This was a battle between two sides who have made little impact if at all on the Championship this campaign. Sheffield Wednesday, indifferent and frustrating to their fans, and to be honest the Swans not in any way better. The end result wasn’t surprising.
The game started quite excitingly, with Wednesday and the Swans carving out chances. Ronald booked on five minutes then delivering a shot which hit the post. The first third of the half seeing the home side put two really dangerous crosses across the Swans area. At the other end a hard cross shot was saved and pushed away by Wednesday keeper James Beadle. Where you hope a striker would be there the danger was cleared. On nineteen Ingelsson had a wonderful opportunity in front of goal but fluffed his lines.
The attacks flowed throughout the half, Lowe having a chance after Matt Grimes gave the ball away. Myles Peart-Harris putting in a couple of crosses as well. The latter needed more sharper awareness from Vipotnik who was inches away from connecting on one occasion. It wasn’t a bad game by any means, to this point at least, we had on display two very average sides battling out a fixture for mid table safety. The home crowd was poor and the two hundred and eighty or so Jacks who had braved the journey were vociferous in their support.
The main issue seems to be that when a ball drops in the box from an opponents clearance, there is hardly ever a Swansea player there or available. Many of the clearances then lead to a Wednesday attack causing defenders to retreat quickly. Despite that Peart-Harris was having a good game as was Jay Fulton.
On forty one minutes Grimes again gave the ball away leading to more danger for the Swans defence. Fortunately some astute defending and poor placement from the home side saw the situation end favourably. On balance, nearly sixty nine percent possession isn’t a shock, coupled with the few chances available the Swans really should have been one up.
Sheffield Wednesday started the second half lively, first a long throw which Ben Cabango cleared. Then a penalty shout on forty seven minutes when Cabango looked to have brought down Jamal Lowe in the area. The referee waving away the appeals, but it looked good. Our late arrivals in the press area all agreeing it was a lucky escape. On forty nine minutes a misplaced Swans pass led to Jamal Lowe racing in on goal, his pass to his left was perfect for a tap in but somehow Josh Tymon steered it away. The Swans were living extremely dangerously. Swansea players were surrounded with home players every time they got near the Owls area. It was clearly a tactic after the first half, but the Swans slow passing was aiding the home defence to get organised.
A corner on fifty two minutes fell to Harry Darling who tried to steer his shot to the keepers left but it sailed wide. It was a glimmer of hope at least. On sixty minutes with the home crowd were now getting frustrated. Sadly, too much time was spent on the ball by Abdulai on the edge of the Owls area but he did eventually get his pass to Ronald away. He strode into the box but his effort was saved by Beadle.
Minutes later Bannon flighted in a great cross into the Swans area but it was headed away for a corner. That move eventually led to another corner. Darling and Cabango were bossing their area. On sixty five minutes Jay Fulton earned a yellow card for blocking his opponent in a very dangerous area. The free kick was poor. The Swans really needed to up their game. It was approaching four games without a goal. Again we saw a blistering cross from Johnson on the Swans right. Valentin got on the end of it and his shot seemed to hit the post. It was at this point evident the home side were favourites to get that elusive goal. The introduction of Josh Key wasn’t making that much of an impact as more Swans players warmed up, subs were being organised. Poor decision making was now creeping into the Swans overall play. A throw in deep into Wednesday territory by Key ended up back with Vigouroux after Darling fluffed his pass.
The away side tried to press but their hosts seemed to have more strength in the one on one situations. It was now pretty much the Swans relying on a breakaway move to make an impact. Wednesday were spraying their passes about, stretching the Swans and every ball in looked dangerous. On seventy three we saw Joe Allen on for Fulton. There needed though to be far more bite in midfield with Ollie Cooper and a Franco still warming their seats on the bench.
A lovely minute of passing and getting nowhere from the Swans on seventy six minutes led to a foul on Abdulai. Allen took the kick. It led to some pointless passing between Tymon and Abdulai, really brought about by the Scottish defender being unwilling to take his man on and preferring the back pass. Like most games this season the Swans were now overseeing a game that was fizzling out with a lack of possession being brought about by a lack of ideas.
We entered the last ten minutes.
There seemed to be a slight upturn in tempo but the Swans were generally clearing up poor passing from the Owls or running after poor playground type balls. Tymon got a cross in on eighty three minutes but again it was the same story, cleared. Then a corner for the Swans out on their left. Abdulai was down in the penalty area with cramp. Ollie Cooper and Liam Cullen were now waiting to come on for the last five minutes, plus whatever time the fourth official decided to add on. Zan Vipotnik came off for Cullen and Cooper came on for Abdulai. The corner saw Swans shots blocked as we saw a more breaks in play and frustration.
A Grimes looping cross, funnily enough one which the now departed Vipotnik would have enjoyed sailed into the keepers arms. Now, one false move by either side and the game was lost. A mistake from an Owls throw in led to Ronald break away and race down the Swans right. It led to a throw in. From there Grimes shot was deflected off his own player. Albeit going wide. We now had five minutes added time.
Wednesday though now sensed blood.
A corner on ninety two minutes for the Owls was poorly taken. But the ball was in the wrong part of the pitch as far as Swansea were concerned. Two minutes to go. Peart-Harris stupidly got himself booked for staying too long over a Wednesday free kick. The last minute was upon us. Again the pressure was on the Swans. Head tennis ended the game with the Swans under pressure. That’s now four games without a goal, and that is the story of the month so far.
Much effort and no reward.
And we all know the reasons why.
⚽️ Sheffield Wednesday: James Beadle, Di'Shon Bernard, Svante Ingelsson (Josh Windass 62), Jamal Lowe (Ike Ugbo 62), Barry Bannan (captain), Pol Valentin (Liam Palmer 74), Marvin Johnson, Akin Famewo, Yan Valery, Djeidi Gassama (Olaf Kobacki 74), Shea Charles (Callum Paterson 88).
Unused Substitutes: Pierce Charles, Max Lowe, Dominic Iorfa, Michael Smith.
⚽️ Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux 6 Kyle Naughton 6 (Josh Key 62) 6 Ben Cabango 6 Harry Darling 6 Josh Tymon 6 Matt Grimes (captain) 5 Jay Fulton 6 (Joe Allen 73) 5 Myles Peart-Harris 6 Ronald 6 Azeem Abdulai 5 (Ollie Cooper 86) 5 Zan Vipotnik 6 (Liam Cullen 86) 5
Unused Substitutes: Jon McLaughlin, Goncalo Franco, Florian Bianchini, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Nelson Abbey.
Referee: Matthew Donohue 6/10 : Saved the Swans from a blatant penalty, too quick to book players.
Attendance: 22,452
Away : 282
⚽️ I will now make an apology as to the news I sent Keith earlier regards the lack of BBC input here tonight. I can only see what I see, my head isn’t as big as others fortunately. If Anthony OC was here I didn’t see him. If he was I would have approached him and shook his hand.