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Swansea 1 Cheltenham 1
Swansea 1 Cheltenham 1
Sunday, 22nd Aug 2004 00:00

Trundle Goal Saves (And Makes?) A Point?

With all the words already written, the start of the season seems an age ago, but this was only the second home game of the season. After all the bad weather over the last week and the promise of more to come it was a warm rain free day at the Vetch. A late enforced change, we hear that Austin was caught in the long tailbacks on the M4 due to a fatal accident, saw the Swans line up

Gueret Tate, Jones, Monk and Ricketts Forbes, Britton, O'Leary and Robinson Conner and Nugent.

With no keeper on the bench the subs were Trundle, Maylett, Thomas, Iriekpen and Fisken.

The Swans went for Cheltenham from the off, but the final pass or cross was woeful as very little pressure was put on the Cheltenham goal. So dominant were we that the opening goal would surely come, as the game seemed to be there for the taking. Unfortunately being the dominant team brings no reward unless it is turned into consistent pressure on the opposition defence. To be fair to Cheltenham they handled anything we were throwing at them with ease. The nearest we looked like scoring was when Tate made a run from the half-way line beating a couple of players and then sent a shot towards the top left hand corner. It lacked power and was taken out of the air by keeper Higgs.

There had been two 'nearly chances' that both fell to Robinson at the edge of the left hand side of the box. He waited and waited wanting an eternity and on both occasions was easily dispossessed. Nearing the half hour mark he nearly made amends cutting in from the left and shooting powerfully towards go al, a deflection taking it away for a corner.

By this time the atmosphere in the ground had gone and the game had an end of season feel to it. We've all seen it before that from nothing a goal comes. Cheltenham for all their defensive work had not threatened, so we gave them a helping hand. Tate in the right back position played a week clearance that was charged down. From the resulting loose ball McCann lashed out from mid-way inside our half, the ball rocketing past Gueret who could only flap at it with crossed arms. However we were now making chances, although not with conviction.

Nugent had a header mid goal, heading down but being well saved by Higgs.

SWANSEA

Gueret
Monk
Ricketts
Tate
Britton
Jones
O'Leary
Connor
Forbes
Nugent
Robinson

CHELTENHAM

Higgs
Duff
Gill
Taylor
Victory
Bird
McCann
Melligan
Vincent
Devaney
Odejayi

REFEREE

P Armstrong

ATTENDANCE

6,874

Nugent again shot on the half volley, with again Higgs saving well tipping onto the bar and away for a corner. Seconds later from the cross Connor sent a looping header onto the angle of the bar and post. We were not getting any luck but on the stroke of half-time a little came our way when Cheltenham should have scored their second. Odejayi was on the six yard box with only Gueret to beat but the ball didn't bounce kindly for him allowing Gueret to block.

Half-time came with the team leaving the pitch to boo's. It had been a half that apart from a few moves by Cheltenham had seen the Swans dominate which only added to reflect how poor the performance had been. The team was crying out for a change in formation and tactics, but the same players took the field for the second half. It was much of the same but it looked a sure equaliser when a partly cleared ball fell to Forbes just outside the corner of the six-yard box. He steadied himself but at the last moment snatched at his shot sending it high over the bar. Cheltenham was more adventurous and Melligan had a sharp shot just past the post.

Goals

The crowd was becoming more and more frustrated with loud calls being aimed at Jacket. Consistent calls for Trundle were rewarded with a double substitution, Forbes replaced by Maylett and Connor by Trundle. It seemed that to a man the Vetch stood applauding on their 'Hero'. The change did work as for the next 15mins we saw some of the football that had been missing. Trundle offered something different that the very pedestrian pairing of Connor and Nugent didn't. With Maylett worrying Cheltenham down the right, Cheltenham were reeling on the ropes. Trundle had one volley saved by Higgs as the tempo at last was raised. A header by Tate was again saved by Higgs who was having a good game. The equaliser finally came when Robinson, who up to now had shot at goal from any free kick, chipped to Trundle who chested and volleyed powerfully into the net.

Swansea
Trundle 76
Cheltenham
McCann 25
Card Count
Booked
Swansea
None
Cheltenham
Bird 37
Sent Off
Swansea
None
Cheltenham
None
Match Pictures

The ground erupted much in relief than just for the well taken goal. For the first time our attacks showed purpose and we felt that we could actually scramble a win. A win that nearly came when Maylett cut in from the right only to see his near post shot saved by Higgs. The pressure continued but with no further threats on goal. Nugent had been struggling for a while surely the introduction of Thomas would have offered us more. The final whistle was met with a few boo's but then replaced by applause. Players Comments. Gueret. Had very little to do. Some kicks were wayward, but always looked to create quick breakaways only to find very little interest up front. Tate. Steady but to blame for the goal. He does still have the knack of switching off. Jones. Still only a squad player. Would it do much to his lack of confidence not to have not been played at right back? Monk. Again steady but lacks pace. Talks to his co defenders. Ricketts. Again a steady display although not a left sided player. Forbes. A very poor game failing to get a decent cross in. A player that looks as if he would play better in a strike partnership with a big man. Britton. A lively performance but again with little end result. Relieves the pressure but lacks a telling pass. O'Leary. Again did what he is best at, but does not look for the ball. A good battler Robinson. Didn't seem interested as the game past him by. Did up his game with the introduction of the subs. Nugent. Won some headers but overall very limited input. Connor. Very ineffectual his pairing with Nugent is not working. So what can be taken from a poor game? With Austin missing, we saw a near wholesale change in defence. A player that has been playing right back moving into a central position A player used to playing right back playing left back. A player who plays all his games in central defence playing right back. We have no left sided mid-field or attack resulting in our most effectual central midfielder playing on the left. The team has a very disjointed look to it. A team must play to the strengths of the players we have available. Which brings the big question what is wrong? The players don't seem happy with the style of play, but the body language shows more. Kenny Jackett has stated his style is a high tempo pressure game. Have we the players to play that game. On today's performance the answer is no. Apart from the 15mins after the introduction of the subs, the build up was painfully slow with most moves ending with a hopeful ball in the general direction of Nugent or Connor. Further questions have to be asked of the players as balls were just sent forward with no hope of a result when better options were available. So to end with. Are the players playing for Kenny Jackett? Are they playing some long balls, because that's the tactics we are playing without any thought that it is a wasted ball. And to cap it all the M50 was closed on the way home.

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NEXT UP FOR THE SWANS

ROCHDALE (AWAY)
TUESDAY AUGUST 10 2004 KICK OFF 7.45pm

Photo: Action Images



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