Town were let down by poor defending and Andy D’Urso’s failure to award a definite penalty as Swansea came from behind to beat the Blues 3-1 at Portman Road. Loanee Andros Townsend put Town in front with his first goal for the Blues but Craig Beattie (2) and Joe Allen condemned Roy Keane’s side to their fifth consecutive defeat.

Keane made three changes from the side which defeated West Brom in the Carling Cup on Wednesday. Gianni Zuiverloon, Carlos Edwards and Jack Colback came into the side for Jaime Peters, Reggie Lambe and David Norris. The Town skipper had succumbed to illness, while there was no place in the 18 for Damien Delaney, who was available after his one-game ban.

Visitors’ striker Craig Beattie headed the game’s first chance straight at one-time Swansea keeper Murphy in the fifth minute, shortly before Troy Brown was forced to cut out a ball which would have seen the Scot away in the clear.

On seven Swans skipper Alan Tate was lucky to get away without receiving the game’s first card, which could have been of either colour, when he threw himself into Tamás Priskin after the ball had gone, catching the Town striker with his arm. The Hungarian required treatment to his knee having fallen awkwardly with referee Andy D’Urso failing to see even a foul.

Swans midfielder Andrea Orlandi lashed a 25-yard freekick which had been laid across to him well over Murphy’s bar before the Blues were gifted a chance to go in front. Right-back Rangel played a lazy backpass towards his keeper Dorus De Vries from the touchline, which was intercepted by Priskin but the striker’s shot was too close to De Vries, who saved.

Scott Sinclair, a reported Town target in the summer, shot low to Murphy’s right in the 25th minute after an error by Zuiverloon with the visitors by now dominating possession.

Just after the half hour, with the visitors still well on top, Beattie again failed to significantly test Murphy with a header from a Rangel cross.

Town almost went ahead in the 32nd minute after their longest spell of possession of the match, De Vries eventually saving Scotland’s shot from the edge of the box with his fingertips. From the resultant corner, the ball was played back out to Edwards, Brown flicking his cross through a crowded box but without any Town man able to get a touch.

The Blues again went close in the 38th minute when Priskin cut in from the left and unleashed a powerful shot which flew across the face of De Vries’s goal. Moments later, Edwards forced the Dutch keeper to save low to his left.

With five minutes of the half remaining, O’Dea was yellow-carded for a foul on Joe Allen, the on-loan Celtic man almost talking himself into further trouble and indicating that his late tackle was significantly less worthy of a card than Tate’s early challenge on Priskin. Referee D’Urso called Blues skipper Leadbitter over to join in the discussion.

Troy Brown came close to his first career goal as the game moved into injury time, powering a header from a corner which was goalbound until De Vries stuck out a strong arm to block. Just before the whistle, Allen shot high and wide.

Despite Swansea having enjoyed the vast majority of the possession, particularly during a spell in the middle of the half, the Blues wouldn’t have been flattered had they taken a lead in at the break.

For all their passing, the Swans hadn’t created much, while Priskin, Scotland, Edwards and Brown had forced De Vries into meaningful saves with the Blues having had their own periods in charge, particular towards the end of the half.

Town went ahead in the 51st minute after Swans midfielder Orlandi lost possession, gifting Priskin the ball on the right. Edwards sent in a deep cross to the far post which Townsend headed beyond De Vries and into the net for his first Town goal.

Four minutes later the Blues should have increased their lead. This time Edwards sent a cross in from the left but the unmarked Priskin could only head straight at the grateful De Vries.

Rangel was booked for fouling the rampant Townsend on the hour with the Blues continuing to look the more dangerous side and with the Swans’ passing having largely fallen to pieces.

Despite this, the visitors got back on terms in the 64th minute from a freekick given away by goalscorer Townsend for a foul on Sinclair on the left. Gower whipped the ball in and Beattie got in ahead of Murphy to flick a header into the net, although he may have been a push on Smith by the goalscorer as the ball came across.

Fallon replaced Priskin on 66, the former Swansea man making his home debut for the Blues, prior to Beattie lashing a loose ball over from eight yards when he ought to have done better.

On 69 Fallon diverted a Townsend ball in from the left wide, moments before the visitors went in front. Orlandi crossed, O’Dea prevented Nathan Dyer from shooting but the ball ran loose on the edge of the six-yard bos. Smith should have slammed the ball clear but instead tried to play it away from Joe Allen, who gleefully stabbed home.

Town, who had again been the victims of an individual error, replaced O’Dea with Shane O’Connor as they looked to get themselves back into the game.

There was a scare for the visitors in the 77th minute when Tate misheaded a long Brown clearance towards De Vries, the keeper doing well to punch away. Leadbitter seized on the loose ball and appeared to be fouled by Gower , Scotland subsequently shooting wide. The Blues’ stand-in skipper was less than impressed with referee D’Urso’s failure to give a freekick.

Swansea had by now regained their composure with Town, and particularly Smith, looking nervous having given away more highly preventable goals.

Townsend, who had put in one of his most impressive displays since joining the Blues, was replaced by Jaime Peters for the final eight minutes.

Town were denied what looked to be a certain penalty in the 85th minute when Scotland played in Edwards only for Gower to haul him to the ground. Referee Andy D’Urso inexplicably decided otherwise and despite strong Town protests waved play on.

Swansea immediately broke and sealed their victory, Beattie curling in a superb curling 30-yard shot which looped over Murphy and struckt the inside of the post. Jason Scotland and a number of other Town players continued their complaints regarding the penalty while Swansea’s players celebrated their goal.

Leadbitter shot straight at De Vries in injury time, but the Blues were unable to make any significant headway.

At the whistle, the Sir Bobby Robson Stand were singing ‘Keano, knock him out’, presumably in reference to referee D’Urso, an official who has a long history with both the Blues and the Town boss, who was amongst the Manchester United players who famously chased after the Billericay-based official at Old Trafford in a match with Middlesbrough in January 2000.

It was a game the Blues should have won, let alone not lost. After Townsend’s goal, Priskin had a good chance to add the second before Town conceded two more very poor goals. Beattie was allowed to win the header for the first, although there was a suspicion of a foul on Tommy Smith, while Smith should certainly have cleared the second when the ball was loose on the edge of the six-yard box.

The penalty looked as cast iron as they come but the Blues rarely get a decision from Andy D’Urso, who harshly sent off debutant Tom Eastman on his most recent previous visit to Portman Road.

Beattie’s second goal, although excellent, probably wouldn’t have occurred had Town’s players not still been complaining about the penalty incident.

Despite the ill-fortune, the Blues had already shot themselves in the foot with the two earlier goals, the current trend of defensive errors once again leading to a defeat, the fifth in a row, which will undoubtedly increase the pressure on Roy Keane, despite the cup victory in midweek.

Town: Murphy, Zuiverloon, O’Dea (O’Connor 70), Brown, Smith, Leadbitter (c), Colback, Edwards, Townsend (Peters 82), Scotland, Priskin (Fallon 66). Unused: Lee-Barrett, Livermore, Eastman, Healy.

Swansea: De Vries, Rangel, Tate (c), Williams, Taylor, Gower, Allen, Orlandi (Pratley 75), Dyer (Dobbie 88), Sinclair, Beattie. Unused: Makabu-Makalambay, Serran, Agustien, Van Der Gun, Cotterill. Referee: Andy D’Urso. Att: 16,978 (Swansea: 153).

Story syndicated from TWTD.co.uk

Photo: Action Images

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