Planet Swans ArchivesAfter last week’s five goal display at the Liberty, there was genuine optimism around the ground that we could build on that display with many hoping that last week was the sign of things to come rather than a flash in the pan. Rotherham, despite their lowly league position though were never to be mugs – their placing is of course masked by the deduction of ten points before the season started.
And with the second successive Saturday home game there was also almost an empty feeling around the ground for a fixture that traditionally tends to be one of the worst supported fixtures of the season as people cram in their last minute Christmas shopping. Maybe then a slight surprise that a stadium that looked much emptier only had 200 less people in than last Saturday. But hey thats not really an issue at this moment in time.
Forced into one change through the suspension of Andy Robinson, Thomas Butler was drafted in on the left side of a midfield that looked so effective 7 days ago
Big Willy
Tatey Den Kev Imelda
Leon Prats Craney Butler
Rory LT10
Swansea started brightly enough and there were less than ten minutes on the clock when Fallon tested Cutler for the first time with a neat turn and shot that saw the former Swansea keeper tipping the ball over the bar for a corner. With Craney now firmly rooted in corners from the left and Trunds from the right we looked dangerous from them without ever really threatening a goal from them (if that makes any sense at all!) Lawrence fired over when well placed from one corner and Leon was just unable to get anything on a palm off from Cutler from another one.
At the other end Willy was forced into a couple of sharp saves as Rotherham threatened a goal on the counter attack and one move saw one of their men turn Austin inside out before Willy saved bravely at his feet. Leon Britton on our right was again outstanding as he always seems to be these days – maybe Kenny could ask Santa for another ten Leon Brittons although it may leave us short of height at the back!
Britton though was the most effective of the midfield quartet with a rarity in our squad – a natural winger in Butler – preferring to cut infield rather than try and take his man on on the outside. Pratley and Craney were far less effective than last week although Craney was probably the better of the two. Up front first half we saw some neat layoffs from Fallon but only one piece of magic from Trundle which saw Cutler save with his feet. As the half time whistle sounded we probably should have been ahead but we weren’t and there is always that nagging doubt at the back of your mind at times like that that says will it cost us?
And that nagging doubt proved right ten minutes into the second half as a deflected shot from Bopp left Willy standing on his goalline wrong footed as the ball rolled into the net to give Rotherham a lead they scarcely deserved but that is what happens when you waste chances. The visitors were ahead, against the run of play, but thats the breaks – for us at Blackpool two weeks ago read Rotherham at the Liberty today.
Would that spur Swansea into action? Well, it led to us creating some clear cut chances all of which seemed to fall on the head of Rory Fallon. First he failed somehow to connect with a Tom Butler cross before a cross from the right saw him head back across goal but agonisingly just wide of the post.
If those two misses were poor, the third was almost unbelievable. A corner from the right saw the ball over Cutler and onto the head of Fallon, unmarked and a couple of yards out at worst. Incredibly the big man headed over when it looked easier to score and the groan around the Liberty was followed by a chorus of calling for Bayo.
That sub came with just ten minutes to go and ten minutes after the ineffective Butler was replaced by Williams. Williams was lucky to stay on the pitch with a few minutes left when he hacked down a Rotherham player in retaliation for a foul on him but thankfully the referee said yellow card when a red would have been justified.
Bayo had headed one at Cutler with two minutes left that seemed to be the story of the day before a back header beat the keeper at the near post and scrambled into the net just as the clock showed 90 minutes were up. Swansea had got n equaliser – the equaliser they deserved and had four minutes to snatch an unlikely winner. Something that they couldn’t do.
There was no way that we deserved to lose this game today and to be fair on another day we would probably win with a similar performance but well done to Bayo on his equaliser – its never easy coming off the bench. Full marks once again must go to Leon Britton for another superb performance – if the season ended now this guy would win the player of the season award by about four country miles and the frightening thing is I honestly believe he is getting better as the season goes on.
And now as we prepare the Christmas turkeys we look to two performances on the road and surely have to head off on those trips with a target of a minimum of four more points before Brentford arrive here on New Years Day.
