Planet Swans ArchivesOnce and you assume that these things happen. Twice, you think that it’s a little careless and it won’t happen again. Three times and you wonder whether anyone is actually paying attention. And as the Swans lost two points for the third successive game then it’s devastating.
This one though was different. Against both Bradford and Scunthorpe we took the lead and sat back, confident that we could hold that lead. We couldn’t. Against Huddersfield I thought we pushed forward more and played some of our better football in the past few months. Against Bradford and Scunthorpe we took what we deserved from the game, against Huddersfield we didn’t.
To the watching neutral on Sky this would have been a great advert for League One played in front of a noisy crowd that wasn’t done justice on the television by reports from those that watched through that medium. Two sides with dreams of a higher plane for next season but very possibly two sides that will need to get through the play offs to do it. Therefore meaning that a maximum of one of them will go up. Hmmmmm
Following the injury time heartbreak at Glandford Park last weekend, Jackett’s response was a recall for Kevin McLeod in place of Adrian Forbes whilst both Lee Trundle and Rory Fallon were back in the starting line up ahead of Bayo and Leon Knight.
Willy
Sam Monk Big Kev Williams
Big Leon Robbo Tatey Macca
LT10 Fallon
Subs: KOL, Roberto, Bayo, Little Leon, Forbesy
A mistake by Sam Ricketts almost let in Huddersfield early on for a goal but the shot was well dealt with by Willy and to be honest from there on in I thought we were by far the better side before the interval. The build up play was nice, the passing was nice, Leon back in the role he excels at on the right hand side was giving us a much better outlet than Forbes does and Macca was back onto the game that saw him gain so many plaudits back in August and September. Up front Fallon and LT10 were showing signs that were there against Forest that the partnership could work.
And Fallon should have opened the scoring when he headed over from just about five yards from a superb Britton cross. If ever a man needed a goal to get his confidence back then Fallon is that man but it will come, I remain confident of that. (!)
But the goal wasn’t long in coming and was it really ever going to come from anyone other than LT10? Peter Jackson doesn’t like him, we don’t like Peter Jackson so it was home smiles all round as Trundle latched onto a loose ball on the edge of the area and drove a low shot past Senior into the corner of the net – goal number 20 of the season, goal number 19 in the league. Just what the doctor ordered.
With a one goal lead we knew the dangers from the previous two weeks and we pressed on. The same build up play was still working and we were coming close to a second. Fallon was just wide with a snap shot whilst Monk had a shot blocked that looked in for anybody’s money. These things happen in football but was it not to be our night? Well, just before half time we got the goal we needed. Macca cut in from the left and delivered a stinging shot that Senior couldn’t save and Britton pounced on the rebound which he converted at the second attempt. 2-0 and was this now to be the one where we went on and got the deserved three points?
Twenty seconds into the second half it could have been all over. Robbo’s perfect pass found Britton’s perfect run and he advanced on goal. As the keeper came out he struck a good shot and it was well saved. At three the game would have been over, at two we looked comfortable but knew that one goal could change it.
And that one goal could have come from a rash decision by Willy. He came to the edge of the area and slid in on Graham. Striker upended, referee pointing to penalty spot although TV replays suggested a dive. Willy saves penalties we thought as he went the wrong way to dispel that one for the night but we celebrated as the ball bounced back off the underside of the bar and we scrambled it away. THAT surely meant it was to be our night.
We continued to press and Robbo and Tate both delivered shots that really never looked goalbound whilst Fallon again fired over from a Macca cross. Robbo delivered another cross that was just behind the forward two and 3-0 was still looking more likely than 2-1.
But 2-1 it became as we conceded again from a corner. Long floated ball, back post, free header, goal for opposition. It’s a script that was written long ago and we still have to pay royalties for allowing it to be used. We are conceding goals to sucker punches and at times when we are in control of games. We have to change that. Well, we had to change it a while back but we didn’t.
To be fair we didn’t lose direction completely at this point but we looked deflated. 2-1 was not a fair reflection on the play and the time was for fresh legs to gee us up for the challenge home to the final whistle. There were 20 minutes left.
Just over half those twenty had been played when Huddersfield delivered the sucker punch. A cross from the left bypassed every single one of our watching defenders and our keeper and the diving Graham was on hand at the back post to fire into an empty net from 0.7 yards and send the Huddersfield fans into pure celebration and leaving the home fans with a feeling of being mugged in our own backyard.
By then the upper hand was Huddersfields and despite some late pressure of sorts we were never going to get a winning goal and the final whistle was met with what almost seems now to be a customary chorus of boos from sections of the support. Unjustified this time I would say personally because for so long we played so well.
Man of the match for me would be a choice between Robinson and Britton who were a threat all night but special mention to Macca who has taken some abuse in recent weeks but played well on the night – keep it up Kev
A night that promised so much delivered so little and as automatic promotion becomes less and less likely we wonder will we see Huddersfield again before the season is out if we do then “MARK THE MAN ON THE BACK POSTS!”
Deflated.
