Planet Swans ArchivesREPORT: Bristol Evening Post
PROVING that all good things have to come to an end, magnificent City threw a giant-sized spanner in the works at the Liberty Stadium.
Unbeaten in seven games and up to third in the Championship table, Swansea went into this Anglo-Welsh derby in apparently unstoppable form.
But City did exactly that, adhering to manager Keith Millen’s game-plan to the letter to become the first side to score against the promotion-chasing Swans in 340 minutes and the first to inflict a home defeat upon Brendan Rodgers upwardly mobile team this season.
Jon Stead scored the only goal after five minutes to secure City’s fourth win of the campaign against all the odds.
The result means Millen’s men are now unbeaten in five games and clear of the relegation zone for the first time in six weeks.
Swansea applied pressure after the break but City maintained their discipline and shape and hold out with relatively few scares and register a victory which will pout them in good heart ahead of Saturday’s trip to play Leeds United at Elland Road.
Swansea may not have conceded a Championship goal in more than six hours prior to kick-off, but City almost breached their defences with their very first attack, fleet-footed winger Albert Adomah skipping past Alan Tate and hanging up a cross to the far post where Stead headed narrowly over.
When Adomah next found himself in possession in space on City’s right in the fifth minute, he pinned back his ears, charged past the hapless Tate and dragged the ball back for Jamal Campbell-Ryce, in the team in place of the injured Danny Rose, whose shot was kept out by keeper Dorus de Vries.
Unfortunately for Swansea’s keeper, the ball ricocheted across the six yard box as far as Stead, who made no mistake from close range to register his fourth goal since signing from Ipswich at the end of August.
Unaccustomed to being behind, the Swans sought recourse in their patient keep-ball approach, only to find their way to goal blocked by a well-drilled City that was prepared to concede territory and defend the edge of their own 18 yard box.
Frustrated at their lack of progress, the promotion hopefuls were restricted to hopeful attempts from range, Darren Pratley leaning back and shooting high and wide and Andrea Orlandi directing a curling free kick directly into the hands of David James.
If Swansea are regarded as the Championship’s pass masters, City possess a midfield general of their own and, whenever a Welsh attack broke down, Lee Johnson would invariably seize upon the ball and direct traffic with calm authority.
Adomah was proving the chief beneficiary of Johnson’s eye for a pass and the former Barnet flyer again created havoc when aiming a cross towards the far post for the in-rushing Danny Haynes, who was denied a goal only by Angel Rangel’s last-ditch intervention.
Pre-match hype had emphasised the threat posed by Swans raider Scott Sinclair, but it was Adomah who was catching the eye and City’s fired-up winger again caused chaos in Welsh ranks, breaking clear of Tate and striking the cross bar with his angled drive.
Superbly shepherded by the experienced Louis Carey, Bath-born Sinclair was increasingly forced to come inside in search of the ball and one such foray afforded him a rare opportunity to shoot at goal 10 minutes before half time. But his weak effort proved meat and drink to former England keeper James.
When opportunity next came knocking for the ex-Chelsea starlet, Nathan Dyer opening up City’s defence with a perfectly-weighted through ball, Sinclair, perhaps intimidated by the hulking figure of James, lifted his shot over the bar from 12 yards out.
Swans boss Brendan Rodgers was sufficiently concerned at half time to make a double substitution, sending on Joe Allen and Mark Gower in place of the ineffectual Darren Pratley and Orlandi.
But it was City who began the second period with the greater purpose and the ubiquitous Adomah should have done better when meeting Johnson’s corner kick with a free header which drifted inches beyond the upright with de Vries struggling to make his ground.
City again had themselves to blame for not increasing their lead on 59 minutes, Adomah picking out centre-back Steve Caulker, whose header lacked the direction and power to beat de Vries. Swansea survived a further scare moments later, Stead electing to shoot wildly off target instead of passing to Haynes, who was unmarked and screaming for the ball inside the penalty area.
If City expected a Swans onslaught, it was slow in coming. The home side finally roused themselves and threatened the visitors’ goal for the first time when Tate’s low drive was cleared off the line by Adomah with James beaten.
Adomah then popped up at the other end of the pitch, jinking his way inside a white-shirted defender and unleashing a fearsome left-footed drive which required de Vries to make a fine sprawling save at the expense of a corner.
City still had some defending to do and James was called into action five minutes from time to tip Sinclair’s rasping drive over the bar as Swansea mounted a final push.
And City hearts were in mouths when Ashley Williams directed a header towards goal and the ball deflected off Sinclair and looped agonisingly over the cross bar.
