Match Report

Match Report - Nigel Gigg, Pictures - Andrew Thomas

A nightmare end to a game that Swans had dominated saw any potential promotion party disappear over the course of three dreadful minutes as Bournemouth produced a comeback that even their most optimistic supporters could never had dreamt of.  

Roberto Martinez kept faith with his starting eleven from the excellent victory at Hartlepool last week.

Swans knew victory today and anything other than a Doncaster win would just about secure promotion.  

Bournemouth came into the game in an almost hopeless position and nothing short of a victory would ease their relegation worries.  

Side- De Vries, Rangel, Tate, Lawrence, Austin, Butler, Britton, Pratley, Robinson, Duffy, Scotland.  Subs- Williams, Way, Jones, Bauza, Brandy. 

The early minutes of the game were dominated by referee Mr Haywood who seemed to be setting out his stall in expecting free kicks to be taken within a millimetre of any offence and refusing to allow any quickly taken free kicks.  

Swans dominated the possession and Bournemouth were content to sit deep leaving Welsh striker Sam Vokes to plough a lone furrow in attack. Vokes was being watched by the entire Cardiff City management team.  

Chances were few and far between, Andy Robinson and Tom Butler had long range shots go wide and Jason Scotland had a few shots blocked by defenders but there was a distinct lack of quality on show.  

It was very disappointing that Andy Robinson and Tom Butler were unwilling or unable to get around their markers. 

The Swans trudged off at half time but the crowd were buoyed by news of the half time scores elsewhere.  

Swans started the second half with much more purpose and took the lead on 49 minutes. Firstly Andy Robinson low shot was saved by Bournemouth’s on loan keeper from Cardiff, David Forde, with his feet. The rebound fell to Alan Tate and his low drive was deflected for a corner. Tom Butler’s corner found Andy Robinson in acres of space at the far post and Robbo was able to direct his header just inside the post.  

The goal gave the crowd a huge lift but Bournemouth seemed to respond the better of the teams. They now had no option but to attack.  

Swans were reluctant to attack in numbers and lacked a cutting edge. Darryl Duffy was replaced on the hour by Febian Brandy but this seemed to make little difference.  

David Forde did produce a superb triple save to deny Brandy, Robinson and Rangel but as the game went on it seemed only a clean sheet would secure the victory as Swans were incapable of maintaining the threat on the Bournemouth goal.  

Bournemouth substitute Brett Pitman went very close with a bending shot as the danger signs started to flash in front of everyone’s eyes. Roberto Martinez tried to shore things up with the introduction of Owain Tudur Jones and Guillem Bauza for Tom Butler and Jason Scotland.  

Bauza should have scored with his first touch but shot wide from 10 yards after a great pass from Febian Brandy.  

With only a minute or so to go Jo Kuffour hit the bar with Dorus beaten all ends up and whilst many would have been thanking their lucky stars there was to be a double sting in the tail.  

In the final minute Dorus de  Vries looked to have prevented a corner but the linesman flagged for a corner. Brett Pitman’s corner was floated to the edge of the six yard box. With OTJ, Alan Tate and the giant Dennis Lawrence all defending and the corner close enough for Dorus de Vries to come out for, it was inexcusable that substitute Joe Partington was able to head home to give Bournemouth a lifeline.  

To add insult to injury two minutes into stoppage time and the defence fell asleep again and Brett Pitman’s cross from the right was all too easily turned in at the far post by the hard working Jo Kuffour.  

News that Carlisle had come from behind to win and Doncaster grabbing a late equaliser after being down to 10 men just rubbed salt in the wound.  

Ratings-  

De Vries 7 – Hardly anything to do for 89 minutes.  
Rangel 5 – Cut to ribbons several times in the second half.
Tate 6 – Couldn’t say he did a lot wrong but would have to take collective responsibility for the equaliser.
Lawrence 6 – As above.
Austin 6- Although he’s done quite well, the quicker Marcos Painter is back the better.

Butler 5 – Very poor today, looks in need of a rest.
Britton 8 – Inspirational.
Pratley 6 – Ran and passed sideways most of the day.
Robinson 6 – Goal apart offered little.  

Duffy  6 – Looked to have been recapturing some sort of form, but disappointed today.
Scotland 6 – Nothing went his way.

Subs-  

Brandy 6 – Lacked composure and control at times.
Jones 5 – Came into a midfield that never looked comfortable with the new formation.
Bauza 5- Only on a few minutes but could have won the game for us.

Match Report - Paul Nicholas, Pictures - Andrew Thomas

The game had arrived; the one where, if other results went our way, we’d be promoted to the Championship.  Fifteen and a half thousand fans, and the sun, came out to witness the hoped for exciting game, the celebrations, and the after match party.  If only the players had done the same. 

The first half was one of the worst periods of football that I have seen in a long time.  It was played like a Subbuteo match where possession seemed to be far more important than winning.  The players seemed far too content to just pass the ball to a team mate, and as in the table top game, if you don’t get the weight right on the flick, and then it’s your mate’s turn and he’ll do everything he can to irritate you for a while. 

We showed no penetration at all in the whole period, it was lateral or backward passing throughout.  Were we that complacent that a team in the relegation places would allow us the pleasure of winning at their expense without a fight?  Delusional to say the least.  We were playing the game like a training session.  All that were missing were the coloured bibs. 

Pratley has the ball probably more often than most players, but if he was being measured in distance made across the gain line, he’d come out pretty badly on today’s performance. I started to lose count how many free kicks, and potential attacks ended up with the ball at Dorus’ feet.  Did we want to win this game or not?  Today’s game clearly showed that Bodde is the one player who drives the midfield forward and despite some average performances from him this season, we miss him when he doesn’t play.  Robinson and Butler looked jaded. Britton’s contribution centred on his appetite to chase the ball down, and break up Bournemouth’s possession on the occasions (and there were many) when we gave the ball away. 

Tate and Lawrence in the centre of defence didn’t look in any trouble, but didn’t get the ball forward with any speed to enable us to put Bournemouth under the pressure that we should have been exerting.  Rangel seemed off the pace and Austin, who doesn’t really have any pace to lose, was not in the game a great deal.  Scotland and Duffy up front had no sense of control on the ball, and the first touch of many of the players was very poor. 

I seem to remember one shot in the first half, but it was nothing short of boring, and the swarm of fans heading for the refreshment bars in the West Stand seemed to leave their seats about two thirds of the way through the half. 

Five minutes into the 2^nd half, and Robinson found himself in the penalty area almost on his own to head the Swans into the lead.  With Doncaster and Carlisle both losing again, this had to be the trigger to get some action into the game.  Wrong!! It was more of the same and the substitutions that Martinez made had little effect on the way the game was going. 

With 6 minutes to go, we were in the Championship.  Doncaster were 2-1 down and we were one up.  Let the party begin.  Then Donny equalised, so we knew we’d need one more game but that shouldn’t prove to be too much of a delaying factor in our celebrations.  Then, suddenly, whoever’s table our Subbuteo match was being played on, obviously decided to tip it up at one end to clear the dust off, and the ball rolled into our net twice in the last minute.  Unbelievable. 

I’d left my seat in the West Stand at 1-0, and by the time I’d got to the tunnel entrance it was 1-2, and I don’t walk that slow.  It was a hugely disappointing game, but we were winning into injury time and couldn’t do the simple things to hold our lead.  We’d played a possession game for 89 minutes, and then couldn’t do it when it really mattered.  We were playing a team that next year should be two divisions below us but we do seem to struggle to raise our game against lower opposition.  Our next two games will not be easy, and the season’s outcome will drag on a few matches longer than it should have. 

I, like many others I’m sure, do not understand why Ashley Williams is sitting on the bench, having been brought in to shore up a defence that has shown weaknesses and a tendency to leak goals at times when it shouldn’t.  Maybe someone can explain that one for me while I go and iron the Subbuteo cloth before the next game.  Maybe some very heavy snow up north before Tuesday would help too. 

Swansea: De Vries, Austin, Tate, Lawrence, Rangel, Britton, Pratley, Robinson, Butler (Tudur-Jones 76), Scotland (Bauza 86), Duffy (Brandy 59).
Subs Not Used: Way, Williams.

Booked: Austin.

Goals: Robinson 50.

Bournemouth: Forde, Gowling, Pearce, Bradbury, Cummings, Cooper, Anderton (Partington 87), Kuffour, Gradel, Tessem (Pitman 59), Vokes (Garry 90).
Subs Not Used: Pryce, McQuoid.

Booked: Pearce.

Goals: Kuffour 90, Partington 90.

Att: 15,613

Ref: Mark Haywood (W Yorkshire).

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