Planet Swans ArchivesTwo home wins in three games kept Swansea in touch with safety this afternoon as Matt Murphy scored the only goal of the game with five minutes to play to the relief of all inside the ground.
The directors plea for extra bums on seats had fallen on many deaf years as the official attendance was given as marginally over 3,500, still 1,000 short on the figures the directors would like to see. However, a conversation with director Leigh Dineen before the game gave more positive news as he said that the trust’s loan a player scheme had been received very well and cheques were pressed into his hand (payable to the trust I hasten to add!) as we were talking.
But on with the match. Brian Flynn preferred to start this time with Matt Murphy partnering James Thomas up front. The reasoning behind this was that Flynn felt that Murphy could work well as a target man. Now you have to say that as it was Murphy who scored the winner, the decision paid dividends but as a target man Murphy won little in the air all day but that’s by the by at the moment.
The rain had started in Swansea about an hour or so before the kick off and by the time 3 o’clock arrived it was a steady drizzle that was falling as the players took to the pitch. All inside were hoping that Macclesfield were not capable of ‘doing a Kidderminster’ and it was soon evident that they weren’t. Macclesfield’s strip of luminous orange was the only real bright thing about their play as the match was very much a midfield battle in the first half with high balls played from both sides for strikers to chase. Swansea were restricted to a couple of headers from Thomas and long shots whilst Macclesfield were gaining little extra on top. The nearest to a goal in the first half came in stoppage time when Roger looked to be beaten by an overhead kick only to stretch out and tip the ball away for a corner. Saves like this one tend to back up the theory that Roger is still a very valuable member of the team and ridicules suggestions that a new keeper is essential.
Flynn made two changes during the interval preferring Wood to the very ineffective Cash and Mumford for Jenkins. Not too sure on the logic of the second substitution but Mumford clearly decided he had a point to prove as he spent much of his first five minutes action diving in to try and win every ball.
Swansea in fairness had the ascendancy at this point without really pushing Macclesfield hard but a couple of shots from Mumford and one from Thomas forced their keeper into action – something which didn’t happen in the first half. As the rain got heavier at the Vetch the football went down hill and Swansea were lucky to survive a bizarre incident about half way through the second half. A battle in midfield saw the ball head towards the Swansea goal and a retreating Macclesfield player picked the ball up and rounded Roger just outside the area only to find himself unable to turn the ball goalwards. A flagging linesman was over ruled by the referee to the disgust of the crowd, the official deciding that the ball forwards (or backwards on this occasion) was played by a Swansea man. Roger was again on hand to turn over a dipping Macclesfield shot and as the game entered the last 10 minutes, it looked no end like a 0-0 draw was to be the result.
But the game was to turn on a mistake. Michael Howard chased down the Macclesfield keeper and forced a mistake on the left hand side of the area before picking himself up to play a ball across the box where an unmarked Murphy just had to head it into an empty net to put the Swans into the lead.
Swansea were easily able to play out the remaining minutes plus the two minutes of stoppage time without any heart stopping moments and the final whistle was greeted with many cheers around the ground. News that Exeter had lost went down well and now just one point from safety looks better than 3 (obviously!!)
Man of the match for me was Roger for his two outstanding saves and also his committment to the cause today. Also notable performances I felt from Reid and Phillips and Jamie Wood looking OK on the right wing in the second half.
One win is one win and despite still being in the bottom 2 it’s a start!
