Planet Swans ArchivesThe Swans are pegged back from a 4-1 lead inside half hour and have to settle for a point against their relegated opponents
REPORT – TELEGRAPH
Sir Alex Ferguson missed precisely nothing by leaving the Liberty Stadium with 10 minutes remaining of this crazy goal-fest. He had seen enough. Four sublime moments of finishing from Swansea tempered by some out-of-character defending from next Sunday’s opponents.
On the evidence of this Jekyll and Hyde performance, the Manchester United manager will lose little sleep once Monday’s derby is put to bed.
It was that kind of game, one of contrasting fortunes for both sides. Swansea led 4-1 after 33 minutes and could have been half a dozen to the good if not for Wolves keeper Dorus de Vries.
At half-time something changed. Wolves, who have not won a game since Terry Connor took over from Mick McCarthy, played with a desire that, in the end, should have led to a first win for the caretaker boss. Had they have played with similar drive over the past two months, they might be joining the Swans in next season’s top flight.
Needing just a point to make sure there was not even a mathematical chance of joining Wolves in the Championship, Swansea had a dream start when Andrea Orlandi headed home Scott Sinclair’s cross after just 25 seconds.
Three minutes later, it was 2-0. A neat exchange in midfield between Danny Graham and Gylfi Sigurdsson made enough space for Joe Allen to beat De Vries via a wicked deflection off the unfortunate Richard Stearman. Two became three after 15 minutes, as Swansea once again ripped open the Wolves defence. Nathan Dyer arrived on the end of Orlandi’s cross to beat De Vries with a downward header.
Steven Fletcher nicked a goal back with a header that looped into Michel Vorm’s top corner, but normal order was restored two minutes after that when Graham converted Dyer’s lob cross.
It should have been the signal for Swansea to push on. It was anything but. Matt Jarvis beat Vorm at his far post 12 minutes before half-time and David Edwards fired past Vorm to finish the move of the match eight minutes after the interval. The comeback was complete after 68 minutes when Jarvis arrived in the six-yard box to poke home Fletcher’s drilled centre.
Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers was angered by his side’s implosion. “We played as a team for 30 minutes and could have scored more. Then we gave away some soft goals and started to play like individuals instead of a team, as we have all season.”
Connor said. “We made a bad start, but that was down to a hangover from last week’s disappointment. But once they cleared their heads I thought they were superb.”
