1. Freestone
2. Price *
3. Howard
4. Bound
5. Todd
6. Phillips
7. Jenkins
8. Fabiano @
9. Savarese #
10. Boyd
11. Romo

    ---

12. Jones J
13. Roberts @46
14. Appleby #46
15. Mumford *76
16. Coates

 Port Vale

1. Goodlad
2. Carragher
3. Burton
4. Brammer
5. Cummins
6. Brisco
7. Naylor
8. Brooker
9. Bridge-Wilkinson
10. A Smith
11. Walsh

    ---

12. Delaney
13. Tankard
14. Widdrington
15. Viljanen
16. Twiss

5 more games in this division, 1 more point for Wycombe and the maths are certain. Whatever the weather why is it always cold at Vale Park. Considering that Poer Vale play in the LDV final next week it was a very poor turn out boosted by about 130 visiting fans.

Any way lets get to the nitty gritty. The team again seemed to pick itself in JH’s eyes, Rog with Price Bound Todd & Howard at the back, midfield of Jenkins Romo, Fabiano & Phillips with Boyd & Savarese up front.

Port Vale started the brighter with Naylor and Brooker linking well and causing as some problems with no real threat on goal, but after approx. 10 mins they scored the only goal of the game a cross from their right got the slightest glance from Bound to beat an incoming forward but the ball carried on across goal past the far post only to be blasted back across goal into the far corner. The rest of the half saw the Swans giving as good as they got with one sharp turn by Savarese needing a good save from their keeper. Boyd had one good chance but took the option to shoot when going away from goal and off balance. With a bit of luck we could have been equal at half time. All players had played their part especially Phillips in midfield who covered a large amount of ground to close players down and Price who continually being played out of position put in many crucial tackle and clearances.

The restart saw Savarese & Fabiano being replaces by Roberts & Appleby which saw an increase in tempo with the Swans dominating for long periods without getting that vital breakthrough. At time we played some neat football with both Roberts & Appleby causing problems to the Vale defence. The results of our attacks in truth were only half chances where a bobble or bounce in our favour would surely have resulted in a goal. We were awarded a free kick outside their area which was moved forward 10 yards to the 18 yd line, causing panic in the wall. This actually worked against us as the ball cannoned away to safety from the packed six yard box.

We never really looked troubled but Rog was called on to save on 2 occasions when 1 on 1. With 10 minutes to go Mumford came on to replace Price to play up front and showed enough promise that with the expected departures at the end of the season his chance for a regular spot could come.

A few comments away from the pitch.

Good support given in the first 15 mins, but then instead of support for the team it changed to anti Cardiff songs, where the usual ‘stand up if you hate Cardiff’ was mostly ignored by the majority. This then changed to about 10 mins of anti Robin Williams songs. Some may call this banter, but I just wish all the efforts were to encourage the team. OK maybe I am just getting old.

At least the humour came back towards the end where when JH was being spoken to by the referee, the chant of ‘ send him off’ was voiced by many. The last 5mins was played out to our chants of going down with the Oxford, Rochdale here we come and a good rendition of Carlisle on a Monday night Darlo on a Tuesday night Hartlepool on a Wed night Rushden on a Thurs night Leyton O on Boxing day. Not so good in print maybe you had to be there.

One more surprise was in store. As we left the ground into the main car park we were met be a reception committee of about 75-100 Vale fans ( well morons really). No police insight and only a line of about ten stewards keeping them away. We left to one side as the stand off continued, with no threat or confrontation as most of the group was centered near the two coaches. As we drove away from Burslem police cars were dashing to the scene. In this day and age surely a token presence is required at the ground at full time. Pathetic organization, prevention is better than cure. Hope all returned safely, as there had not really been any threat inside the ground. We were again(Walsall away) accompanied by a female Spurs fan who couldn’t believe the organization after the game. Premiership and second, maybe our safety counts for less.

To finish lets get back to the football the players gave their all today on a pitch that cut up badly especially in midfield. One more into the diary of ‘if only’. We have had many this season and if the right decisions had been taken months ago we would be looking forward to another season in the second and not the third. A mid table position was easily obtainable as apart from a handful of teams there have not been many others to worry about.

Lets hope the takeover happens sooner than later so that we can start the next season with our eyes open on a second championship year.

A very shapeless and jaded performance today from a Swans team who at times looked to be just playing out the season, and who seemed pretty desperate for it all to be over. Scant reward for the couple of hundred hardy Jacks who made the effort to get there, and very disappointing Easter fayre.

It was a return to the 4-4-2 formation today, with Chris Todd partnering Bound in the centre of defence, and Price and Howard in the full back roles. The strike pairing was Savarese and Boyd, but it was our ineffective midfield of Phillips, Romo, Fabiano and Jenkins who did most to surrender the initiative in a lacklustre first half display. On a bumpy and sandy pitch it was plenty of grit, rather than guile, that was needed to win the middle of the park, but apart from some surging Fabiano runs our midfield four never delivered, and we too often found ourselves chasing the ball and the the play, rather than controlling it.

Ironically the first half-chance fell to the Swans after five minutes, when Jenkins chased a hopeful through ball and reached it just before the advancing keeper, but was unable to control his lob. Then after only ten minutes we gave a way a tame opening goal. A routine cross from the right was flicked on by a Swans defender and found its way to Brooker at the far post; he made a meal of controlling the ball, but was still able to drive it home from close range with little interference from our defence.

The home side, itself lacking any genuine creativity, then took hold of the game mainly through mastery of the conditions. Their tactic of planting the ball over or inside our hesitant full backs seemed to work for them every time, and they created several opportunities from which they should have sewn the gaem up. First Brooker headed against the post, and then gathered the rebound ahead of any of our defenders, setting up a colleague to volley wide. Then a mix up between Freestone and Todd nearly let in a Vale striker, and then Bound cleared a low shot off the line. Our only respone was a decent Savarese strike whih was easily saved by Mark Goodlad. And only Fabiano came off with any credit for the Swans, after producing several winding runs, but unfortunately with no end product.

The second half saw the immediate introduction of two Swans substitutes - Roberts and Appleby replacing Savarese and Fabiano. And this did prompt a greatly improved second half effort, against a Vale side which seemed to have its mind far more focused on next week's LDV trophy final than on the matters in hand. Roberts' determined running and aggressive style unsettled the home defence, but it was Appleby's silky skills and neat touches which caused them most problems, and with Romo pushing forward more effectively, and Boyd linking up much better, we suddenly got in the game.

The best chance came on the hour when a free kick for a foul on Roberts was brought forward into the penalty area as a result of the wall not retreating. Boyd's fierce low drive was cleared off the line. Appleby produced a couple of decent crosses, and from some good wing play from Roberts, Appleby hit a sweet volley which Goodlad saved well. However, we had Freestone to thank for keeping the deficit to one goal, as he saved well from a point blank shot after 65 minutes.

We then saw the introduction of Andrew Mumford, remarkably as a makeshift centre forward. And incredibly, he fashioned two attempts at goal for himself - the first a low drive with his first touch, and the second and half volley which he scuffed wide. We continued to push forward sporadically, but failed to capitalise on our greater second half possession, and in the end Vale blew several good chances to double their lead. Ultimately, the final whistle came as blessed relief all round, as the Swans fans finished the game with chants of "Torquay on a Monday night; Carlisle on a Tuesday night; Rochdale on a Wednesday...." etc. The relegation party though, will have to wait until next Saturday.

Freestone - 7 A couple of good saves in the second half.
Howard - 5 Badly exposed in the first half and relatively ineffective going forward.
Price - 5 As Above
Bound - 6 Did his best to clear the lines, but his distribution was poor
Todd - 6 Similar to Bound, but learning all the time.
Fabiano - 6 Some good runs
Romo - 5 In the Cusack role we needed a general's performance, but we didn't get it today.
Phillips - 5 Needed him to dominate the middle of the park, and apart from a brief spell in the second half, he didn't (but shows promise).
Jenkins - 5 Didn't win much of the ball and too often gave it away.
Savarese - 5 Dropped deep to get into the game, but pretty ineffective.
Boyd - 6 Linked well, and produced some good runs, but woeful shooting.
Roberts - 7 Terrorised the defence, but failed to get a good strike in.
Appleby - 8 Showed some lovely touches, and some great vision in his cross field passing. Hopefully, he is back!
Mumford - 7 A battling effort - a good 20 minute cameo performance.