PLYMOUTH boss Kevin Hodges has promised to spoil Swansea City’s Third Division play-off push at Vetch Field tomorrow (3). Hodges brings his 12th-placed side to Swansea on the back of a four-game losing streak — a run which has seen them concede an average of three goals a game to virtually end their play-off hopes.

‘‘We’ve done teams big favours over the last few weeks by messing up our own play-off hopes,’’ explained Hodges.

‘‘Now it’s about time we messed up the hopes of other clubs. ‘‘Swansea have had a good season. They had a good FA Cup run and are looking to get into the play-offs. But they’ve also had a few blips and we’ll be looking for all three points.’’

It is a game Swansea manager John Hollins knows his side can ill afford to lose if they are to challenge for that final play-off place.

‘‘Ideally I would like to win all five remaining games,’’ explained Hollins. ‘‘But three at home and one away will do me. ‘‘I know Plymouth have been going through a difficult time of late, but we’ve got to give them the respect they deserve. ‘‘Every game is important if we are to get into those play-offs.’’

Hollins will not finalise his team until tomorrow, although skipper Nick Cusack is a definite absentee with a one-match ban carried over from Wednesday’s postponed game with Cambridge. Michael Howard is still doubtful with an ankle injury.

Despite heavy overnight rain, Hollins declared: ‘‘The pitch is looking good. I can’t see a problem at this stage.’’

Hodges will be without former Torquay left-back Paul Gibbs who starts a three-match ban, while James Dungue will continue to deputise for goalkeeper Jon Sheffield who fractured his jaw at Chester — a game watched by Swansea’s assistant manager Alan Curtis. Darren Bastow, a 17-year-old midfielder catching the eye of a number of top flight clubs, returns following a one-match ban while John Beswetherick will replace Gibbs.

Both Plymouth’s strikers are currently on-loan at the club, Mark Sale from Colchester and Steve Guinan, with five goals in seven games, from Notts Forest.

Swansea City: from Freestone, Jones, Coates, Smith, Bound, O’Leary, Lacey, Appleby, Thomas, Watkin, Alsop, Bird, Casey, Roberts.

Plymouth: from Dungey, Ashton, Mauge, Heathcote, Collins, Barlow, Wotton, Marshall, Sale, Guinan, Phillips, Crowe, Sweeney, Hargreaves, Bastow, Beswetherick.

SWANSEA CITY face a frightening challenge of four games in eight days in their bid to clinch a place in the Third Division play-offs.

The postponement of last night’s clash with leaders Cambridge United at Vetch Field has left the club with a gruelling schedule.

Heavy rain yesterday afternoon forced the game to be called off after referee officer Roger Gifford had passed two earlier inspections at 9.30am and noon.

But local referee Ceri Richards was called in for a third check at 3.45pm by which time the pitch was waterlogged. Richards had no option but to call the game off, a decision later supported by match referee Mick Pearce of Portsmouth.

‘‘The Football League will not allow us to go beyond the deadline of May 8,’’ confirmed Swansea secretary Vicki Townsend.

‘‘It has left us with just two Thursday dates to offer Cambridge - April 29 and May 6.’’

With Cambridge due to travel to Rochdale next Tuesday, the championship favourites look odds on to choose May 6 which will leave Swansea with four games in eight days.

After Saturday’s home game against Plymouth, Swansea go to Rochdale the following weekend, followed by a midweek double at Brentford on the Tuesday and Cambridge on the Thursday before the visit of Hull to Vetch Field on the final Saturday.

‘‘It’s not ideal, but there is not a lot we can do about it,’’ added Townsend. ‘‘We don’t really mind which date Cambridge chose.’’

The only positive thing which may come out of the postponement is that by the time Cambridge are due at the Vetch again, they may have already clinched promotion and secured the Third Division title.

Last night’s postponement means skipper Nick Cusack sits out his one-match ban against Plymouth at Vetch Field on Saturday.

Leyton Orient boosted their hopes of clinching a play-off place last night by beating bottom club Scarborough 3-1 away.

SWANSEA City’s Morfa Stadium development plan took a significant step forward today after owners Silver Shield submitted the first part of their business plan to the council.

Swansea Council have been waiting since Easter for the plan as the next step down the long road towards construction of the new 25,000-seater stadium.

The council’s chairman of leisure, Robert Francis Davies, confirmed today: ‘‘We have received an executive draft of the business plan.

‘‘It’s great news. As a council, we are eager to progress and provide the people of Swansea with the stadium they deserve.

‘‘After we’ve dissected it, hopefully we can start putting the development out to tender.’’

Silver Shield supremo and Swansea City vice-chairman Neil McClure also confirmed today that the stadium, which was due to be completed by the end of the year 2000, is still a major part of his plans.

‘‘I’ve stopped predicting dates as to when it will be ready, but I can tell you now, it will happen,’’ said Mr McClure.

‘‘I’ve heard a lot of people saying why it’s not going to happen, but people should start saying why it should happen.

‘‘There is no point rushing it through. Once it’s up you can’t take it down, so let’s get it right first time.

‘‘The council have received the first part of the business plan and they’ll have the remaining balance within two or three weeks. Then the tender process can start.’’

Mr McClure also rubbished rumours that the financial backing promised by Keith Harris has disappeared after Mr Harris relinquished his full-time position with the Hong Kong and Shanghi Bank recently.

‘‘That is total nonsense,’’ declared McClure. ‘‘Keith Harris is still an advisory director in the bank and a major shareholder in the group.’’

Mr McClure still intends to split Silver Shield and Swansea City Football Club into two separate companies, but nothing will be submitted to the Stock Exchange until all the financial matters have been finalised with the council.

‘‘What you’ve got to remember is that we’ve already spent more on the Vetch than the total over the previous 10 years,’’ he added. ‘‘As well as the financing of the players, the progress we’ve made on the youth development and scouting front has been a major step forward.

‘‘We know that it’s pointless to have a new stadium without a team to play in it. It works vice-versa — that is having a team without a stadium to match.

SWANSEA CITY manager John Hollins will be looking for his side to repeat the play-off formula again at Vetch Field tomorrow night when leaders Cambridge present another stiff challenge.

‘‘Like Cardiff, they’ll start as favourites just because of their record and league position,’’ explained Hollins.

‘‘But for the first time in a while last week we found the play-off formula — a win at home (Hartlepool) and a draw away (Cardiff).

‘‘That’s what we’ve got to keep doing — even though at times we’ve done it the hard way round by winning away. If we can do that then I’m sure it will be enough to take us through.

‘‘It will be another big, tense affair tomorrow night, but we’ve tended to do well against the top sides this season. A win against Cambridge will be everything.’’

Michael Howard is still rated only 50-50 by the Swansea manager, while there is no sign of Jason Price’s return from injury.

‘‘There were no serious injuries after the Cardiff game, just a few broken hearts,’’ added Hollins.

‘‘We felt we didn’t do ourselves justice. The fans were willing us to do the double and we wanted to do it for them.’’

Hollins will be keeping a close eye on tonight’s results with Halifax, level on points with Swansea in seventh place, hosting Scunthorpe. A defeat for Halifax, who have already played a game more than Swansea, will fire the Vetch Field club into the driving seat. Fifth-placed Rotherham travel to Shrewsbury.

Swansea today offered professional contracts to five second-year apprentices. Danny Barwood, Michael Keegan, Bari Morgan, Lee Devuglt and goalkeeper Carl Thomas have secured one-year contracts.

Jonathan Watkins and Richard Cleverly were the unlucky ones, with a decision on Martin Howard and Grant James to be made at a later date when their full YTS term expires.

‘‘To get five youth team players through to the professional ranks is as good as any club can hope for,’’ explained youth team coach Ron Walton.

SWANSEA CITY manager John Hollins is confident yesterday’s goalless Welsh derby draw with Cardiff City will be the perfect tonic for their end-of-season play-off push. Despite riding their luck in a second half Cardiff dominated at Ninian Park, Hollins feels his side can take great confidence into Wednesday’s crucial Vetch Field clash with leaders Cambridge.

Having climbed two places into eighth, level on points with Halifax — who have played a game more — Hollins declared: ‘‘Cambridge here we come. ‘‘We can gain a lot of confidence from taking four points from one of the top two teams in the division. ‘‘It means we can go into the game on Wednesday against the team at the top and do ourselves a massive favour by beating them.’’

Both Hollins and his assistant Alan Curtis were happy with the point, despite the fact that Swansea failed to create anything to trouble rookie goalkeeper Seamus Kelly.

‘‘We are pleased with the point,’’ added Curtis. ‘‘It just nudges us one point further on to our play-off goal. ‘‘It was a tough game and you’ve got to give Cardiff credit. They are where they are in the league because they are a good side. ‘‘If you asked me before the game if we would be happy with a point we would have taken it. To take four points from a side second in the table is good going. ‘‘Saying that, we are a little bit disappointed at the moment because we felt we could have done a bit more. We didn’t put the young ’keeper under pressure with balls under the bar from crosses or set-pieces. We didn’t display the quality we know we are capable of. ‘‘But I’m sure when things settle down we’ll look at it as a very good point towards the play-offs.’’

A South Wales derby is not a place for faint hearts, but Danny Hill's feinting run in the final minute of stoppage-time should have brought Cardiff victory in a lacklustre game. The former Tottenham midfielder weaved in and out of three tackles before hitting a left-foot shot which was bound for the right-hand corner before the defender Matt Bound made a lunging goalline clearance. Cardiff still need a win from their last three matches to be Second Division-bound.

John Hollins's Swansea remain on the fringe of the play-offs but his team did not look like promotion material yesterday. Their refuge was the long ball, they had no vision in midfield, gave the ball away carelessly and did not test the inexperienced Seamus Kelly in Cardiff's goal.

The visitors' overworked defence somehow held out. The former Swansea striker John Williams should have opened the scoring after 56 minutes after Bound tripped over the ball in his own area but, after going round Roger Freestone, Williams dallied before shooting and Jonathan Coates made a covering tackle.

Williams's partner Kevin Nugent saw three headers loop over and Jason Bowen shot just wide, whereas Swansea threatened only from free-kicks. 'It was two points dropped," said the Cardiff manager Frank Burrows, reflecting on his side's fourth draw in their last five home league matches.

Cardiff attracted their fourth five-figure crowd of the season. The atmosphere was typically tribal, the coaches carrying 2,000 Swansea supporters circling the ground for 30 minutes before the fans were allowed in, but the minute's silence for Hillsborough was observed in silence.

A group of Cardiff followers jumped into the no-go area separating the rival supporters five minutes from time but were persuaded to return to their seats by police dogs.