Planet Swans ArchivesTongue in cheek it’s been called a ‘Swansea train’ for a while now but if that is what it is to be then it is gathering some momentum as the Swans recorded a third successive league victory today to widen the gap between them and the chasing pack in front of the division’s largest attendance of the season.
Over 10,000 crammed into the Vetch to watch the game with the West Terrace half for Swans fans full to the brim and only a little space on the East side of the North Bank being the only visible gap in the crowd.
As expected, Kenny Jackett slotted Sam Ricketts in at right back in place of the suspended Andy Gurney but otherwise named an unchanged side from that which started the 5-1 rout against Kidderminster.
Gueret
Ricketts Iriekpen Austin Anderson
Forbes Martinez Tate Goodfellow
Connor Trundle
Subs: Murphy, Nugent, Jones, Robinson, Maylett
There was no first minute goal for the Swans today but the opener wasn’t long coming. A free kick was awarded to the Swans ten yards outside the area and whilst McCann was being booked for dissent the referee – Mr Singh – decided that it was a ten yard infringement and moved the ball onto the edge of the penalty area. It seemed as if it could be a disadvantage for the Swans and did Trundle have the space to get it over/around the wall and in. The answer of course was yes and Trundle started with scoring from the free kick much as he had done last time out at the Vetch against Notts County.
It was to signal the start of half hour of play that saw the Swans sizzle and Boston wit no answer to the growing confidence that is spreading throughout our team.
Trundle very nearly made it two with a carbon copy free kick that was clawed from under the bar by the visiting keeper for a corner and Tate saw his drive from the edge of the area turned around for another corner.
Swansea were in full flow and on the Boston bench former Jack Paul Raynor was becoming exasperated with his sides attempts at slowing the tide.
The second though came in unusual circumstances. The ball broke to Forbes on the right hand side and whilst the 10,000 Swans fans waited for the cross it turned into a shot which beat a keeper who slipped trying to turn to save it and the net bulged again. Eleven for the Swans in just 155 minutes of football and the threat was of more to come. There was at this point only going to be one winner, the only question that remained unanswered was by how many.
Two became three just five minutes later. Trundle, showing his unselfish side freed Goodfellow and all smart money was on him to score and oblige he did as he placed the ball wide of the advancing keeper and into the back of the net. The Swans were three goals to the good and there was less than half hour on the match clock.
A carbon copy run just a few minutes later saw Goodfellow screw the ball just wide and just outside the reach of the sliding Forbes whilst Connor saw his effort from outside the box tipped over as Swansea looked for more.
The second half was always set up to be an anti climax and an anti climax it was. Swansea already seemed to have one eye on Saturday’s huge game against Yeovil and were content to sit back and let Boston come at them – hoping that a break would suffice.
It could easily have done – Trundle poked one wide of the post, Connor hit the outside of the upright and Trundle forced a save from the keeper who managed to grab the rebound before Connor stabbed it home.
Nugent and Robinson were sent on for Connor and Forbes at different times as the Swans settled for three.
Boston to their credit started to throw more men forward in search for a consolation – something that they grabbed four minutes from time.
A scramble in the area saw the ball rebound off the post and a former favourite of Messrs Skinner and Baddiel hammered the ball home to make the scoreline 3-1.
Whether there was some disappointment after the game that the Swans couldn’t build on the first half now becomes irrelevant as the three points were won by half past three and all attention now turns to the Yeovil game mentioned previously where surely the division’s highest attendance figure for the season will be broken again.
Picking a man of the match on today’s game was hard as so many contributed to the game in question. The midfield contributed much, the defence did for 80 minutes and Connor and Trundle linked well at the top end of the pitch. I’m going for Trundle purely because he scored one, set one up and showed another side to his game today that proves that he know feels that he doesn’t have to do all the work on his own.
If that was the end of 2004 then 2005 is shaping up very nicely indeed and on the evidence of recent weeks we could very well close the Vetch at the back end of April with a promotion party that we may never forget.
Happy New Year to Jacks everywhere an most importantly let’s hope it’s a very Happy New Year for Kenny Jackett.
