Rob Davies
Swansea City came back to draw at Ashton Gate against Bristol City thanks to a goal from super sub Olivier Ntcham in what was largely a below par performance.
Tommy Conway slotted the Robins ahead and they could have had a further two but for poor finishing and solid goalkeeping from Steven Benda.
Russell Martin’s second half changes – notable credit for Oko-Flex’s performance and deflection for the equaliser – changed the game and got the Swans a leveller when Ntcham struck from a half cleared corner.
There so often is a comedown after the energy exerted in a derby match and that was clear to see in a disjointed first half with the manager later admitting that some of the younger players had perhaps got a little carried away with their celebrations after the Cardiff game.
In keeping with the 2-0 win against the Bluebirds, Martin kept faith with the same eleven that started last Sunday with the only changes to the squad being the welcome returns of Ryan Manning and Jamie Paterson to the bench.
Benda
Wood – Cabango – Darling
Latibeaudiere – Fulton – Grimes – Sorinola
Cundle – Obafemi – Cooper
There were positives to take from this game although there weren’t any to be seen in the opening 20 minutes or so with the Swans more than a little fortunate to be on level terms.
First it was an opportunity for Antoine Semenyo after a fine cross from Conway but his strike was at Benda from point blank range denying what would have been an easy opening goal.
Then it was some trademark sloppiness at the back from Nathan Wood which allowed another Bristol City attack ending with a strike from Nakhi Wells but Benda denied the striker with his feet.
Wood has been an ever present this season but with the Swans struggling defensively so far this campaign it might be an idea to make some changes with the return of Manning to full fitness.
It’s easy to forget that he has made less than a handful of appearances at this level before this season and maybe a break away from the starting eleven might boost his progression that much more.
Back to the game and it seemed a matter of time until the hosts opened the scoring and eventually Conway slotted the Robins ahead with defensive uncertainty at the heart yet again.
There were some shouts – in vain – for a foul on Harry Darling before the busy Semenyo found Conway in plenty of space behind the Swans backline allowing him to slot into the corner past Benda who had little chance.
Oli Cooper had one of a few rare chances for the Swans when he was found at the back post but sliced wide before a reasonable shout for a penalty was waved away when Cundle was caught by Jay Dasilva.
At half time Wood was hooked for the return of Manning which allowed Latibeaudiere to move in to centre half alongside Cabango and Darling.
This did coincide with an upturn in performance on the pitch with increased urgency although Latibeaudiere did concede possession to Semenyo early on allowing a shot at goal.
Thankfully it was straight at Benda leaving an opportunity for the Swans to take something from the match. It was just about utilising what was on the bench – a stronger bench than has been seen for the while thanks to the return of Paterson.
With Piroe’s suspension now over, the squad will look even stronger for the trip to Preston on Tuesday although the mantle of super sub certainly belongs to one Oliver Ntcham at present.
As the manager made several changes to take something back to South Wales, it was Ntcham and Oko-Flex who looked immediately threatening. The latter’s pace was a worry for City and his directness was something the Swans had been seriously lacking.
And after a couple of pot-shots from Ntcham, Martin’s men started to rack up the corner count with the Robins beginning to look edgy.
From one of those corners the ball was half cleared to the frenchman whose first time strike was crisp and flew past Max O’Leary with the aid of a deflection from Oko-Flex.
In the dying stages it was the Swans who looked the more likely to take all three points without seriously creating a clear cut chance. But on a day when the performance wasn’t great, a point was well received.
As the manager stated, it was a game we’d have lost last year and that much is true. It’s another sign that we do have the stamina to keep up with the promotion pace this season but it all depends on three factors.
Can we get Piroe and Obafemi scoring consistently? Can we tighten up defensively? And can we strengthen at full back in January or utilise the other options available? (e.g. Fin Stevens, Nat Ogbeta or Oko-Flex dropping further back)
If we can find the answers to those questions then we have as good a chance as anyone in this mad division.
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