Swansea City took all three points this afternoon at the Swansea.com, the first half delivering a superb performance which won the game. We shouldn’t be too harsh on their second half performance, it just displayed the lack of strength in depth head coach, Luke Williams has at his disposal.
The Swans started the game with much of the possession but it wasn’t until the ninth minute that the home side had their first chance in front of goal. A clever cross from the left to Harry Darling going out for a corner. The corner saw the ball fall to Darling who miss hit his shot. That though was a warning shot for QPR as a well worked move leading to Ronald crossing low for in-form Liam Cullen to slot home his eight goal of the season. Simple football that when it works endorses Swansea as one of the most threatening sides in the Championship - when it comes together.
There was an urgency about the Swans, a more competitive spirit and closing down which we haven’t seen recently. The inter play by the home side was now really impressive and QPR were being pulled here, there and everywhere as more domination of the ball continued. The R’s had hardly ventured into the Swans half as we hit fifteen minutes. Bar the goal this was just the tactic Millwall and several other clubs have done this season. However, at this point it had backfired. Eom was very busy, Matt Grimes too was so accurate on the ball, it was a pleasure to watch.
However, we needed a second. QPR were lost.
On eighteen Eom had a shot which Paul Nardi easily saved. The R’s were really rattled. They just couldn’t match the pace and desire of this Swans side. What we were seeing was a totally combusted away side with absolutely no idea of what to do but clear the ball, which was now coming back relentlessly. On twenty one minutes QPR keeper Nardi sat down on the pitch, it was a clear attempt to get his side a breather and reset. Keepers don’t have to leave the pitch when they are injured, had this been the case you can be guaranteed this two minute delay wouldn’t have happened.
On twenty five minutes Ronald who was looking far more at the races than he has done for quite a while turned and shot which the R’s keeper saved, the rebound not falling to a Swans player. Then a flash header which once again rattled the away side. However, nothing could restrain this Swansea side, a beautiful move saw Cullen poaching again in the R’s box, and the Swans were two up. Then within minutes the Swans were on fire again. A lovely move saw Eom beat his player, pass to Cullen and when he isn’t scoring he is assisting - Franco was given an unmissable chance. He took it, and after thirty two minutes the Swans were three up.
What was different today was the dedication to continually get in the faces of QPR, they were not given a second to compose themselves. A dead ball free kick saw Ben Cabango worry the R’s keeper but he saved the header. The Swans though didn’t give up, on forty two minutes the pressure continued, it has to be said this Swansea performance was bordering on exemplary. On forty four minutes Bianchini fluffed an easy chance to score number four but, as we have seen so many times this season he just didn’t have the acumen to get his goal. The keeper did though seem to bring him down. Then Josh Key had a shot in injury time which the R’s keeper fielded well.
There hadn’t been a time or moment where QPR had come anywhere near close to worrying the Swans - bar a slight error early on in the game. It was the complete performance. As the half time whistle went on forty eight minutes there will be not one Swans fan who has witnessed every game this season who could reference a better all round and complete performance.
The second half started with the Swans unchanged and QPR making three changes.
Josh Key had a huge chance to score number four on forty six minutes again after a wonderful build up, the visiting keeper saved well, and unfortunately we saw no Swansea player poaching the rebound. QPR were now pressing far higher up the pitch with more aggression which we had seen lacking in the first half. A foul on Eom turned into a yellow card for the South Korean which was a bit surprising. The Swans were most certainly on the same levels as they were in the first half. But they couldn’t continue it.
The first glimpse of a QPR revival came on fifty three minutes when a cross out on the Swans left spun out with nobody near the ball. It was a warning. However, the R’s were pressing the Swans now. They had more fight in them and were at least trying to keep the score respectable. Sub, Chair was an outlet and the away side looked far more competitive. A raid again down the Swans left saw Paul Smyth drive a shot at Vigouroux which the referee deemed a corner. This was one of those periods in the game where we have seen the Swans fold at times this season. The Swans pressure as opposed to the first half was becoming laboured. Signs of a sub or two signalled from the bench.
A lovely ball from Franco to Bianchini just avoided the Swans striker and the R’s keeper just about collected the pass. We are now seeing some lazy passing from the Swans as Eom was replaced by Myles Peart-Harris, surely in a game like this he could face up to the task ? QPR were now taking ahold of the game. At this point we wanted to see the right calibre of player and fight in this Swans side. Key had a chance to cross on sixty three minutes but somehow he completely fluffed his lines. We needed now to see some composure and thought in the Swans play.
There seems to be a lack of options now Peart-Harris was on the pitch. And nearly men were not required at this point as Rangers were becoming more dominant and looking like the team to score. Key got a cross in on sixty minutes but the support from his strikers just wasn’t there. This was now a very poor game to watch. Maybe that suited the Swans, but against better opposition ? Despite the Swans endeavour nothing was coming off and we were now seeing that Swansea City we know of old. But we did have twenty minutes to go. Tymon was then seen standing on the ball and walking, Ronald despite a very good ball couldn’t beat his man which was leading to more pressure from the away side,
On seventy six minutes Vipotnik came on for the ineffective Bianchini.
A poor cross from Peart-Harris out on the Swans left was frustrating as his options led to him hitting a Swans player and the ball going out for a corner. It’s moments like this that feed the opposition confidence and within seconds they were pressurising the Swans defence. Fortunately the corner which ensued led to Vigouroux claiming the ball. We were now into the last ten minutes plus injury time. The Swans were looking leggy but Vipotnik was fed a lovely ball from Cullen on eighty three minutes which hit the side netting.
Then we saw Franco replaced by Jay Fulton, Ben Lloyd for Cullen and Abdulai for Fulton. That will lead to some Swans fans questioning the Swans strength in depth, but Ben Lloyd looked like he was bursting with pride to make his Swans debut. On eighty eight minutes a cross from Abdulai who looked surprised to be in in space was nearly met by Vipotnik. At least now we could celebrate a Swans victory. With four minutes of injury time to play the Swans were merely going through the motions, and those motions from the first half had earned the three points.
The R’s effort for the middle of the second half was admirable but the damage had been done in the first forty five. This by no means was a complete Swansea performance but that first half will live long in the memory.
⚽️ Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux 6 Josh Key 7 Ben Cabango 7 Harry Darling 7 Josh Tymon 6 Matt Grimes (captain) 8 Gonçalo Franco 7 (Jay Fulton 86) 5 Liam Cullen 9 (Ben Lloyd 86) 5 Ronald 7 (Azeem Abdulai 86) 5 Jisung Eom 7 (Myles Peart-Harris 62) 4 Florian Bianchini 5 (Žan Vipotnik 77) 5
Unused Substitutes: Jon McLaughlin, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Cyrus Christie, Kyle Naughton.
⚽️ Queens Park Rangers: Paul Nardi, Jimmy Dunne, Morgan Fox, Jake Clarke-Salter, Kenneth Paal (Harrison Ashby 46), Jonathan Varane, Sam Field (captain), Kieran Morgan (Nicolas Madsen 46), Koki Saito (Ilias Chair 46), Rayan Kolli (Michael Frey 68), Paul Smyth (Lucas Andersen 84).
Unused Substitutes: Joe Walsh, Elijah Dixon-Bonner, Danniel Bennie, Alfie Lloyd.
⚽️ Referee: Ben Toner 6/10 : Didn't try and dominate the game but he is still a bit of a weirdo.
Attendance: 15,900
Away 184
We will have more on this game tomorrow.