Swansea City succumbed to a bizarre decision by referee Oliver Langford this afternoon at Ashton gate as the swans drew 1-1 with the robins. Langford who is not on the referee's select list, booked 5 Swans players in a top 6 championship game which was going the swans way until Langford stepped in with a bizarre decision when Connor Roberts slipped in his own area.

A pretty informal first half would have pleased swans manager Steve Cooper who returns home to Swansea tonight in a principality bubble that raises questions on the ability of today's referee Langford, and just what did he see ? Mark Drakeford would say today's refereeing performance needs more than a month in lockdown as the result of the severnside derby being decided by a penalty very few, if any watching could see. It wasn't as bizarre as that Stoke City penalty a few years back at the liberty but it is a real contender. Swansea City did not put a foot wrong throughout the game in defence, with Ryan Bennett marshalling matters in between Marc Guehi and Ben Cabango in a formation swans fans have come to expect.

There were no worries in the first half and it was robins keeper Bentley who punched away a scrambled defensive attack by the swans early on. Bidwell again looked comfortable as Swansea pushed on after an initial robins first 20 minutes that failed to bother the swans. Woodman did parry an early shot but little else concerned Swansea City. Langford showed none of his ill discipline and questionable game management in the first half, but he made up for it after the break. Jamal Lowe opened up the scoring and a review of the goal does show Langford poised to blow his whistle as Lowe latched on to a precise pass to blast the swans in to a 1-0 lead. Some neat build-up allowed Grimes and Roberts to combine and slide the forward in on goal, where he produced a powerful finish across keeper Bentley into the far corner.

More chances followed but the swans did retreat ten yards as the game continued. This was the catalyst for Langford to misjudge a call to give Wells, a late sub, to fire home the robins equaliser to make the game 1-1. But parity was restored in debatable fashion when referee Oliver Langford adjudged Roberts had fouled Semenyo as he fell when defending a set-piece.

Substitute Wells made no mistake as he drove the spot-kick down the middle. Hd Woodman remained stationary he would have collected the spot kick easily, easy though for us to say.

After the game swans manager Steve Cooper was quick to state his dismay at the games conclusion. He felt his Swansea City had been hard done by as a controversial late penalty denied them victory over Bristol City at Ashton Gate. The Swans had been on course for all three points courtesy of Jamal Lowe’s excellent finish early in the second half.

However, they were pegged back when Nahki Wells scored from the spot with eight minutes remaining, after referee Oliver Langford decided Connor Roberts had fouled Antoine Semenyo. The decision looked harsh as Roberts slipped as the players tussled at a set-piece, with Semenyo then falling over him.

The game ended 1-1, and while it extended Swansea’s unbeaten away record, Cooper was frustrated not to be leaving Bristol with more than a point.

Cooper post match quote sums it all up.
"You are allowed videos now on the bench so we are seeing it back straight away, hence we were so incensed on the decision," Cooper said. There's nothing you can do. I have tried to go and see the referee and he won't see me. I don't know why."

“The lads are really disappointed with a point because of the nature of the equaliser and the decision on the penalty,” said the head coach.I thought it was a decent game, I liked our performance coming away from home and being as positive as we were, and committing bodies forward when we could. We got the opener, it was a great finish from Jamal, and we looked comfortable. I thought we would go and on and win the game and score another goal rather than seeing the game out. Then, when a decision like that is made, it’s hard to keep your mouth shut on it, to be honest.That decision, there is nothing you can do to make it better. There’s nothing you can coach or say or do in preparation to make that better.
It’s so hard to get points in this league, so to get a decision like what when we were so comfortable in the game. It’s a difficult one to take, to be honest. It doesn’t feel like a good point, we feel a bit hard done by, but we have to take the positives from the game. We looked very mature as a team today, we are growing all the time. We have to dust ourselves down and get ready for the next one.”

Viktor Gyokeres, coming on as sub flashed a volley across the face of goal for the Swans and hopes of finding a winner were raised when seven minutes of added time were confirmed. Unfortunately today's game will be remembered by the referee deciding he will change the outcome of the game by consistent use of his whistle, and an incompetent decision that has robbed Swansea City of the three points.

Bristol City: Daniel Bentley; Zak Vyner, Taylor Moore (Nahki Wells 78), Tomas Kalas (captain), Chris Brunt; Steven Sessegnon (Famara Diedhiou 73), Andreas Weimann (Callum O’Dowda 65), Jamie Paterson, Jay Dasilva; Antoine Semenyo, Chris Martin.

Substitutes: Max O'Leary, Jack Hunt, Tommy Rowe, Tyreeq Bakinson.

Swansea City: Freddie Woodman; Ben Cabango, Ryan Bennett, Marc Guehi; Connor Roberts, Korey Smith, Jay Fulton, Matt Grimes (captain), Jake Bidwell; Andre Ayew, Jamal Lowe (Viktor Gyokeres 76).

Substitutes: Steven Benda, Ryan Manning, Wayne Routledge, Liam Cullen, Yan Dhanda, Kyle Naughton.

Referee: Oliver Langford, dancing on ice. Why appoint a non select referee for a crucial top six championship game ? Today was one of those games where either a long rest is required, or maybe a few light ales to numb the feeling of what might have been.

Photo: Action Images

cockneyswan added 19:17 - Oct 24 Ref was a disgrace!
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bookmanevans added 08:25 - Oct 25 who decides on the ref? he was dreadful from the start to the finish
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