If we look at the players who just are not performing for the Swans then three new bodies are needed come January. If these individuals can be replaced it may well give the Swans the lift they need, especially in games like today. Having said that the Swans had more than enough chances to win this game today.
It was a hot start by the Swans, Vipotnik earning a free kick and Pack receiving a yellow card. The cross in from Matt Grimes was headed back across the goal and Vipotnik turned and shot. That was blocked and another dangerous ball in saw Ronald head just over the bar. That was in the first minute or so. The Swans were energised.
The crowd were playing their part as well, the ground booming out Swans songs as the sold out visitors end tried to compete. The Pompey fans loud as any support this season. But then the Swans won that accolade on Wednesday at Derby. The ball was most certainly being passed at pace. On five minutes a delightful cross from Grimes out on the Swans left was met by Joe Allen who headed just wide. Portsmouth looked mesmerized.
However, on eight minutes Ben Cabango earned his third yellow card of the season when outstripped for pace on his right. Portsmouth had an opportunity. The cross in was dealt with, but that pace from Josh Murphy was a warning. Cabango (below) really didn’t need to foul him. Pompey hadn’t played for two weeks after two consecutive games were called off away at Blackburn and home to Millwall and looked fresh and alert. A corner out on the left on twelve minutes was taken by Tymon. He played it short and a nice flick was met by Liam Cullen who couldn’t control the ball. The Cabango foul beautifully captured by a licensed cameraman.
As the fifteen minute mark approached the quick start slowed down with the Swans preferring to revert back to a slower build up. It looked comfortable, but Pompey were pressing well and you just felt a mistake could occur at any time. The Swans were looking to slowly build and then long pass an opportunity out to Ronald. It wasn’t working. The mistakes we have seen all season when in control of the ball were beginning to sneak back in with Portsmouth well drilled condensing the midfield and blocking any Swansea initiative. A high press of three was also proving difficult to play through the lines.
A Josh Tymon pile-driver was blocked on twenty minutes.
The Swans began to accelerate again. Ronald getting good ball but failing to get a decent cross in. He was surrounded by Portsmouth defenders. I could see Luke Williams absolutely incandescent with rage when an injury break was called. I have never seen that before he was absolutely livid. You could possibly see why, his side was creeping back into sleep mode. That sleep mode was demonstrated when a break down the Swans right saw a cross met by Matt Ritchie who slid his side one up. The Swans defence was asleep and ball watching. Infuriating. Josh Key first allowing his opponent to wriggle free of him, Matt Grimes jogging and watching the cross as it rolled across the goal with Tymon not seeing his opponent for an easy tap in. Harry Darling was nowhere, it was quite ridiculous.
The visitors high press was now four up front and the Swans had no answer to this very simple tactic.The slow passing continued, now Swansea not able to get out of their half. It was painful to watch. There was no energy, walking with the ball and totally unprofessional. Again Luke Williams was lets say ‘animated’ on the touchline. A Frank Burrows tactical half time talk was required. No words needed. I then noticed Myles Peart-Harris was on the pitch.
On thirty one minutes more excellent pressing by the visitors, now a four up press on the Swansea defence, backed up by two more. It was so simple and working well. Mistakes, were evident, the only bonus being when the Swans broke with Tymon out on the left providing a cross for Cullen who headed over. Is this called playing on the break ? The first ten minutes were now gone, this was a scrap with the brightest, more alert, aware and positive being the victors. Portsmouth just looked the better side tactically. An example on thirty six minutes, a Tymon throw in which could have easily reached the Portsmouth penalty area ended back with Vigouroux in the Swans goal.
On thirty six minutes a corner for the Swans from their left. Head tennis reached Grimes whose shot was let us say … rather wide. News of two more bookings on our monitor, one being Liam Cullen, allegedly for touchy-feely play, and a Portsmouth player, that was Matt Ritchie. Unfortunately as we reached the last five minutes nothing was happening for the home side.
Even when chances were made, a lovely cross by Josh Key with Peart-Harris facing an open goal completely air shot his opportunity. That was awful from the Brentford loanee. Ronald then had a shot. But two really good chances to level were thrown away by the Swans.
Right at the break Ronald earned a corner.
Tymon took it, it was headed away and Grimes with time on the ball converted for three points. That along with most of what we had seen today was shocking. I was just thinking about a chat with Lee Trundle when a catastrophe in the Swans defence occurred involving Cabango. On two occasions he was isolated which saw Josh Murphy in on goal to make it 2-0 to Portsmouth. Luke Williams needed to reach deep into Mr Burrows hymn sheet now.
As he was warming up Liam Cullen broke down the Swans left. His cross was aimed at Peart-Harris, he was just short of making contact as Portsmouth defender Connor Ogilvie tapped the ball into his own net. Even then Portsmouth worked another chance to score with the defence exposed and Ritchie completely fluffed his shot. As the half time whistle went Luke Williams raced down the tunnel, I was more interested now in trying to get an ear shot of the dressing room.
It was an awful, below par performance.
The second half saw no changes. That was a surprise. Clearly Williams was going to give them fifteen minutes to improve. The first five minutes began poorly for both sides, a lack of control and ability with nothing to show. Attacks were turning to back passes and Pompey now had five at the back.
On fifty minutes a lovely Josh Key move from a sublime Cabango pass saw Peart-Harris hit the bar, it rebounded and Cullen had a shot blocked, then another shot again against the bar. As we often see the officials took the easy way out when the action is ding dong. The flag was raised for no apparent reason. Then a minute later top scorer Cullen got his fifth goal of the season. A lovely move reached Peart-Harris who on this occasion managed to get a cross in with substance which Cullen met cooly to net the goal.
The Swans needed to press and get this game done.
On fifty eight minutes Key was brought down but the free kick, despite being met by Vipotnik who headed across goal there were no Swans players in the danger area. What Portsmouth were continuing to do was work hard to get back defensively which meant Swansea were finding it hard to find their men. Then we saw the return of Eom. Much applause, he had been away for quite a while, Joe Allen left the field. Just before that Grimes stupidly gave away the ball in his own area, Swansea escaped.
Josh Key went down in the Pompey penalty area, it was pretty embarrassing.
Portsmouth were now time wasting. Players going down and feigning injury. Surely it would be added on ? Eom had been on for three minutes, we had only seen thirty seconds of play. On sixty four a lovely move and cross by Tymon saw Eom with his first touch miss what really was a sitter. The ball just passing the post.
These are the chances we all know about.
There has to be a time when Matt Grimes is considered as a potential sub. He was looking lethargic at times and his apprehension led to Portsmouth’s first corner of the game. On seventy one minutes Ronald beat his player only for him to be ankle tapped by Harvey Blair and the Swans had a free kick on their right. Grimes and Eom over the ball. Eom took it low but it was cleared. Vipotnik was now replaced by Bianchini. And Abdulai came on for Ronald. The season experiment of playing him on the right continued.
We had seventeen minutes to go.
Eom tried a speculative shot on seventy four but it was easily fielded by the Pompey keeper.
The game had slowed, there had been a lot of changes and Portsmouth were venturing forwards. Weak execution of chances the issue. Abdulai not realising Swansea had at least tried to move away from giving the ball away contributed to a Pompey attack as we approached eighty minutes. The Swans had lost their zest for the game. Again too slow and far too calm. However, a wonderful cross again by Tymon out in the Swans left was met by Cullen whose shot was saved incredibly by Schmid. The corner went nowhere.
That was the chance to net the winner. Cullen no linger a figure of fun, under Craig Bellamy his confidence was huge.
More Pompey stalling as another sub came on with a player taking his time to leave the pitch. We had ten to go. The Swans needed to switch on. This game was there for the taking now. Josh Key was now in a midfield position, and again we saw him give the ball away. It’s tenacity that is needed not three sixty wandering around. On Eighty two minutes a very dangerous free kick was awarded to the Swans. Again Eom and Grimes stood over the ball. This was frustratingly slow. Eom’s shot failed to beat the wall. More stalling as the Pompey keeper wasted more time.
Abdulai had the ball on the break but he stalled and the ball ended back with Vigouroux. Portsmouth had everyone back. A move with a few minutes to go saw Cullen thread through a lovely ball with Bianchini only needing to get his shot on target. It was an awful finish. He didn’t even get his strike on goal. Then an even more glaring miss by Pompey as Lane on the break met a ball and only had to tap in, somehow he made Bianchini’s effort look like a worldy. The finishing in this game was shocking.
With just four minutes remaining the Swans had their sixth corner of the game. Only minutes to go. Then a seventh corner. The crossing wasn’t good but the pressure increased on the visitors. It was indeed moving towards to two more lost points by the Swans. A free kick for Pompey with seconds to goal on the Swans right was delivered. There could be no more time left ?
There wasn’t, it seems when in a hectic situation the Swans don’t have the mettle or guile to take advantage. The bounce of the ball never falling for them. Abdulai was so frustrating with seconds to go he looked clueless. The crowd let him know. The Swans still lack a goal scorer, and any thoughts on the last two performances as anything other than mid table continues to be evident.
This report will be added to over this evening and tomorrow.
⚽️ Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux 5 Josh Key 6 Ben Cabango 5 Harry Darling 6 Josh Tymon 6 Matt Grimes (captain) 5 Joe Allen 6 (Jisung Eom 64) 6 Liam Cullen 6 ⚽️ Ronald 6 (Azeem Abdulai 74) 4 Myles Peart-Harris 5 Žan Vipotnik 5 (Florian Bianchini 74) 5
Unused Substitutes: Jon McLaughlin, Jay Fulton, Gonçalo Franco, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Cyrus Christie, Kyle Naughton.
Portsmouth: Nico Schmid, Connor Ogilvie ⚽️OG Regan Poole, Marlon Pack (captain), Freddie Potts, Colby Bishop (Mark O’Mahony 52), Andre Dozzell, Josh Murphy ⚽️ (Paddy Lane 81), Terry Devlin, Matt Ritchie ⚽️ (Harvey Blair 67), Callum Lang.
Unused Substitutes: Jordan Archer, Christian Saydee, Tom McIntyre, Owen Moxon, Elias Sorensen, Abdoulaye Kamara.
Attendance: 15,404
1,800 away
Referee Finnie : Seemed to have a decent game. 6/10.
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