It wasn’t so much hot then cold but to play like the Swans did in the first half throughout a whole game is virtually impossible. At the end the Jack Army were ecstatic and really they had watched their side win this game in thirty minutes of football. A performance which will live long in the memory.

If the Swans hadn’t gone in at half time in this fixture at least two goals ahead questions would have been raised in Parliament today. Of course this new found ability to put the ball into the net is a pleasure to watch but the whole eleven shone like a beacon yesterday evening. First off it was a beautiful move built carefully by the Swans through midfield which saw Adam Idah provided with a superb pass. His strength and pace enabled him to easily fend off his marker as he looked up to put the ball at the feet of Eom. He was racing into the Watford area to tap home to put the Swans one up. Chances were created before that and indeed afterwards but a lull in play saw a few Swans errors leading to Watford chances. Captain Lawrence Vigouroux had to pull of a superb save from Doumbia when the ball was given away by Stephen Eustáquio. The danger was cleared and it would only be Swansea errors that gave Watford any further chances. Hector Kyprianou came especially close.

A lovely disguised pass from Eom who had given the Watford defence a terror lesson in wing play saw the game catch light again. The through ball was gathered up by Idah who raced forwards and gracefully nutmegged the Watford keeper to make it 2-0. (below)

Watford were first to threaten in the second half. Josh Key was robbed of the ball and a dangerous cross into the Swans area was just short of any Watford threat moving in on Vigouroux. In fact the Swans started their half quite casually. That continued with Jospeh Opoku replaced by Moussa Yeo and Melker Widell on for Elijah Just. It was needed because the Swans were slow to the ball and just couldn’t get close to their first half performance. The Swans passing was poor for the first twenty minutes of the half, loose and too tentative when a slight increase in tempo would have assisted their in game play immensely. We then saw Idah off for Zan Vipotnik and Marko Stamenić off for Jay Fulton.

Swans head coach Vitor Matos was clearly seeing the issues with his players being overpowered on the ball. Substitute Moussa Yeo especially. (Does he ever stop smiling ?) Watford though had not created a great deal despite their better play. The Swans passing slowly began to get better and they were now hunting in packs when Watford had the ball for the last fifteen minutes. The pressure resulted in the usual Watford fouling we have seen before, and leaving the odd foot in especially from behind in the tackle.

On seventy minutes Widell had a blistering shot which whistled just by the Watford goal. It was definitely a more even game now but the Swans had the two goal advantage. Despite that a good effort from Pollock also to threatened the Swans goal. They continued to latch on to weak or maybe poor awareness from the Swans. That was highlighted when Key was put clear on the wing but his slow decision making saw him overpowered by Watford players.

Widell was his usual self, winning balls and had a chance to be put clear on seventy three minutes but Vipotnik’s pass was poorly weighted. A corner followed for Watford but they as yet had not found the right key to open the Swansea door. As Swansea possession was given away with twelve minutes to go there was a bit more to come from the away side. On eighty minutes Widell struck another power shot which was brilliantly saved by Ravaglia.

Watford with the Swans seemingly reluctant to take on their man gained far more confidence in their game, but rarely threatened. Stephen Welsh went off with five to go and Jenson Seelt on loan from Sunderland made his Swansea City debut. Just after this Vipotnik had a slight chance but he miss hit his pass. Again the Swans pressed after a good run from Josh Tymon, the ball failed to be gathered by Vipotnik who wasn’t having the best of games. But the good news is he’s at the club until at least January if his preference of Premier League football remains.

The Swans did come alive for the final five minutes. They seemed determined to feed Vipotnik but were being crowded out. Watford still had an opportunity at the end of normal time but Vigouroux saved splendidly. Watford continued their fouling even when the game was lost, Zemura getting a deserved yellow card. His hand gestures thereafter summed up his attitude in a Watford shirt. More fouling continued as the three minutes of additional time was played out.

Widell had a late chance to shoot right at the death but fed Vipotnik who had his shot blocked. The game was brought to an end, and generally there should be few complaints. The second half didn’t resemble the first by a long way and had Watford taken some of their chances it could have been a different story. It wasn’t and the Swans left the pitch top of the league with more games to play later today to complete the midweek fixtures in the Championship.

How delighted are we !

Thanks to fifteen year old Tony J for helping us with this report, you are a star young man.

⚽️ Swans: Lawrence Vigouroux (Captain) 7 Key 7 Lissah 8 Welsh 8 (Seelt 87’), Tymon 7 Stamenić 8 (Fulton 68’) 6, Eustáquio 7 Just 7 (Widell 57’) 8 Opoku 6 (Yeo 57’) 6 Eom 9 Idah 8 (Vipotnik 69) 5

Substitutes: Fisher, Iorpenda, Woodward, Heywood.

⚽️ Hornets : Ravaglia, Keben, Kyprianou, Pollock (Captain) Mamma (Vata 64’), Bravo (Luca Kjerrumgaard 84) , Doumbia, Nabizada, Traore (Branimir Mlacic 30’), Zemura, Kayembe.

Substitutes: Walker, Bachmann, Bove, Payero, Adu-Poku, Eames.

⚽️ Attendance: 16,195
176 away

⚽️ Referee: Edward Duckworth : Again not a bad performance, didn’t annoy at all 7/10.

⚽️ Matos post match :

Photographs TNTclick media