Phil SumblerIt feels strange when the opening game of a season is a League Cup tie but it matters not any more to the Swans after hugely disappointingly poor performance saw us exit the Carabao Cup at the first round stage at the hands of League Two Newport County.
In truth for the most part of the match you would have been forgiven for thinking that the two sides league divisions were the other way around with Newport comfortable from the outset and deservedly two goals clear at half time against a Swans side which, worryingly, was close to the side that will open he league season at Preston next Saturday.
Tristan Abrahams scored both goals for the hosts in a game where the Swans managed just one shot on target and never really threatened to come back into it after the first goal was scored on just seven minutes. That goal came about with some trademark hesitation in the Swans defence who failed to clear Abraham’s initial shot and also failed to notice the striker was still going to be on hand to tap home Haynes pass to him.
Such was the home side’s domination that it was almost half time before their keeper had anything to do and his first real impact was to set up the second as Woodman came out of the Swans goal but failed to get the ball giving Abrahams the easiest of chances to put the ball into the empty net and effectively end this game as a contest.
You can claim that the Swans had more of the second half and in truth we did have plenty of possession but, as can be the case so often with us, we did little with it and never threatened to reduce the deficit and bring ourselves back into the game.
The introduction of Dhanda, Peterson and Asoro gave us as much impact as you would anticipate those three players having and Newport must have been wondering just how the two sides are separated by two divisions.
Routledge had the Swans only shot on target which was easily saved but all too often we were reduced to long hopeful shots after a half of much hustle but very little impact on the game at all.
It is early days of course with many seeing this game more akin to a pre-season friendly but frankly there is no excuse for losing to a side two divisions below especially when the gulf between the two sides was so obvious. You kind of get used to being knocked out of cups early doors when league form is more important but this was a strong Swans side that we fielded today and we were simply not at the races.
Much work to be done in the week?
