Swansea City 2–1 Wrexham: Late Drama, Deserved Win and Third Straight Home Victory

Swansea City made their own luck at the Swansea.com Stadium yesterday evening as two late goals gave them all three points against their North Walian cousins.

After Cameron Burgess’ third own goal of the season gifted the visitors a lead early on there was only ever going to be one winner as the Swans were dominant in both possession and shots but looked like they would be held out until Zan Vipotnik’s shot took a wicked deflection with twenty minutes to go.

If that was lucky, the winner as the clock ticked past ninety minutes had a feeling of comedy about it but ultimately it was no more than the Swans deserved and a third successive win at home as lifted us further clear of the bottom three and within touching distance of the visitors.

For Vitor Matos he must have feared the worst for long periods but you have to give credit where it is due and the Swans never gave up despite the defensive nature of the opposition and the three points were more than welcomed as the final whistle blew.

First Half: Wrexham lead but it’s through our misfortune

Wrexham came out with a spark that suggested they might have more than enough to trouble Swansea in the early stages. They pressed with intent, moved the ball quickly and looked like a side eager to make a statement. For all that early energy though, it never quite translated into real danger. From a Swansea perspective the midfield looked the stronger unit, moving the ball with more purpose and composure, even if it never tipped into full control. It was one of those halves where you felt the Swans had the better ideas but not quite the sharpness to turn them into something meaningful.

The opening goal summed up the frustration. A routine cross from Wrexham’s right should have been dealt with, yet a mistimed header sent the ball flashing past Vigouroux with no chance for the keeper to react. It was a gift for a side who had barely threatened and it knocked the wind out of Swansea just as they were starting to settle.

Out wide things were no better. Ronald and Inoussa looked lost on their respective wings, offering little threat and even less conviction. When they eventually swapped, Inoussa at least began to show flashes of danger, driving at his man and trying to make something happen. Ronald, on the other hand, drifted through the half with a worrying lack of urgency. The reluctance from both wingers to take on their full backs left Swansea predictable, constantly cutting inside and allowing Wrexham’s well organised defence to stay comfortable.

Ironically the player dictating most of Swansea’s play was Galbraith at right back. His composure and intelligence were clear, but the match was crying out for him to step into midfield where his influence could have been even greater.

Chances were limited to long range efforts. Two forced saves but nothing that truly threatened to level the score. Possession was heavily in Swansea’s favour yet the cutting edge was missing.

By the time the whistle went the pattern was obvious. Swansea were the better footballing side, controlling the ball and the tempo, but somehow trailing to a team who had not registered a single shot on target. An unfortunate own goal was all that separated the sides, and it left a lingering sense of injustice heading into the break.

Second Half: Swans make their own luck to fight back

The second half began without any changes from either side, although the pattern of the game hardly needed adjusting to see where it was heading. Swansea came out with the same intent they had shown before the break, edging forward with purpose even if the final ball continued to elude them. Within minutes Ronald had a sight of goal, pouncing on a loose ball and curling an effort from the edge of the box that drifted well wide. It summed up his recent form, flashes of involvement without the conviction to match.

Still, the early stages carried a familiar feel. Swansea were the ones probing, pushing, trying to force the issue, while Wrexham looked increasingly content to sit in and hope their first half gift would somehow carry them through. Their approach had narrowed to one idea: launch it long to Moore and hope for the best. Aside from the very first aerial contest of the night, he was swallowed whole by Cabango, who had him tucked neatly in his pocket from then on. There was no ambition from the visitors to extend their lead. The question was whether Swansea could break them down before frustration took hold.

The first move from the bench came from Matos, who introduced Eom and Cullen for Inoussa and Widdell. The reaction inside the stadium was telling. Most expected Ronald to be the one withdrawn, given how little he had offered on the left, but the reshuffle pushed him to the right instead. Oddly enough, it helped him. He finally managed to deliver a cross into the box, nothing dangerous in itself, but significant purely because he had not managed anything of the sort in weeks.

Moments later Swansea got the moment they had been pushing for. It took a slice of luck, but given the balance of play it felt overdue rather than fortunate. Ronald slipped a pass into Vipotnik inside the area. The striker turned sharply and got his shot away, only for it to take a heavy deflection that wrong‑footed Okonkwo completely. The ball rolled into the net and the stadium erupted, a release of noise and belief. With twenty minutes left, the sense was that Swansea had the momentum to go and win it.

Matos made another double change with just over ten minutes remaining, bringing on Fulton and Yalcouye for Franco and Stamenic. Stamenic could leave the pitch with his head up after a performance that grew stronger as the match wore on. Franco, on the other hand, endured another evening where nothing quite clicked, a continuation of a frustrating spell for a player who has shown he can offer far more.

Swansea did drop a little deeper after the equaliser, perhaps conserving energy for one final push, but Wrexham still offered next to nothing. Even with the extra space, they remained as blunt as you are likely to see from a side protecting a point. If there was going to be a winner, it felt inevitable it would be the home side.

And when it arrived, it was as bizarre as it was deserved. Galbraith floated a free kick into the box and Okonkwo charged out well beyond his penalty spot to claim it. He misjudged the flight completely, managing only the faintest touch with his fist. The ball looped kindly onto Cabango’s head and the captain guided a gentle header back toward goal. Okonkwo scrambled to recover and looked certain to gather it, only to spill the simplest of catches at the feet of Idah, who had been on the pitch for barely two minutes. From a yard out he could hardly miss. Swansea had turned it around and the points were staying in South Wales.

The seven minutes of stoppage time passed without incident as Swansea saw out the win against a Wrexham side who, after being gifted their opener, had shown little interest in playing football for the remainder of the match. It was a deserved victory, hard earned, and one that felt like a small restoration of order.

Moving Forward

There was plenty to admire in the performance, but it also laid bare a few truths we can’t keep ignoring. Ronald summed it up more than anyone. He had the odd bright moment after the break, yet for long stretches he was a passenger. What’s worrying is the reluctance to take on his man, something that should be a basic instinct for a wide player. Even more frustrating is the habit of throwing himself to the floor at the slightest touch. It cost us genuine free kicks and possibly even a penalty last night. When you’re fighting for points, you can’t afford theatrics that take the referee out of the moment.

The right back situation remains a problem we have to solve. Galbraith has done a job there and done it well, but his absence from midfield was obvious. This was a match crying out for someone to take control in the middle, to dictate the tempo and keep Wrexham penned in. We were on top for long spells, but with Galbraith in his natural role we would have had even more authority and probably killed the game earlier.

Football always turns on moments of luck and we had two go our way, which balanced out the one Wrexham enjoyed. People say you make your own luck and looking back at the full ninety, nobody can argue we didn’t deserve the win. Three home victories on the bounce is exactly the kind of momentum we’ve been desperate for. If we can take even a point from Coventry, we head into Oxford and West Brom with confidence rising and a real chance of entering the new year sitting comfortably in mid table.

There’s still work to do. We need more creativity and we need reinforcements so we aren’t relying on fortunate breaks. But three wins in four is a proper lift. As we move toward Christmas, it’s worth remembering how far we’ve come in a short space of time and how much potential there is if we keep pushing in the right direction.

This article first appeared on JACKARMY.net.