Planet Swans Archives|
Swansea 0 Northampton 2 |
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Click Here For Match Pictures The Swans went into the game against play off chasing Northampton looking to break Kenny Jackett’s managerial duck at the Vetch and made a couple of changes from the side beaten by Bristol Rovers last weekend. In came Brian Murphy for Roger Freestone whilst there was a move into midfield for Kris O’Leary in place of the injured Andy Robinson. Murphy S Jones Tate Iriekpen Coates Maylett O’Leary Martinez Britton Connor Trundle Subs: Freestone, Connolly, Corbisiero, Roberts, Nugent The Swans started brightly enough and could have had an early lead as chances from Connor and O’Leary came close to breaking the deadlock. There was some good fluency to the Swans play during the opening quarter of an hour with attacks being built down both flanks and causing danger to the Northampton defence. Northampton, for their part, were looking no threat for the first twenty minutes and there appeared to be only one winner. However, the danger signs for a sloppy Swansea defence soon came into play when former Swan Marc Richards was flagged off side in a line decision and despite firing home he turned to see the linesman’s flag raised in front of him. Just five minutes later came an incident that I suspect may well be taken a little further. Izzy tried to shepherd the ball out of play for a goal kick and did, in fairness, appear to push Sabin off the ball. Nothing was given which prompted Cobblers manager Colin Calderwood to enter the playing area by a yard or so to voice his disagreement with the decision. A short talk with the referee seemed to have killed the incident off but as the referee returned to wait for the goal kick to be taken Calderwood carried on his animated disapproval and after another talk was ordered to the stands. As he walked to take his seat in the directors box he was showed the way (politely) by a steward but a fracas followed which it was alleged that a steward was hit by Calderwood. An obscenity was then aimed at some of the guests in the Swansea side of the directors box – all of which I would imagine must have been seen by the referee. Calderwood’s displeasure though soon turned to joy as Sabin put them ahead after capitalising on an acre of space left by the woefully out of position, and out of depth Jonathan Coates. 1-0 to the visitors probably against the run of play. Ten minutes later, one became two as Sabin again capitalised on hesitation in the Swansea defence to shoot under the advancing Murphy and somehow send the Swans in two goals down – a scoreline that flattered the visitors. However, the second half was a different story as it was Northampton in constant control of the ball game as Swansea reverted to the panic tactics we have seen so often of hit and hope. Whether it was fitness or whether it was a lack of will but balls were played into spaces with no-one there and it became a struggle to string two passes together in succession. Two good saves from Murphy kept the scoreline at 2-0 as Sabin in particular caused havoc in the Swansea defence and constantly caught them out for pressure. Karl Connolly, on at half time for Izzy, looked even less involved than I have seen him before and by the time Stuart Jones hacked him down in the area for one of the most certain penalties you will ever see, he was a clear leader in the man of the match stakes. The penalty went well wide but this served only to keep the scoreline down and not get the Swans back into a game that they began looking like they would win easily and finished holding on to only lose by two. Marc Richards was replaced to a round of applause from a Vetch crowd of just under 5,000 and the game fizzled out into yet another defeat in what has fast become a season to forget in a hurry. Swans man of the match for me was Murphy who I didn’t feel put a foot wrong all afternoon but rest assured to anyone reading this we are still a long way short of where we need to be if we are to challenge for promotion next season. Click Here For Match Pictures |
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Why not check out the latest Vetch Verdict on the BBC site? |
