Phil Sumbler
Swansea City showed a very large battling quality this evening coming from two goals down to secure a valuable 3-2 win over Reading at the Swansea.com stadium and a fifth win in five into the bargain.
Goals from Harry Darling, Ollie Cooper and Jay Fulton will take the headlines but you have to give full credit to a side that was crushed 4-0 at Burnley at the weekend and found themselves two goals in deficit in the first half this evening. This is a very different Swansea side to the opening weeks of the season and this evening we showed just what that different quality can bring.
After the disappointing way that we gave up our winning run at Burnley last weekend there were predictable changes for the Swans on top of the enforced absence of Joel Piroe who started the first game of a three match ban.
Harry Darling, Ollie Cooper and Luke Cundle were all recalled to the starting line up as Russell Martin went in search of getting immediately back to winning ways.
The game was less than a minute old before the first stoppage in play although this time it was caused by a multiple floodlight failure at the Swansea.com stadium that took more than six minutes to correct as the players found themselves taking an enforced extended warm up.
While the brightness returned to the stands the Swans played brightly enough for the first twenty-five minutes on the clock and can certainly consider themselves exceptionally unlucky not to be a goal to the good during that period.
Michael Obefami’s sharp turn in the box bought out the best in the visiting goalkeeper who tipped the ball around the post for a corner whilst Ben Cabango was inches way from a thirty yard screamer with another shot that was tipped away by the keeper just as it looked destined for the back of the net.
The home side can also consider themselves unlucky not to be on the right end of a penalty decision when Harry Darling’s header back across the goal struck the arm of a Reading defender but a potentially unsighted referee waved away the protests to the frustration of the home crowd.
That frustration was increased less than thirty seconds later when Reading took the lead completely against the run of play. A ball from the right was not dealt with by the defence and whilst the first shot was blocked by Darling his and Cabango’s hesitation saw Meite reach the rebound first and the visitors were ahead.
If Darling was slow for the first goal he was completely at fault for the second as a long hopeful ball from the Reading defence saw him hesitate way too long and, with a half shout for a foul, he lost possession and a simple pass for Tom Ince saw the former Swans target double the visitors advantage. Two goals down and two goals that could easily have been avoided meant too many of the same kind of errors that cost us at the weekend being made.
Russell Martin’s reaction was clear that he wanted the free kick but replays showed that whilst a case could be built for a foul it was the lightest of touches and should not excuse the fact that Darling had more than enough opportunity to clear his lines before the Reading player got anywhere near him.
Despite the two goal deficit the Swans were not down and out as far as they were concerned and they continued to make more of the attacking and Harry Darling was on hand to make amends for his defensive error to bring the Swans back into the game in the 40th minute.
A corner from the Swans left saw the defender leap far higher than anyone else and guide his corner into the corner of the net and the Swans were back in the game thanks to the defenders 3rd goal of the season.
Swansea’s attacking football was good to watch for large periods of the first half again testament to the change in style that we have adopted in recent weeks. Quicker and more decisive passing was always troubling the Reading defence and corners continued to flow at a regular basis as the fourth official signalled the eight minutes of stoppage time at the end of the first half.
Pretty much all those eight minutes were spent in the Reading half as a patient Swansea side looked to try and get back on level terms begore the half time break. It wasn’t to be though but as the referee’s whistle sounded the Swans were 2-1 down but with many positives to take from a first half that they dominated for all but the two sloppy incidents that cost them goals. You sensed though at that stage that the game was far from lost.
Russell Martin made a change at half time with the introduction of Armstrong Oko-flex at the expense of Nathan Wood meaning a defensive shuffle that moved Latibeaudiere into the back three and the substitute in at wing back.
The opening exchanges of the second half continued the same pattern of the latter stages of the first period with the Swans very much on the front foot and Reading doing all they could do to disrupt the pattern of play but they were forced into a change ten minutes into the half when Yiadom was forced off through injury after a small coming together in the visitors penalty area.
It was just before the hour mark when the Swans deservedly got themselves level in the game and it was Ollie Cooper who scored his second goal in as many home games.
Good work from Latibeaudiere and Oko-flex on the left hand side saw Lati float a ball across the area that was headed down by a Reading defender and Cooper was on hand to react first and bring the Swans level much to the delight of the home crowd. Thirty minutes to go and 2-2 was the scoreline on the big screen at the Swansea.com.
A quick breakaway from the Swans five minutes later almost resulted in Obafemi putting the Swans ahead as he exchanged passes with Oko-flex but whilst Lumley saved it the sight of the linesman’s flag meant it wouldn’t have counted although replays did suggest the Swans front man may have been onside.
The Swans were pressing hard and got their rewards for that pressing in the 74th minute when Jay Fulton put them ahead for the first time in the game. Another typically good spell of passing from the Swans saw the ball drop to Fulton invitingly 35 yards out and the midfielder took one touch and drilled a low shot into the bottom corner of the net past the helpless Lumley. It was the least the Swans deserved for a game they were dominating and now it was time to be strong at the back and ensure the hard work of overturning a two goal deficit was not wasted.
The sight of Andy Carroll on the touchline waiting to come on would not have been what the Swans wanted to see given the big strikers record against them.
A midweek crowd of 15,717 was the official attendance of an evening and each of the crowd were being treated to a hugely entertaining game with the Swans definitely not happy to sit fully on their 3-2 lead but understandably slightly more cautuous with the ball compared to when we were chasing the game.
Kyle Naughton and Fin Stevens were both introduced to the play as the Swans ticked down the clock slightly with Luke Cundle and Armstrong Oko-Flex replaced as the Swans looked to secure the three points their performance deserved.
The sign of a good team is the way that they bounce back from disappointment. This evening it would have been easy for the Swans to get their heads right down when they fell two goals behind in the first half but credit to Martin and his players they did not let that disrupt them and they continued to push.
The rewards for that pushing came in the second half with the two goals that secured the three points and what better way is there for us to go into the small matter of the derby on Sunday. We have nothing to fear the way we are playing. Bring it on!
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