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Sometimes you just know that it’s not going to go your way and this season is rapidly turning into concrete proof of that as the Swans made it one win in nine after an eventful afternoon at the Vetch.
A last minute equaliser from yet more shoddy defending cost the Swans three points this afternoon after they had fought back at the start of the second half and looked set for three points despite the sending off of leading scorer Lee Trundle.
Trundle had been dismissed ten minutes before the interval for a two footed lunge in which it appeared he may have won the ball but the decision had been made. The referee evened that out one minute later by showing the same card to Rochdale striker Paul Tait.
After resting a few players in midweek and seeing others back from injury, Kenny Jackett sent out his side knowing that this was a game that they probably had to win if they were to maintain any form of pressure on the automatic spots in the division after a wretched run that had seen only Scunthorpe beaten in the last 6 weeks.
Gueret
Gurney Iriekpen Austin Ricketts
Forbes O’Leary Bean McLeod
Connor Trundle
Subs: Murphy, Maylett, Robinson, Martinez, Thorpe
The Swans started brightly and a good combination between Trundle and Connor in the opening minute almost opened the Rochdale defence but his shot was blocked before it could do any damage and the danger was cleared.
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There were further chances created in the opening quarter of an hour with Kristian O’Leary heading over when very well placed and the same player seeing his shot blocked by the keeper after a fluent Swansea move found him clear on the penalty spot.
In return, one time Swans target Grant Holt was causing problems in a Swansea defence that has started to look weaker and weaker as the season has gone on and appears to miss the leader of that defence in Garry Monk.
And that weakening defence gifted Rochdale the lead just after the half hour when Izzy failed to deal with a long kick from the Rochdale keeper, benefitting from the strong wind at the Vetch and as Izzy let the ball past it was Holt, quick as a flash who was onto it to fire a low shot past Willy and into the net. Izzy can be an accomplished defender but mistakes like this are costing us more and more as we scratch around for the points we so desperately need.
Could the Swans hit back? They had to from here if they were to retain those flickering hopes of delivering what the board have stated is the only priority. |
SWANSEA |
| Gueret |
| Austin |
| Gurney |
| Iriekpen |
| Ricketts |
| O’Leary |
| Bean |
| Forbes |
| McLeod |
| Connor |
| Trundle |
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ROCHDALE |
| Gilks |
| Clarke |
| Gallimore |
| Goodall |
| Griffiths |
| Bertos |
| Jones |
| Lambert |
| Warner |
| Holt |
| Tait |
|
REFEREE |
| T Parkes |
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ATTENDANCE |
| 6,804 |
The game though was to spark to light in a crazy two minutes that saw both Trundle and Tait dismissed by a fussy and ‘blind to the obvious’ referee. Trundle’s two footed challenge appeared to win the ball but as soon as he jumped in the referee had made his mind up and showed the red card to the horrified Swansea front man. Not bad enough to be down to ten men but the realisation that the Swans will probably be without Trundle for games against Northampton, Macclesfield and Cheltenham puts quite possibly a fatal blow in any chance of promotion. An appeal will surely follow but two footed it was and I suspect any appeal will fail.
| Trundle Shows Off New Boots |
The only saving grace could appear to be the retaliation sending off of Tait just a minute later. A pretty innocuous challenge in the middle saw Tait raise a hand but minimal, if any contact, but that was enough for him to receive the same treatment and head off for an early bath levelling the two sides out in numbers. It did appear to be a hasty red again by the ref and not many in the ground were in doubt that had Trundle not seen red then neither would Tait.
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Goals |
One down at half time and without the man responsible for so many of our goals, the hope was beginning to drain already but within a minute of the restart the Swans were level from an unlikely source.
Much criticised over recent weeks, Andy Gurney broker from the back and instead of the cross that we all expected drove a low shot into the corner of the net to level the scores out and awake the Vetch from the slumber that would have ensued is we had remained behind for much longer.
And it soon got better for the Swans as they scored – wait for it – from a corner for the second game in succession. Mcleod’s delivery was turned into his own net by Grant Holt under pressure from Izzy and from nowhere the Swans had come and taken the lead with Rochdale very much on the back foot and there for the taking.
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| Swansea |
| Gurney 46 |
| Holt (og) 52 |
| Rochdale |
| Holt 31 |
| Lambert 90 |
| Card Count |
| Booked |
| Swansea |
| None |
| Rochdale |
| Griffiths 35 |
| Holt 55 |
| Sent Off |
| Swansea |
| Trundle 37 |
| Rochdale |
| Tait 38 |
| Match Pictures |
| CLICK HERE |
Was this to be the afternoon that the tide turned and the movement in the league table was the right way as far as we were concerned? Well, you would have hoped for but after five minutes of some pressure, the Swans did what we always hoped they wouldn’t and started defending deeply.
Instead of going for the jugular like they threatened at the start of the half they slipped back into the old ways of letting their visitors come at them hoping that they could hold out. With half hour to go in the game it is always a dangerous tactic to play.
| Swans Celebrate Gurney’s Goal |
Martinez was introduced to the action for the pretty much ineffective Bean whilst both Robinson and Maylett were introduced with ten minutes to go for McLeod and Forbes respectively. Forbes to his credit had given everything to the cause and would have taken the man of the match award by some distance I would imagine although I would say that for someone that covers so much grass during the game, his contribution with the ball still leaves a lot to be desired.
Robinson took a shot well saved by the keeper but it was Rochdale that were finishing the strongest and after a superb save from Willy and a miss when it was easier to score you would assume that Swansea had been let off. That was until they failed to clear a ball in the penalty area and it was stabbed home by Lambert as stoppage time was being played.
Too often in recent weeks we have failed to capitalise whilst on top and where today the draw was the fair result in an entertaining encounter this is a side that needs to knuckle down, forget automatic promotion as it isn’t going to happen and ensure that they at least extend their season past May 7th.
More points thrown away and it’s difficult to see how we can cope with the loss of Trundle against sides that, as with Rochdale, harbour their own hopes of automatic promotion.
Quite simply, we are not good enough and the longer the season goes on the more that becomes in evidence and unless we see an upturn in form now then the play offs may see us as interested spectators and nothing more.
CLICK HERE for more Match Pictures
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