For all the upbeat messages surrounding this third round FA Cup tie this game provided nothing but frustration and turned into a turgid effort by both sides with Bristol City in the second half possibly edging the game. Having said that we saw a swans side this afternoon devoid of ideas and looking drained and tired lacking effort and discipline on the ball. It was so bad.

Swansea City dominated the first half of this game that saw four minutes of added time. Despite that and for all the possession it was a robins error which gifted the swans the opening goal. A terrible error between goalkeeper O’Learly and Zak Vyner led to an easy opportunity for Joel Piroe to slot home to out his sideline up. The possession stats fell heavily on Swansea City’s side but the frustration was most certainly due to the lack of control by any of the swans attacking players when in a threatening position. The control or lack of it, especially by the likes of Joel Piroe was evident throughout, when he wasn’t losing the ball through poor decision making he couldn’t hold on to it.

Any club watching him today on that first forty five minutes won’t be impressed.

It really was a first half dominated by the swans but no real chances came about for all their hard work. Russell Martin has bemoaned his teams defending this season, and giving away free kicks in dangerous places. Nathan Wood reintroduced to the side today will have done himself no favours continually doing the very thing his manager has constantly mentioned this season. Three times he was the the culprit, luckily the robins were unable to construct anything positive.

The one shot at goal was the goal by Joel Piroe, the one shot at goal from Bristol City ended up somewhere in the large travelling Swansea support. The swans would have be disappointed going in to half time, their dominance really should have closed this game down but persistent errors and a lack of desire and intensity were again their achilles heal. The counter attacks were positive but that final ball is best forgotten.

Talking about best forgotten the second half was just that for Swansea at least. The passing was so shoddy and unclean and the ability to see the correct pass so obvious you have to say the past two games seemed a million miles away. Bristol City’s commitment to not only get back in to the game but win it was commendable, but that enthusiasm was purely down to the worst display this swans side has put in for many weeks. Steven Benda is going through which we can only hope is a temporary loss of form but when the robins equalised through Semenyo’s gift of a header there only really looked like one team in it.

Referee Craig Pawson looked about out of his depth as Joel Piroe did out on the Swansea right, or indeed Liam Cullen playing some form of striker role. The robins did well in the second half to keep the swans at bay, and by that meaning their passing game nullified and poor. You have to give them credit for that. Bit overall this was an awful game of football, the home side pressed for a winner and Swansea didn’t. Any chance they had to get forward was wasted, it was so poor. Long balls wasted, short balls wasted and very little to be positive about.

The positive thing for Swansea is they enabled a draw which see’s a replay the week after next. The negative being there has to be a game at all.

Bristol City: O'Leary; Vyner, Atkinson, Naismith (Williams 72); Tanner (Sykes 72), Weimann (C), James, Scott (Bell 84), Pring; Semenyo, Conway (Wells 25).

Subs not used: Bentley, Dasilva, King, Kadji, Taylor-Clarke.

Goal: Semenyo 75

Yellow cards: 🟨 Naismith 39, Pring 84

Swansea City: With ratings. Benda; 4 Latibeaudiere, 4 Cabango 4 (Darling 46), 5 Wood, 3 Manning; 5; Allen 6 (Cundle 76) 4 ; Fulton,6 Grimes (C); 4 Cooper 5 (Congreve 86); Piroe, 4;Cullen 3 (Ntcham 77) 5

Subs not used: Fisher, Naughton, Sorinola, Ogbeta, Cotterill.

Goal: Piroe 15 Assist : Cullen

Yellow cards: 🟨 Allen 45+3, Wood 61, Darling 69

Referee: Craig Pawson 3/10 Completely hopeless throughout.

Official 2,657 away. Unofficial ? Far more.

Photographs licensed from Reuters

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