Swansea City moved into tenth place in the Championship last night with a very hard fought win over fifth place Watford in their Championship game at the Swansea.com. Myles Peart-Harris most certainly earned the plaudits in a tense second half. The Swans will remain in tenth spot even after the rest of the Championship fixtures are completed tonight.

The game started in the Swans favour with Peart-Harris having two chances. His finishing was weak though. Two attempts that signalled a player in form. Josh Key started his usual raids down the Swansea right. His improvement this season to one of the better right sided wing backs in the league a contributing to the Swans recent revival. Evidence of the Swans quick start to the game came with a flurry of opportunities. A cross box pass went unchallenged by any Swans player. It was a chance. The home side were dominating, but with three opportunities already, this game needed a goal.

The referee with some history when officiating Watford ruled a penalty shout away when Cabango looked to be brought down in the penalty area. On fourteen minutes Bayo, the four goal scorer on the weekend for the Hornets spent two minutes down getting treatment. This after a bizarre attempt to win the ball from Darling.

A Peart-Harris break on the right saw a tempting cross ball but Vipotnik was late getting in the area. A third corner arrived on nineteen minutes. Ronald had broke down the left but had no support. Then a goal ruled offside when Darling headed across goal for Cabango to score. Unfortunately Darling was offside. We were now half way through the first half. The Swans press was impressive. They were holding all the keys to win this game.

A crude challenge on Ronaldo on twenty six brought about a Grimes free kick. The delivery was perfect but just missed a late run from Cabango. Another opportunity gone. On the half hour the Swans took a breather allowing Watford more possession. To date they hadn’t tested Vigouroux in the Swans goal. However the Hornets couldn’t breach the Swans. Thereafter more Swans pressure led to a lovely move which saw Peart-Harris score the opening goal. Josh Key started the move, and a dangerous cross which had several Swansea players waiting to take advantage saw Peart-Harris sliding the ball into the Watford net. It was nothing more than the Swans deserved.

Another move saw Franco shoot at goal but it was weak.

Watford were now left with no choice but to up the anti. Their first corner of the game came on forty one minutes. It was easily cleared, however the Hornets were now on plan b, the plan we have seen from numerous visitors to the Swansea.com. Sit back and watch the Swans miss chances. By my reckoning we had nearly four minutes of stoppage time, but that was only reflected in two minutes added time. The whistle was blown, Watford had been dreadful, and no matter their complaining to the referee they only had themselves to blame.

The second half started pretty much the same as the first with the Swans pressing and looking for that second goal. Despite that, the effort was there but the control wasn’t. On Fifty four minutes Franco had another opportunity in front of goal but completely got his execution wrong. Composure was now needed. Another wonderful Josh Key run somehow resulted in an offside being given. As stated composure was now needed. A repeat of that Millwall late late show was not required.

Watford earned themselves a corner on fifty eight minutes. It was cleared. From that Ronald outstripped his opponent and tried a long range chip at goal. It went high and wide. What was now noticeable was the effort and commitment of Franco. Chasing lost causes and causing disruption. Watford though were sneaking back into the game. Their second corner came on sixty minutes. That came to nothing as subs were introduced by the away side. The snide fouls continued from the Hornets, and as we have seen this season the more valuable Swans players were being targeted. On sixty two minutes Franco had the treatment. Again, horrendous officiating not picking up on the nasty fouls.

Watford were now pressing harder, the Swans looking poor under pressure. More corners and more dangerous moments for the home side. We saw Bianchini on for Vipotnik on sixty six minutes. Bianchini taking up a role in the centre of attack. What we were seeing now was more industry from the Hornets, more physicality and commitment. The Swans were defending well, but the obvious we have seen so many times this season was creeping back into the half.

On fifty eight minutes Bianchini did get the ball into the net but was ruled offside when the pass was given to him. Watford now we’re the better side and looking more likely to score. You can’t help but feel that way as this game was going the same way as so many others. Another corner on seventy minutes for the away side was cleared. From there Harry Darling came to the Swans rescue from an attack on the break, another Watford corner. That was cleared by Darling but we were seeing Franco losing too much possession at this point.

On seventy four minutes Joe Allen and Cyrus Christie readied themselves to come on. Naughton for Christie and Franco off for Allen. Franco had been superb, but the second half had tired him out. Still, Watford were taking advantage of the Swans poor control with their backs to the opposition. They were quicker and sharper and the Swans had to rely on well timed tackles to escape any danger. The officials deserve a mention, especially when Peart-Harris was bullied out of possession for an obvious throw in. The obvious not seen to the official on the Swans right. Peart-Harris was booked on seventy eight minutes, his tackling clearly not to the referee’s satisfaction.

It has to be said it looked like Watford were going to be the next goal scorers with ten minutes to go. The Swans were now playing on the break. Cullen and Ronald linking well but Cullen ran out of steam. The referee was now involved in some very strange decisions. He was allowing Watford tackles to go, but anything from the Swans was being penalised. On eighty three the Swans at last earned a free kick on their right after another poor Watford tackle. Allen took it but the move was poor.

The Swans were still playing intricate football but were being crowded out by the visitors.

A foul on Jebbison on eighty five minutes presented the Hornets with another chance. That led to a Watford long throwing. That fell kindly and the shot by the Hornets went deflected for a corner. From there Vigouroux gathered it in a crowded penalty area to much applause. To date the Hornets efforts were flying high and wide, Vigouroux with little to concern him, and that continued. The Swans were now playing for time. From an odd decision again from the referee Watford forged out another effort, but their own composure just wasn’t there.

We had four minutes of injury time.

The Swans were clealry out on their feet. Watford attacked again with ninety seconds to play. From a cleared effort Watford had a corner. The Watford keeper now in attack. The clearance was long from that set piece. However, no Swans player was there to take advantage. It was a massive effort from Swansea City throughout the game. When the referee eventually put his impartial head on and blew up for time the second victory in this run of three games was completed.

Burnley away is next this coming Sunday.

⚽️ Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux 7 Josh Key 6 Ben Cabango 7 Harry Darling 7 Kyle Naughton 6 (Cyrus Christie 75) 5 Matt Grimes (captain) 7 Gonçalo Franco 7 (Joe Allen 75) 6 Ronald 6 Liam Cullen 5 Myles Peart-Harris 7 Žan Vipotnik 5 (Florian Bianchini 66) 6

Unused Substitutes: Jon McLaughlin, Kristian Pedersen, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Nelson Abbey, Aimar Govea, Azeem Abdulai.

⚽️ Watford: Daniel Bachmann (captain), Francisco Sierralta, Mattie Pollock, Tom Ince (Mamadou Doumbia 73), Giorgi Chakvetadze, Ken Sema (Ryan Andrews 62), Pierre Dwomoh (Imran Louza 61), Vakoun Bayo (Daniel Jebbison 83), Festy Ebosele, Yasser Larouci (Kwadwo Baah 46), Edo Kayembe.

Unused Substitutes: Jonathan Bond, James Morris, Antonio Tikvic, Kevin Keben.

Referee: Josh Smith : Displayed incompetence throughout the game. 4/10.

Attendance: *12,869, this should really concern the Swans majority ownership.

Approx 200 away.

Photographs: Swansea Independent, courtesy of Duncan Johnson. Stats BeSoccer

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