Swansea City hit five games without a goal this afternoon. Despite a plethora of chances they failed miserably in front of goal, Myles Peart-Harris and Florian Bianchini the main offenders. Lukas Jensen was the Millwall star player in goal, testament to not only how poor the Swans were but how Millwall clung on and won the game.

The Swans started confidently with Liam Cullen and Zǎn Vipotnik adding strength to the attack. The referee was happy to let some harsh challenges go as first Vipotnik couldn’t control the ball, and really should have shot immediately. Then Ronald on seven minutes flashed a shot across Jensen in the Millwall goal. It was a good start, but no goals at this point.

The Swans earned their first corner of the game on eight minutes. Josh Tymon played in a hard and low drive which ended everyone. Then Franco was brought down on the Swans left, nastily as well. Matt Grimes took the kick. He played it to his right, the ball bouncing before Cullen put his shot well high and wide. Millwall until the eleventh minute had rarely enabled possession in the Swans half. A free kick in the Swansea right was poorly taken and the ball bounced off a Millwall head.

The east stand was bouncing it has to be said. The crowd well behind every Swans move.

You could see the Swans tactic of playing out to left and utilising Tymon as an attacking option, unfortunately Cullen needed some glue on his boots. Then a pretty poor Josh Key cross bounced out for a corner on the quarter hour. The routine from Grimes was poorly executed. Myles Peart-Harris showed his heels to the Millwall defence and earned a corner, this time on the left. Tymon took it, and again drilled his corner across the Millwall area. It found Key who crossed but Cullen completely misjudged his header.

The chances were being made but not in any way a threat to the visitors goal. Danny McNamara fancied himself as a hardman in the tackle, on nineteen minutes he again clattered a Swans player. A more thoughtful build up from the Swans on twenty minutes saw the ball out to Peart-Harris. Unfortunately again the move broke down this time with Grimes unable to progress. The Swans were in the ascendancy but it was still 0-0.

The ball was just not sticking but Vipotnik took matters into his own hands with a rasping shot which Jensen pushed out for a corner. That came to nothing as twenty three minutes came and went. A poor pass from Ronald was intercepted by Millwall’s Cooper and again it was out for a corner. That was four so far. This one in the Swans right. It’s an age old well used term but the corner fell easily into the keepers hands under no pressure whatsoever. A keeper should never be catching the ball at waist height from a set piece.

Millwall were caught offside on twenty seven in a move which exposed the Swans on their left. Sadly Grimes wasn’t exactly on his game, but he was more interested in getting forwards despite some wayward passes. Vigouroux in the Swans goal was always quick to move the ball forwards. Ronald was then blocked as he moved forwards deep in the Millwall half. Again the officials failed to react. Yiu just hoped they would keep this way of officiating throughout the game. The referee was missing a lot, shirt pulling in the area and elsewhere.

On the half hour frustration was beginning to mount in the noisy Swans support.

Romain Esse earned his side their first corner of the game on thirty three minutes out on the Swans left. Harry Darling bossed the area crashing into Millwall players as he headed clear. After all that Millwall were offside. Then a breakaway with little support for Peart-Harris, he passed to Cullen who tried to find Vipotnik but his aim was poor. As the half time break beckoned, the Swans still couldn’t score a goal. Then Grimes started to slow the game down, walking forwards, in this game the captain needed to wake up and take responsibility.

Franco was brought down by Wintle in a terrible challenge as the Portuguese player raced forwards. He was booked but Franco was clearly still in pain when the kick was taken. The ball in from Grimes was better, but it bounced away without threatening the Millwall goal. Franco was limping still. Then Ronald broke away, he was brought down off the ball and another Millwall booking ensued. On forty two minutes Ronald was brought down in the Millwall area, for some reason as he often does referee Busby was clearly going to influence this game at some point, and he did, no penalty.

The blatant fouling continued, Ronald was kicked again by Leonard as the cheating went unpunished by the referee. He was most certainly looking to take centre stage. From the free kick the ball slid out for another Swans corner. That was cleared and Ronald delivered another cross which yet again fell nicely for the keeper.

When Half time was announced we saw Franco limping off and Ronald unhappy at the way he was being managed by the officials. Franco was clearly being kicked out of the game. The incompetency we see in a match day referee at times is shocking.

The second half saw the same eleven take to the field as the Swans went looking for that elusive goal. Straight away Cullen forced the Millwall keeper to flap and push the ball away. Then Ronald picked up the ball and stopped play, stupidly chipping the ball over his opponent and giving the ball away. A minute later a Key deflection right in front of goal from a Tymon cross was saved. The Swans were on fire. From the corner Tymon was hauled down, by a player that already had been booked, Busby bottled it. Then from the free kick Grimes struck a shot at goal. It seemed to come off a Millwall defenders arm, Busby again waving any claim away.

What was happening inter-dispersed with awful officiating was the Swans just couldn’t get that last pass in to make the breakthrough. That was the issue.

Whatmore then broke into the Swans area, two yards offside. Nothing was given and the visitors earned a corner on the Swans left. That was cleared for another corner on the right hand side. That was cleared away as Franco sorted matters out. On fifty two Vipotnik had a snap shot but again when any challenge went in the referee stopped the game. And now a block on a player is now deemed an infringement, not when Ronald is on the ball but when Franco did a similar thing to his opponent. Langstaff moved forwards from the free kick, attempted to cross but earned a corner. It was quickly taken as yet again another Swans player was hauled to the ground.

Millwall were playing a similar tactic to numerous sides who have come to the Swansea.com this season. Soak up the pressure, gain a bit of luck and the press late on. Smash and grab tactics. Unbelievably Cullen was given a yellow card for a far lesser challenge than the Millwall right and left back players. A free kick was given in a dangerous position, but Honeyman made a complete mess of it.

The Swans were now finding it hard to penetrate the Millwall defence, the pace was too slow, the obvious options not being taken and the same old story seemed to be revealing itself. Franco was still clearly in pain, and Ronald on sixty three minutes resorted back to his poor crossing game.

Millwall had another corner on sixty four, out on their left. More fouling from Millwall went unchecked. Then a substitute came on. Liam Cullen off for Joe Allen. He would play a more advanced midfield role. Millwall were now edging into the game. The Swans were nowhere the team we saw in the first half an hour.

Another Millwall corner. It was headed over to safety.

Busby then gave a free kick but it was impossible to see why, the mindset of his officiating unknown to many bar himself. Then Franco broke away, his precise ball to Peart-Harris was messed up by the Brentford loanee, giving the ball away. It displayed a fear of doing what he is on the pitch to do, and most certainly rubber stamped in many fans minds he isn’t the answer. It was shocking for a professional footballer. It’s these moments that give the opposition hope, awful play by Peart-Harris.

Millwall then looked to their bench, a host of changes. And all we could do was hope.

Peart-Harris at last beat his man and crossed, it was poor but crept into the area, Ronald had he remained switched on would have had an easy shot at goal. More and more now referee Busby was having an affect on the game. A foul on Peart-Harris totally blanked. On seventy six minutes Key beautifully jinked his way into the area, his shot was well saved and another chance went begging.

Again, shockingly poor.

Then Ollie Cooper came on for Franco and Florian Bianchini for Vipotnik. That last sub was lost on us. More complex Swans movement ended up with Peart-Harris being handed a nailed on chance. He weakly and literally passed the ball to the Millwall keeper. Big chances head coach, Luke Williams talks about, that was one for sure. The Swans pressed again, but Millwall’s resistance and repertoire even went as far as looking for an opportunity to dive and win favour.

As the Swans went forwards, Ollie Cooper was industrious, more chances as Bianchini headed wide. Then a lovely ball from Ronald which Bianchini failed to put away, the rebound was met by Joe Allen but he too couldn’t convert. We now had eighty seven minutes on the clock. The game was furious and still had commitment. Millwall were time wasting, and the big Millwall centre half, Cooper was booked.

And then the inevitable. On ninety minutes Vigouroux gave the ball away. A break forwards and a squared pass to Casper De Norre who slid the ball into the Swansea net. For all the chances the Swans had, for all the effort and indeed ridiclious decision making in front of goal the home side were down again.

In four minutes added time Ollie Cooper was again fouled and another yellow card was given. This surely would be the Swans last chance ? The kick was cleared, the return cross was met by Darling unaware a player was behind him who could have taken the chance. Right at the death the Swans had a corner, but like all set pieces today the visitors cleared the ball.

That’s five games without a goal, and a point dropped at home to give up their undefeated home record. Of course in chances and possession the Swans should have won this game by a number of goals. For some reason they can’t even score a goal these days, now bothering a record set in 1996.

Words are hard to find, it’s as simple as that.

⚽️ Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux 5 Josh Key 7 Ben Cabango 6 Harry Darling 6 Josh Tymon 6 Matt Grimes (captain) 5 Gonçalo Franco 8 (Ollie Cooper 79) 6 Liam Cullen 5 (Joe Allen 66) 5 Ronald 7 Myles Peart-Harris 5 Žan Vipotnik 6 (Florian Bianchini 79) 5

Unused Substitutes: Jon McLaughlin, Jay Fulton, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Kyle Naughton, Nelson Abbey, Azeem Abdulai.

⚽️ Millwall: Lukas Jensen, Danny McNamara, Jake Cooper (captain), Japhet Tanganga, Ryan Wintle (Joe Bryan 90), Macaulay Langstaff (Mihailo Ivaonovic 72), Ryan Leonard, Duncan Watmore (Femi Azeez 72), George Saville, Romain Esse, George Honeyman (Casper De Norre 72).

Unused Substitutes: Liam Roberts, Murray Wallace, Daniel Kelly, Aidomo Emakhu, Wes Harding.

Referee: John Busby 1/10: A total incompetent.

Attendance: 15,119

Photograph : D.Johnson, Artwork by Swansea Independent : Stats by BeSoccer

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