1. Freestone
2. Jones S #
3. Howard
4. Bound
5. O'Leary
6. Cusack
7. Thomas
8. Boyd *
9. Watkin
10. Roberts
11. Price @

    ---

12. Jones J
13. Coates #65
14. Jenkins @77
15. Mutton *84
16. Keegan

 Bury

1. Kenny
2. Swailes #
3. Collins
4. Barrick
5. Daws
6. Redmond
7. Billy
8. Bullock @
9. Littlejohn
10. Bhutia *
11. Forrest

    ---

12. Preece
13. Crowe
14. Halford #90
15. James *57
16. Jarrett @7

Sporting Post report - by Jonathan Wilsher

SWANSEA City pro duced a lacklustre display against the Shakers as their smallest crowd of the season booed them off.

Manager John Hollins made three changes to the side that lost 51 at Reading last week.

Steve Jones, recovered from injury, returned to the defence while Stuart Roberts was, preferred in midfield to Jonathan Coates who had to be content with a place on the bench.

Striker Steve Watkin returned from ankle injury to take his place alongside Walter Boyd.

Skipper Nick Cusack dropped back to his more familiar midfield role.

It meant Lee Jenkins had to be content with a place on the bench along with striker Tommy Mutton who was carried off three weeks ago at Notts County with an ankle injury. Gareth Phillips was rested after suffering from tonsillitis in midweek.

Bury arrived at the Vetch flying high in third place but without influential midfield man Paul Reid who was sitting out a one match sus pension.

Player manager Andy Preece had to resuffle further with promising 19 yearold full back Max Barrass forced out with cartilage trouble.

All eyes early on centred on Bhaithung Bhupia, the first player from India to play Nationwide League football.

Bhupia is regarded as a hero in his native land with his name sitting alongside the likes of Maradona, Pele and Ronaldo.

Swansea started with an orthodox 442 formation and were still settling down in the first five minutes when they found themselves a goal down.

With some of the Swansea crowd still taking their seats a good through ball from Darren Bullock caught the home side napping and striker Adrian LITTLEJOHN wrong footed Matthew Bound before firing a deflected shot beyond Roger Free stone from 12 yards.

It was the last action that Bullock saw as he limped off two minutes later with a dead leg. He was replaced by Jason Jarrett.

Swansea were still strug gling to put their game together when they created their first chance in the 10th minute, a Martin Thomas cross being met by the head of Watkin only for his effort to be taken under the bar by keeper Paddy Kenny. But Bury were soon back on the offensive and Chris Swailes headed a Nick Dawes corner just wide as Swansea were again guilty of giving their opponents too much room.

Swansea’s best early chance arrived on 20 minutes when a Watkin pass found Roberts whose shot from the edge of the area was tipped over by Kenny. From the corner good work by Jason Price set up Steve Jones who found Thomas. When the mid fielder laid a pass off to Bound, the central defender unleashed a fierce 20yard drive which flew inches wide of the top corner with the keeper well beaten.

Roberts showed his first glimpse of ~ce as he broke from halfway down an unfa miliar leftflank before curling a shot just wide.

Swansea full back Michael Howard was the first player to go into the book in the 32nd minute for dissent as he kicked the bail away in disgust at one of many strange decisions from referee Clive Wilkes.

It set the scene for an ill tempered period and Wilkes missed Littlejohn kicking Thomas as Howard was being cautioned.

Both sides became involved in a scuffle before tempers died down.

The respite lasted just four minutes as Thomas and Sam Collins clashed just over halfway and both sets of players rushed in with tempers hot.

Thomas and Collins were booked and Bury’s Dean Bamck joined them on a yellow card in the 38th minute for a foul on Price.

This incident sparked some life into Swansea as Roberts and Kristian O’Leary set up Thomas for a cross which Steve Redmond was forced to head behind for a corner as Watkin closed in.

Boyd, who’d had a quiet opening half, saw his first shot of the game saved by Kenny.

Thomas tired his luck from long range with a shot which the Bury keeper again saved. On the stroke of half time Littlejohn became the next player in the book with a foul on Steve Jones.

Halftime: Swansea City 0, Bury 1

Bound went close for Swansea two minutes after the restart as a shot from the edge of the area was again saved by Kenny.

A fiveman move in the 53rd minute saw Thomas fire over.

Bury’s Steve Redmond was the sixth player booked in the 56th minute with a body check on Price. Bury’s Lutel James replaced Bhutia in the 57th minute.

Price saw one shot well saved by Kenny and Bury were relying on the quick break at this point. They nearly caught Swansea out as Littlejohn set up Chris Billy only for Price to put in a superb tackle.

Coates replaced Jones in the 65th minute as Swansea committed more men forward.

It nearly paid off as Thomas and Boyd com bined to find Watkin whose excellent shot was again well saved by the busy Bury keeper.

At the other end a Dawes shot was deflected behind.

Neat footwork by Roberts nearly brought an equaliser but his 25yard shot flew wide. Cusack was the next to carve Out an opening when his cross was met by weakly by the head of Watkin.

Swansea sent on Lee Jenkins for Price with 13 minutes left. But he found himself defending for the next five minutes as Swansea kept giving the ball away.

Swansea paid the price in the 84th minute as Barrick broke and substitute JARREIT met a Billy cross to fire beyond Free stone.

Mutton came on for Boyd but it was all in vain.

I also think the game today was enjoyable - at least the first hour. Maybe it was the sunshine.

It even kept my boy interested and not asking 'when is half time' every 5 minutes.

That said, we were well beaten by a better side, and it is difficult to see where we are going to improve.

Maybe I am just repeating what has been said before by others but

1. Whenever any 1 from Freestone/Bound/Smith goes injured we cannot reply on the other team not scoring + sneaking one at the far end. This was clear last year and is even more true with strikers of the calibre of Littlejohn in this division. It is much more difficult to bring younger players like O'Leary in now - frankly he looked completely out of his depth - where are the games that are going to give him a bit of confidence ?

2. Bringing Tommy Mutton on at the end was NOT going to worry Bury Whatever his potential may or may not be, simply doing more of the same was not going to make the difference.

3. Does Coates want to play for Swansea or not ? If he does not then there is no point in picking him, even as substitute.

4. There are going to plenty more games this season against sides who play a strong physical game at the back, and who also possess one or two quick skilful players who have played in a higher league. Apart from hitting shots from 20 yards out, how exactly do we plan to score against these teams ?

5. I would be very interested to hear the views of others on Walter Boyd after today's game. He appears to be playing a different game to the rest of the team. He clearly has the skills when the ball is at floor level, but why then do we never pass it to feet.

6. Any more players who get booked for stupid offences like kicking the ball away should be punished heavily by the club. We do not have such strength in depth that we can afford to have players banned by the middle of the season.