Phil Sumbler
Swansea City sealed back to back wins and a first home league win for Luke Williams against Blackburn this afternoon but for long periods in the first half it threatened to be much easier than it turned out to be in the end.
In much the same way that last week’s win at Sunderland never saw us reach the same heights of the first half in the second half, this fell the same way as Blackburn gradually got themselves back into the game and left for a very nervy last half hour at the Swansea.com Stadium before the result was confirmed.
It was a doubly vital win for the Swans as news hit at the final whistle of wins for Millwall, QPR and Stoke whilst Huddersfield’s point at Leeds earlier in the day had kept the pressure high on the Swans. The reality is the back to back wins have not seen us extend any gap on the bottom three which still stands at four points but shows the importance of holding onto those two wins.
The first half though looked as if the Swans were going to have an easy afternoon. Quick thinking from Carl Rushworth sent Placheta away and his persistence meant a ball eventually into the middle of the area was met with Joe Allen who scored his second goal of the season with a scuffed shot. With the game just seven minutes old it was a perfect start for the Swans and just what we needed.
All too often at home in recent weeks we have been out of the game within the first twenty minutes but this time around we were two goals to the good inside that same period. The second goal highlighted much about what Luke Williams talks about when he says a high press and it was that very high press from Grimes that set up Paterson for the goal. The Swans captain won the ball twenty five yards out and his perfectly timed tackle saw the ball find Pato who took a step to the side and found the back of the net with a powerful shot.
Much credit here needs to go to that tackle from Grimes who may have come up against much criticism in recent weeks but is certainly playing a much more advanced role in this midfield and it is reaping benefits for the Swans as we see more of the best of the captain.
At 2-0 the Swans had the chance to really take this game by the scruff of the neck and with Placheta and Ronald being used frequently on the wings we looked a threat every time we had the ball and whilst good chances were not plentiful there always looked a threat that we could add the all important third goal to the scoreline.
The warning signs though for the second half were there though towards the end of the first half with Rushworth called into action a couple of times to keep the visitors at bay as the Swans seemed to retreat deeper into their own half.
Those moments at the end of the first half set the tone for what was a much more disjointed second half for the Swans. Blackburn had already threatened by the time we started to lose our shape a little, a factor not helped by a constant changing of the team (five changes over three substitutions) and the fact that we seemed unable to get Ronald into the game at any stage during the second period.
The first changes saw Allen and Placheta replaced by Fulton and Yates and the first sign that the pattern of the game was to really change was made. We have seen in recent weeks that a midfield of Fulton and Grimes slows us down and so it proved to be. All of a sudden Blackburn were the better side in midfield and it was showing with the Swans retreating more and more.
That retreating was not helped by Blackburn pulling a goal back immediately after the change when Szmodics scored from a free kick and the deficit was halved and the Swans were getting more nervous.
A forced change came five minutes later when Paterson went down in clear discomfort holding his knee and he was replaced by the return from injury of Jamal Lowe. Blackburn were back in the game but should have been put out of sight when Cullen played Yates through a few minutes later but the lack of confidence from the striker was clear to see as he hesitated and eventually his shot was saved by the keeper. The frustration increased.
Patino and Cooper were the last changes for Cullen and Ronald but by this point there looked like only one side who were going to score. The Swans though did have the ball in the back of the net when Lowe hesitated with the ball seemingly out of play but played on without a flag. His ball found Yates who found the back of the net only to see the flag finally raised – ultimately the correct decision but hesitation from a linesman that only serves to add to the frustration.
Final moments of pressure – including an agonising nine minutes of injury time – saw the Swans stand firm and fight for the three points that their overall game deserved on the day. A welcome and needed three points for Luke Williams and the Swans but with the bottom teams still breathing down our neck we need to not celebrate too long and focus on the trips to Watford and Bristol City in the next eight days. Once they are out of the way we can start planning for the visit of Cardiff.
Overall a good day at the office for us but we have to learn to close off games like our opposition does and not always make it so difficult for ourselves.
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