eom. Those chances we bemoan most games for not being taken. Josh Key also had a shot which sailed over the Stoke bar.

Stoke gradually crept their way into the game getting Cissé involved, but the Swans defence were more than up to it. Those early chances with the Swans in control really should have had the Swans one up. The Potters first corner came on sixteen minutes the Swans right this ended up with a shot on goal. What was noticeable from the build up to the corner were the acres of space behind Tymon. That was exposed minutes later as Rak-Sakyi crossed in for Bae Jun-ho to shoot and Josh Key cleared the ball off the line. It was now a good end to end contest.

By this time Tymon had two good chances to put his laces through the ball but his contact was poor.

Another Stoke corner on the Swans right after a good run from Sorba Thomas but his ball in was cleared on twenty one minutes. From that corner Cissé picked up the ball on the Swans left, his cross into Phillips was headed well but Vigouroux saved superbly to keep it 0-0. Then we saw Stoke at their very worst a scissor kick by Thomas nailing Franco, he was justifiably booked. On twenty five minutes the Swans had a free kick in a dangerous position on their left after a nasty foul on Eom. The ball sailed into Stoke keeper to take easily.

Frustrating.

Unfortunately play was breaking down with Ronald on the wing. Another Swans corner arrived in front of the east stand on twenty eight minutes. Eom ran across the box and Cissé predictably brought him down. A free kick right on the edge of the area. These Stoke tactics are nothing to be proud of. Vipotnik slammed the ball goal-wards and it whistled by the Stoke right hand post. On thirty three minutes Eom couldn’t find Vipotnik in the area and the move fizzled out.

A clear foul on Josh Key was waved away by referee, Ruebyn Ricardo. Had he given the free kick Sorba Thomas would have been off the pitch. That led to a Stoke corner which Ben Wilmott (it could have been Cameron Burgess) headed into the Swans net but from the initial contact he was clearly offside. Being Stoke of course Thomas again fouled Franco moments later, at last Stoke tactics of kicking and cheating their way through games had been penalised. Whatever you think of the foul, this has been a long time coming. His second yellow deserved. You really have to question what Stoke fans see in this type of game. However, a pleasing side to this Stoke eleven is the ability of Bocat when defending. He was keeping his side level. A quality player.

We expected more fouling now the Potters were down to ten men.

The positives from this half were the raids by Tymon and Eom which caused Stoke a lot of problems. Vipotnik was playing deeper than expected as three minutes of additional time was played. Galbraith was looking far more comfortable in midfield but it has to be said his decision making was in question despite his involvement. He supplied a cross for Cameron Burgess deep into added time but his header was weak. Both sides could have scored in this half but they didn’t. The Swans too interested in overplaying and Stoke far too involved in the nastier side of their game. Listening to the Stoke commentary whilst reporting on this game I have to say I’ve never heard such moaning and excuses for the sending off of Thomas. Trying to excuse him for a scissor kick on Franco and then looking for excuses for the sending off and a second yellow card. Just desserts for me.

Maybe Franco should have sent himself off ? Thomas had targeted him throughout the game until his departure. They are nasty little team who at half time were paying their dues for sly tactics.

The second half started with the Thomas incident now being referenced as ‘scandalous’ and made up by a referee to excuse his previous mistakes. The Swans started brightly, Hiwever finding their men when it mattered in dangerous areas was their initial failing. A Stoke free kick on forty eight minutes took thirty four seconds to take. On forty nine minutes Ronald was brought down right in front of the linesman, apparently that though wasn’t a foul either. Eom took the set play, but as per the first half Stoke cleared easily.

On fifty two minutes Tymon took a corner on the Swans right, as we have seen on a few occasions this season Vipotnik ghosted across the area outsmarting the Stoke defence and easily nodded home to put the Swans one up. We now needed to see more pressure. A lovely move on fifty five minutes involving Key and Stamenić saw a shot blocked, seconds later Key, who had a really good game was very unfortunate not to get a second goal after a long distance effort. Then Vipotnik was hauled down but the referee waved any appeals away. He was the last man. Numerous Swansea shots were coming in but four in a row were blocked by Stoke defenders.

Stoke were just one less player than the Swans but they looked out on their feet. Devoid of any plan other than seizing on the Swans mistakes. No idea and happy to defend and block Swansea shots. Another corner on the Swans left came on sixty three minutes. Eom took it. From that move Key earned another corner on the opposite side of the pitch. That resulted in a Galbraith strike from distance but his shot went wide. Gustavo Nunes replaced Ronald on sixty five minutes. Franco earned a yellow for a challenge on Seko on sixty six. Stoke were now complaining about everything the referee did, their victim status rising by the minute.

The Swans were getting the better of the game but their slow possession and cautious play was giving Stoke momentum. The ball being gifted to them at times. There needed to be far more positivity and pace to their game. This resulted in a scramble in the Swans penalty area which really could have gone against the home side. Then three changes for the Swans awaited their introduction, Melker Widell, Jay Fulton and Liam Cullen replaced Eom, Stamenić and Galbraith. A clear Swans chance was complete messed up by Gustavo Nunes thereafter, why on earth this Swansea side can’t take these chances is mystifying. It was possibly the easiest chance of the season.

Thereafter a free kick on eighty minutes after a clear foul on Franco. Vipotnik (below) took it at pace and it was just over the bar with the keeper beaten. The Swans continued to play keep ball which on eighty two minutes ended with a loose shot from Widell. Then a minute later Cullen had a shot which was headed away for a corner. Tymon took it, it was cleared. As Stoke burst forwards another Stoke foul ended their expectations.

We had five minutes plus time to go.

On eighty six minutes Stoke had a corner in front of the east stand. That was cleared, Cullen broke and simply just ran into trouble giving the ball away. From that the Swans now playing stupid ball which nearly saw their hard work undone. The Swans were now looking disorganised. Cullen again gave the ball away as Stoke pressed, but they too were unable to make anything of it. Joel Ward replaced Franco on eighty nine minutes.

On the ninety we saw six minutes of additional time. The Swans though were clumsy and still panicking in possession. However, that man again took centre stage, Liam Cullen stamped his name on this fixture. He sighted Stoke keeper Timkin off his line on ninety one minutes. He looked up and chipped him from forty five yards. It’s that side of Cullen which cancels out his misdemeanours. It was a superb effort. That was the clincher for the Swans who would now play out the remaining minutes. More blocked shots followed but really the Swans were deserving winners.

Referee, Ruebyn Ricardo drew the game to a close on time and the Swans took the three points. More Stoke bookings followed after the whistle. They really don’t like it up em’. As we said all along this week this fixture always throws up controversy. And yet again there was.

⚽️ Swans : Lawrence Vigouroux 7Josh Key 7 Ben Cabango 7 (c), Cameron Burgess 8 Josh Tymon 7 Marko Stamenic 8 (Jay Fulton 80) 6 Gonçalo Franco 6 (Joel Ward 89) Ethan Galbraith 7 (Melker Widell 80) 5 Ronald 6 (Gustavo Nunes 66) 6 Jisung Eom 6 (Liam Cullen 80) 7 Zan Vipotnik 7

Unused Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Malick Yalcouye, Leo Walta, Ollie Cooper.

⚽️ Potters: Tommy Simkin, Sorba Thomas, Bae Jun-ho, Tatsuki Seko, Steven Nzonzi, Ben Wilmot (c) (Maxi Talovierov 75), Eric Bocat (Junior Tchamadeu 70), Jesurun Rak-Sakyi (Million Manhoef 54), Ben Gibson, Ashley Phillips, Lamine Cisse (Milan Smits 54).

Unused Substitutes: Frank Fielding, Ben Pearson, Tomas Rigo, Raphael-Pijus Otegbayo, Gabriel Kelly.

⚽️ Referee: Ruebyn Ricardo : 5/10 : Made key decisions which decided this game. Missed two pull backs on Swans players when through on goal. Stoke fans will stop moaning by June ish.

⚽️ Attendance: 16,147
Away : 1,182

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Photographs Duncan Johnson & Swansea Independent