Planet Swans ArchivesIn truth at the end of the game the biggest surprise was probably the 0-0 scoreline given the amount of chances created particularly in the second half when the game really opened up and I am sure that Everton will believe that they did enough to win the game.
However, despite a host of chances for both sides there were very few that were actually on target which tells you much about the two defences who were superbly marshalled by Ashley Williams for the Swans and John Stones for Everton.
The Swans returned to the tried, tested and familiar line up that has served us so well so far this season with Jefferson Montero in the side in place of Routledge who has been disappointing in his appearances this season.
Montero was always a threat to Everton in the first half but he was shepherded well by two Everton defenders for large parts of both halves which neutralised his effectiveness. What we want when that happens is for the space that it should create to be exposed by someone else but we still have an out of form Gylfi in our side at the moment that we are desperately hoping can play himself back into form.
The midfield was pretty much under the control of the excellent Ross Barkley although Jack Cork came more and more into it as the first half went on. The home crowd were getting frustrated by some decisions from the referee who showed little consistency in what he gave. Other than the late sending off of Mirallas though he had very few big decisions to make but an immediate stoppage when an Everton player goes down was not replicated when Kyle Naughton was clattered second half.
That aside though he showed good refereeing skills and also a great memory when he had to wait three minutes for the ball to go out of play to book Jack Cork in the first half.
The Swans performance was stuttering at times but some of that was down to the way that Everton hurried the Swans right from the back and, as we saw last week at Watford, that disrupts our play greatly and makes us significantly less effective at what we do.
Gomis came close twice in the first half and worked hard all afternoon before being replaced late on by Eder and the Swans looked more fluid when Ki came on for Gylfi even if the chances were few and far between. Mo Barrow was a late addition and he was the one that was challenged (if you can call it that) by Mirallas for his late red card.
Ki blasted over in stoppage time as we came close but Everton through the second half had some close calls with balls across the box and some brilliant challenges from Ashley Williams kept the scoreline blank.
This was not the Swans at their best but it was certainly a better performance than last week at Watford and another good point to be earned against a side in form and with European ambitions.
A draw probably just about felt fair in the end and one we will certainly take.
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