Swansea 4 Bury 2

Swansea 4 Bury 2

What is it about the opening day of the football season that generally brings the sunshine? Swansea was baking in the sun on the hottest day of the year as thousands of Jacks descended on the Vetch for what they hoped was to be a Swansea victory.

With hundreds drinking outside the pubs before the game you would be forgiven for thinking that you were abroad rather than Swansea but with many new shirted fans on view there was no doubt that this was the Vetch and a new era was dawning.

Contrary to the rumours of yesterday, Brian Flynn elected to start with James Thomas and Lee Trundle up front with Lenny Johnrose, as expected filling in in the centre of defence and Stuart Jones in for the injured Lee Jenkins. Brian Murphy was selected ahead of Roger Freestone in goal, leaving the Swans to line up as

Murphy

Jones O’Leary Johnrose Hylton

Maylett Britton Martinez Connolly

Thomas Trundle

But it was almost a nightmare start for the Swans as almost from the kick off, Bury attacked and maybe should have taken the lead after some hesitation in the Swansea defence and the home support started to wonder whether the optimism may have been unfounded as some of the defensive problems of last season surfaced.

But it was a false dawn for Bury and Swansea were ahead within five minutes. Leon Britton picked the ball up just inside the Bury half and fed James Thomas on the left and a pin perfect cross was met on the volley by the incoming Brad Maylett to put the home side ahead and send three and two thirds of the ground into raptures. At this stage Swansea looked invincible and Britton and Maylett both came close to doubling Swansea’s lead before Bury came back with an equaliser. Hesitation again in the Swansea defence, mainly from Brian Murphy, meant that a cross that should have proved harmless was nodded in by the visiting player-manager Andy Preece to silence the Vetch not including the 150 or so Bury supporters.

This mistake seemed to shatter Murphy’s confidence for a while and further breakdown’s in communication were evident together with some erratic kicking. This period was probably Swansea’s worst period of the game but they should have gone in at half time in front. Thomas and Trundle broke in a 2 on 1 situation but Trundle’s determination to score prevented him from picking out the better placed (and un-marked) Thomas and the chance went begging.

In scorching heat the referee stopped the game briefly for the players to take in some liquid in both halves – common sense from an official being the unusual comments being made in the stand.

Flynn elected not to change things at half time and both sides seemed to cancel each other out at the start of the second half. Brian Flynn’s programme prediction that Bury would be one of the toughest sides to visit the Vetch this season seemed to be coming true and the match appeared to be heading for a draw until lighting up in the last 15 minutes.

And it was Brad Maylett again who provided the magic as he hit a ball first time that was dropping to him outside the area and a deflection of a Bury defender completely wrong footed their keeper and the Swans were back ahead. Maylett had two to his name – not bad for someone who was 25-1 for the opening goal, having not scored one before.

And within five minutes the Swans appeared to have wrapped up the points as Lee Trundle popped up unmarked to head home the third goal and score, as predicted, on his debut. He turned to celebrate in front of the North Bank and a new hero was born?

With the three points seemingly in the bag, the home fans were treated to a reason why following the Swans becomes so frustrating. More confusion in the home defence allowed Bury to grab a goal and yet again the nerve ends were jangling. As the fourth official showed three minutes of stoppage time we wondered if we were going to see an injury time equaliser on opening day for the second season running.

But it was not to be as this was Maylett’s day. Leon Britton continued to show the skills that he showed all afternoon and burst into the area only to see the keeper block his shot. Leon though was not alone, Kevin Nugent, on for James Thomas, crossed and found Trundle at the far post. Showing more awareness than in the first half he controlled the ball and laid it off for Brad to hammer the ball into the net and complete his hat-trick to the delight of everyone. The fans had come expecting goals from Thommo or Trundle but it was the hugely impressive Maylett who was stealing the headlines today.

As the whistle blew it was hard not to see a beaming smile on the face of Swans fans, players, management and directors alike and the season had started as we dreamed that it would. Maylett will take the plaudits for his goals but there was much more to Swansea today than just the finishing. In midfield, Robbie controlled and Leon shone as they always do and Johnrose and O’Leary had good games at the back. Jones and Hylton were composed in the full back roles – the only slight disappointment for me being Conolly who had a quiet game. Murphy recovered well from his first half crisis just after the goal and made some good handling in the second half in particular. Trundle and Thomas did not look on the top of their game but these two have goals in them and we will see that before the season is too old I am sure.

The side has a gel about them and it is difficult to see too many sides that manage to stop us scoring this season.

That aside the day belonged to man of the match Brad Maylett who I am sure could only have dreamed about a start like this but we have to remember that sometimes, dreams do come true.

The football season is back and the Swans have begun it as they finished the last – with a 4-2 win an a hat-trick from a different kind of Swansea hero.

BRIAN FLYNN’S BARMY ARMY!

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