Phil Sumbler
Swansea City had to settle for a point this afternoon at the Swansea.com Stadium but to be honest it was a point in a second half where we were grateful once again to a goalkeeper who more than earned his wages for the afternoon.
After back to back league wins thanks to successes against Norwich and Coventry, Luke Williams sent his side out at home looking for the win that would keep pace with the division’s top sides at this early stage of the season.
The absence of Liam Cullen gave a league start to Zan Vipotnik and as the rain came down on the Swansea.com Stadium the game got underway for what would be an entertaining first half with chances for both sides being the nature of that opening 45 minutes.
The first real chance of the game fell to the visitors and the Swans were grateful to Lawrence Vigoroux who made a one handed save from a Scott Twine volley to keep the game goalless in the tenth minute. If the Swans there, our gratitude increased just minutes later when we took the lead from a corner. Vipotnik’s shot from the six yard line was deflected for a corner and Eom’s kick back in evaded everyone and gave Cabango the easiest chance to bundle the ball into the area for his first goal since he secured a double double at Cardiff in April last year.
The Swans were a goal to the good and again it was an early goal that had lifted the spirits – something that we have become used to in recent weeks. However, it was Bristol City who almost bounced back immediately when Armstrong hit the post with a shot at the other end whilst just minutes later Ollie Cooper charged down McNally and saw his effort hit the post as the Swans were inches away from doubling their advantage.
The end to end nature of the half saw both Eom and Franco come close to doubling the lead whilst Vigoroux was a regular in the action whenever Bristol City attacked but as half time arrived it was just the solitary goal from Cabango that was the difference between the two sides.
The visitors could have been level within three minutes of the first half but yet again it was Vigoroux who we were grateful to when he made himself big and easily kept out and effort from Armstrong whilst just minutes later he was in exactly the right position to gather a Scott Twine free kick that was straight at him.
The first changes of the game came just before the hour mark with the visitors electing for a triple change whilst the Swans introduced Josh Key for Kyle Naughton in our first change of the afternoon. It was a period of the game either side of the hour mark where there was more and more action being in the Swansea half as the Robins went in search of an equaliser.
That said the Swans always had a willing outlet in both Eom and Cooper as they looked to go forward and the game was finely posed as Bristol City bought on a one time Swansea target in Nakhi Wells with a quarter of the game to go as they went in search of an equaliser.
The Swans reaction to that change was to introduce both Joe Allen and Myles Peart-Harris into proceedings with Goncalo Franco and Zan Vipotnik the two who made way for the incoming duo. Seventeen minutes to go and the Swans game was becoming more and more defensive as they looked to maintain their lead.
That defensive work failed us though with fifteen minutes to go when Jason Knight headed the visitors home. The Sky commentators had been telling us all afternoon that we had not conceded from a set play this season so it was always going to be one that cost us on the day. An outswinger was met by a perfectly timed run from Knight and his header found the bottom of the net and Bristol City were level.
The visitors were in the ascendancy at this stage and looked to capitalise on that advantage as they continued to push forward and they could easily have found themselves ahead just minutes later as another header was spilled by Vigoroux but thankfully he recovered the rebound under pressure from an offside looking attacking player.
If Bristol City’s corner for their goal was well executed the Swans next two were anything but as successive corners from Matt Grimes failed to make it past the first defender as both sides looked to see if they could produce something to take all three points away from the game.
Once again the Swans could express their thanks to Vigoroux from another dangerous Robins attack that saw the ball deflected towards goal but another alert save kept us level in a game where we were very much looking second best as we entered the last five minutes of “normal” time. It was also a period where second best seemed to be giving way to panic stations in our defence as some wild clearances kept Bristol City in the ascendancy and the Swans were grateful as another ball was cleared and eventually went for a goal kick.
The Swans next change was Azeem Abdulai for Eom in the closing stages but you sensed already that we were going to be grateful to leave the dot com with a point after a second half where we were very much second best throughout it. Long gone had gone some of the composure and passing of the first half and even in our increasingly less frequent forays into the Bristol City half the last ball was very lacking and easily dealt with by a defence who just wasn’t troubled in the second 45 minutes.
As the game entered the second of five minutes of stoppage time we were awarded a free kick but another Matt Grimes floated effort was dealt with by the Bristol City defence without any real threat to them – the story of the second half summed up in an instant.
As the final whistle sounded I think we can reflect on a game where we were second best for large periods but also a game where we took another point despite that second best status. Defensively we can be grateful – not for the first time this season – to Vigoroux in goal and his signature this summer was certainly one of the key ones even in this early stage of the season.
Our lack of real firepower in the side again though was clear to see once again and the importance of certain players to our side can be seen by the change in play following certain substitutions. However, it was a point gained and our unbeaten home record for the season remains intact.
It’s Sheffield United away now for the Swans in midweek – one of their toughest away assignments of the season before we close the current mini section of the season with a home game against Stoke next weekend.
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