Tom Butler had used the morning press to warn that Swansea City cannot keep throwing away points – a comment made after four successive draws. Well make that five as they passed up a host of chances to bury the ten man opposition only to see Chris Morgan capitalise on hesitation in the Swansea goalmouth with just three minutes to go.
It was a goal that the Blades did not deserve and the only decent chance that they had all game in contrast to a series of chances for the home side in particular in the second half after a largely uninspiring first 45 minutes.
It was most definitely a case of points dropped for the Swans and they will wonder this evening how they failed to take all three points on a cold afternoon at the Liberty.
Joe Allen’s reward for his substitute appearance on Tuesday was a place in the starting line up alongside Darren Pratley and Leon Britton in the centre of midfield which left Jordi Gomez on the right hand side and Tom Butler on the left with the Swans lining up as
Dorus
Rangel Monk Williams O’Hallorhan
Gomez Britton Pratley Allen Butler
Scotland
There is very little that can be written about a first half that was devoid of real chances with long range efforts from Gomez and Allen the Swans efforts whilst Beattie drove over from the edge of the area for the visitors as their only real chance. O’Hallorhan became the third Swans left back to be stretchered off in the last few weeks when he went down for the second time ten minutes before the break and Alan Tate yet again found himself in the left back position for the Swans.
Goalless though at the break was pretty much the only outcome that the first half deserved although there was no sign as the half time whistle blew of the explosive start we would see to the second half. A long ball from the Blades saw Henderson challenge Rangel and catch him with the arm which in turn left the referee showing the red card and reducing the visitors to ten men.
It was the lift that the Swans needed and they turned the screw on Sheffield United with some classic passing movements. And it was from one of those movements that they took the lead. Gomez(?) played in Pratley who advanced towards the area only to be fouled and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. There was no dispute over the foul, the question the Blades were asking was whether it was inside or outside the area. It mattered little as the referee adjudged it to be inside and after a ‘discussion’ between Jordi and Jason, it was Scotland who sent Paddy Kenny the wrong way to give the Swans the lead.
One nil up and with a man advantage the Swans spent the next half hour pressing for the second and it always looked as if it was coming. The Swans midfield five was dominant with Butler exceptional and Britton, Pratley and Allen controlling the centre of the park as the Swans pushed on and on. The main Swans outlet was always the right with Butler having the beating of his man and he had a couple of shots and a couple of crosses that should really somewhere have yielded a goal.
At the back there looked no real concern as Tate and Rangel joined in the attacks where possible and almost every one of the 14,700 crowd would have believed there was only one side likely to grab the second. And so it remained until the Swans were mugged with just three minutes left to play.
A ball into the box looked set to be claimed by Dorus but he hesitated and in waltzed opposition captain Chris Morgan to lift the ball over the Dutchman and send the Blades fans home happy.
It was with disbelief that the game ended in the stalemate – the 7th in 12 games at the Liberty this season – many of which the Swans can lay claim to having deserved to win. Today was definitely one that can be put in that category.
Halfway through the season and most would have taken 32 points at the start but as man of the match Butler said in the morning papers, these are games we deserved to win and it’s frustrating when we don’t. We remain very much in touch with the play off chasing pack but will always view today as two points lost.
We move on.
