Rob Davies
There was a generally positive atmosphere around the club after the defeat against Leicester largely recognising the performance against a substantially stronger team.
But last night was poor and there’s not much else that can be said to make that better. Watford hadn’t won away from home since January, nigh on 300 days, and in truth they didn’t have to work particularly hard to get the three points.
A late Ken Sema thunderbolt was enough for the Hornets although Harry Darling will wonder yet again how he wasn’t on the scoresheet with two clear cut chances.
The Swans will wonder why Kristian Pedersen’s header was disallowed on 70 minutes for no apparent reason but the lack of protest on the pitch (along with the five firework display) summed up this miserable night.
As anticipated pre match Duff made three changes with Fulton, Ashby and Pedersen replacing Patino, Key and Tymon.
Rushworth
Ashby – Darling – Humphreys – Pedersen
Fulton – Grimes – Paterson
Cullen – Yates – Lowe
It was the Swans that started the better and as mentioned above Darling should have pit the Swans ahead. From Paterson’s delightful right wing cross the centre back was all alone six yards from goal but flicked his effort wide.
Tom Ince did have an opportunity on the break for Watford but his effort was smothered by Rushworth before Grimes’ superb strike was tipped around the post by Daniel Bachmann.
This wasn’t a game full of chances for sure with there being a clear lethargy throughout the team perhaps off the back of their efforts against the Foxes on Saturday.
Despite the early control Watford came more into the game and should have been ahead before the break. A point blank header was saved by Rushworth before a tame follow up was held.
Fans were expectant before the game that thr tram would get the win that would have moved them 8th but much like the promised light and firework display, it simply didn’t happen.
The manager made changes in the second half to try and drive some energy with Tymon, Cooper and Walsh introduced but perhaps it shouldn’t have been Paterson and Cullen that made way in the first instance?
They were perhaps the more likely to create an opportunity on a night of slim pickings in front of goal with Yates and Lowe feeding off scraps to say the least.
The key moment came on 70 minutes as a below par Swansea earned a corner on the right. It was whipped in by Grimes for Pedersen to have an unmarked header which went in off the goalkeeper’s hand.
The referee then decided it was not a goal and pointed to a free kick much to the dismay of the quiet 14k in the Swansea.com Stadium.
There were a couple of further efforts on goal again from Darling which Bachmann did well to save but ultimately this performance simply wasn’t good enough against a team low on confidence and points.
And just when it looked like it would be a point a piece the Hornets broke at pace and after Ashby was replaced it left Darling St right back. He stood off and kept backing off substitute Sema who took his opportunity with aplomb.
Five minutes of added time couldn’t bring the equaliser required on a drab and miserable night in SA1 with little on offer to give any optimism going forward.
Yes we have injuries but I’m yet to be convinced about how good this squad is, particularly in an attacking sense. We did not replace Ntcham or Piroe in reality in the summer nor did we get the type or central midfielder that we desperately required.
Defensively we have options but the same can’t be said for the rest of the pitch. And with a tough game at Blackburn on Saturday we could be facing a week of no points from nine on offer.
Work to do then.
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Why change a team that looked reasonable to start with v The Foxes ? Not a single Swans player deserved more than 3 out of 10. Extremely poor, Duff you need to apologise publicly!
Ref had already blown for the foul so there’s no way he was changing his mind. Sure you see these kind of tactics all the time but there’s a difference between blocking defenders and actually manhandling them.