Swansea 2 Leyton O 1

Just over 4700 turned up at the Vetch tonight after the disappointment of recent results. The optimism had been lifted slightly by the signing of Stuart Roberts earlier in the day but a few wins are badly needed to get that crowd back up to the levels that we have experienced this season. The Swans lined up as follows

Freestone

Byrne Tate Iriekpen Hylton

Britton Martinez Coates

Maylett Trundle Robinson

Subs: Murphy, Nugent, Jones (S), Roberts, Howard

For twenty minutes at the start of the game, the Swans looked a football team again. Robinson was exceptional during this period and was unlucky not to give the Swans the lead very early on when he was sent clear by Trundle. As he chipped the ball over the advancing keeper it could have headed for the target but also just eluded the incoming Maylett on the back post. Just two minutes later a turn and shot had the Orient keeper diving at full stretch to prevent the opening goal and it looked as if the Swans may really turn it on after recent criticisms. Britton’s long range effort just missed the post and at this point there was always likely to be one winner.

Lee Trundle though was the one who opened the scoring after just eleven minutes. Another shot by Robinson was parried on the line and at the second attempt Trundle hammered home from close range. Floodgates opened? Well, you would have hoped but at 1-0 we sat back and let Orient come into a game that they hadn’t threatened in.

It is worth pointing out here that for the 10 minutes leading up to the goal we were playing nearer a 4-4-2 formation than 4-3-3 with Coates and Maylett taking the wing positions. Take note of this as it was the best that we looked all night and the side looked balanced. At 1-0 we reverted to 4-3-3. Whether this was on instruction or we ignored instructions for ten minutes is open for debate but we were certainly a better side during that period.

However, as the half wore on, Orient became more and more into the game and it was no real surprise when they equalised although it was another handling error from Roger that caused the goal. Alan Tate brought down an attacker on the edge of the area. The free kick was caught by Roger but as he fell to the floor, the ball escaped his grasp and two Orient players pounced. We should have had a defender there but there was no hiding the mistake and the equaliser took us back to earth. For the remainder of the half we were a mere shadow of the side that battled and played so well at the start and the half time interval was well received as a chance to re group.

Stuart Jones was sent on at the start of the second half as a replacement for Shaun Byrne but to little effect. Swansea had lost all pattern of play and too often players were found waiting for the ball to come to them rather than looking for it and Lee Trundle does need to learn sometimes to make the pass. We looked like a team heading for a draw at best as passes went astray and needless errors were being made. Leon Hylton was not proving much on the left hand side and Brad Maylett’s last touch was a cross that failed to clear the first defender as he was replaced by the returning Stuart Roberts.

Soon after Lee Trundle, limping was replaced by Kevin Nugent. The game was there to be won by one of the sides taking it by the scruff of the neck. But the goal came from an unlikely source as Alan Tate fired home after Kevin Nugent had mis kicked at a cross from the right. Tate turned to take the adulation of the North Bank and the Swans were winning a game that was, in truth, pretty even.

Time was played out with no real alarms for either side and the relief as the final whistle went around the Vetch was evident.

Man of the match without a doubt was Andy Robinson again. Trundle generally takes our plaudits but Robbo (Mark I?) will take my vote as player of the season for his endless effort in every game. Decent performances from Tate, Coates, Britton, Izzy alongside that and you have an improved Swansea performance that threatened so much more at the outset. Still, a win is a win and if we follow that up on Saturday against Rochdale then who knows.