Planet Swans ArchivesThe manner of conceding so late in the game is always galling but to be fair the goal had been coming all afternoon and Hartlepool deserved to make the trek back North with something for their troubles after a lethargic performance from the Swans with too many individuals missing on the afternoon.
With new signing Darren Way watching from the directors box I would hope that his thoughts were to take our midfield by the scruff of the neck and turn them into an effective machine that works rather than the hap hazard machine that really wasn’t at the races for much of the 90 minutes. The return from injury of Lee Trundle was a bright spot on what was a dismal afternoon in uncharacteristically warm January sunshine.
The Swans lined up as
Big Willy
Tatey Monk Izzy Sam
Big Leon Roberto Robbo Macca
Bayo Little Leon
Subs: Kev, Murphy, LT10, Watt, Forbsey
The first half passed by in a blur of Swansea being slow to the ball, poor with the pass and in the main lazy in the off the ball running. Bayo’s showed good touches with the foot but a complete inability with his head – highlighted by his failure to convert a pin point cross from Sam Ricketts. Four yards out, free header and the keeper didn’t need to break sweat. Says it all.
At the back, Tate, Monk, Izzy and Sam were looking like a unit that had been put together by MFI some years before and had seen better days. Nil communication, dawdling on the ball and a complete unawareness of the game around them at times led for nervous moments that surely a decent side could have capitalised on. Tate was having a poor game going forward and struggling to find his man.
We were more dangerous at this point on the left with McLeod and Ricketts putting some good moves together but McLeod’s final ball all too often lacking.
The goal came from the unlikely source of Leon Britton. Tate’s cross from the right was missed by the keeper and as it broke it was Leon who fired it home with protests from the keeper that he was impeded by Bayo. Maybe if Bayo had been a player inclined to jump he would have had an argument but clearly there was no impeding other than the rock of Bayo standing there as the keeper went for the ball.
But that was pretty much as good as we got as the Swans struggled. For a side that played such good football for three months at the start of the season it’s a mystery where it has all gone at the moment.
Half time came, half time went and the second half saw more danger from the Swans to an extent but at the same time more frustration as players become more detached from the play. LT10 appeared just after the hour – inexplicably in place of Leon Knight – but offered nothing in his time on the pitch. A poor appeal for a penalty was rightly turned away by referee Probert and two shouting matches at the ever disappointing McLeod summed up the frustration inside the stadium. Robinson in the centre of midfield was increasingly frustrated and not having the impact he wanted whilst at the back we looked more shaky than anyone would want. But as Hartlepool hit the bar and Willy tipped a superb free kick over it looked as if it may be our day as the 4th official signalled 3 minutes of stoppage time.
But as has been said before – one goal is not enough and as Eifion Williams hammered home at the far post it summed up what our afternoon was about and the weaknesses in our side were there for all to see.
Two points lost yet again and whilst we remain in touching distance of the top it could slip away from us unless we shape up quickly. I’m not going to name individuals in a match report purely on the basis that I don’t see it as productive but when I see players walking around the pitch when we need 110% effort, I have to question whether we need them or not.
There is time left but this was a worrying afternoon.
