Planet Swans ArchivesI guess at the end of a game like that the result is all important and despite the scares given to us by our visitors we were good enough to come through it and maintain our 100% record in the group. With home and away games to come against the Russians who have lost both their games then we now find the Swans firmly as favourites to win the group and qualify for the knockout stages. At this point in time you would believe that to be secure by the time the double header against Kuban is complete.
If we coasted past Valencia though two weeks ago this was a much tougher test as our visitors closed us down all too often and created some quality first half chances including quite possibly one of the worst penalties that you could ever seen. Not that I am saying that the ball was telegraphed to Tremmel but I am convinced that many of the crowd had time to get down to the ball before it would have crossed the line. Thankfully for the player himself his concussion at half time meant he could not remember the penalty and that was probably for the best
Minutes though after that they wasted a chance when their man was through on goal and slid the ball past the advancing Tremmel but also past the post to the relief once again of the Swans. At that point St Gallen were well on top but the Swans came back into it as the half progressed.
Michu should have had not one but two penalties but both were waved away by the referee who was completely hopeless for large parts of the game and quite how he missed either of them will be a mystery for some time. If a boot at head level is a free kick anywhere else on the pitch then it is a penalty in the penalty area and the other one was as obvious as the blood on Michu’s shirt. Six times!
Michu was also guilty of missing a good chance whilst Pozuelo was equally as guilty as the half drew to a close with the game goalless.
The second half wasn’t that old though when that changed and Routledge gave the Swans the lead. A ball from Pozuelo found Bony in the area and his good work saw a shot saved but Routs was at the back post to grab the rebound and fire home into an empty net to give the Swans the lead.
St Gallen did hit the outside of the post as the game drifted towards its close while one of the Swans moves almost resulted in a volleyed goal from Dyer but his shot was straight at the keeper who saved well.
From the fans perspective the St Gallen fans were a credit to their team and didn’t stop throughout the game but it was the Swans who came away with the points and one foot firmly moving towards the next stage of the competition.
