Rochdale v Swansea City - By the Famous Five Magnificent Seven

After our llong journey we arrived a good time for a couple of pre match pints to try to calm the nerves (purely medicinal).

Into the ground at 2.50 and we seemed to be the only swans fans not trying out the local delicacies of meat and potato pies or gravy and chips.

The team news appeared to mean Swans switching to the more traditional 4-4-2 with Coates taken up the left side of midfield and Britton out on the right of midfield. Hylton was back from injury and on the bench where he joined Roger, Mumph and the unlucky Richards and the lucky John Williams. There was no place for Steve Watkin (thankfully).

The game got underway in sunshine and the Swans seemed to settle well with Britton and Martinez involved in most of the good moves. On 7 minutes the first real chance of the game. A cross from Britton on the right found Johnrose whose header found Nugent just 2 yards from goal, his deft flick was just a little to deft and floated past the post.

Swans seemed to be dominating the game and seemed much more 'up for it', although an uneven playing surface was doing little to assist our football.

On 14 minutes, our first panic as Cutler was left exposed following a mix up between Tate and O'Leary, Platt their big striker got past a prostrate Cutler and with only Tate on the line managed it hit the ball at a combination of Tate's arm and chest. Thankfully, the referee didn't blow and after some quick heart massage it was on with the game.

On 18 minutes the best cross of the game from Martinez picked out Nugent at the far post and his header back across goal nestled in the net. Cue mayhem in the Swans contingent.

The quality of the football went downhill from there, we continued to have the better of things, but neither time looked like scoring. Still 1-o at half time was perfectly acceptable and needed, as news of our relegation rivals was not good. Then disaster of disasters, Their centre half Griffiths outjumps O'Leary and its 1-1. Back into the depths of despair. Half time must have had most Swans fans scratching their heads wondering why the hell they put themselves through this.

No changes at half time and back to the agony. The game appeared more open with both teams throwing men forward at every opportunity.

On 52 minutes a near post ball and as their striker went to collect the ball we went down under what could have been a push or an accidental tangling of feet with O'Leary. The referee blew up immediately but then took what seemed like 60 seconds before giving the free kick to O'Leary. More heart massage and a valium would surely have helped at this stage.

On 54 minutes O'Leary gave the ball away and a shot had Cutler at full stretch.

Both attacks were on top and our central defence more than once was all at sea.

On 60 minutes with the goal at his mercy one of their strikers hit a goalbound shot, Jenkins somehow managed to get in the way and the ball deflected onto the post before being hacked clear. The Swans fans were all going through the worst nightmares and vented their frustrations on calling on Flynn for a much needed substitution. On 67 minutes when the substitution everyone expected the tiring Coates to be replaced. Instead the hardworking Thomas made way for Richards. Whilst many were still questioning this substitution, Richards poked the ball goalward and the Swans fans were in raptures again. However, the ball hit the post and rolled agonisingly back across the line. From 70yards away I wasn't convinced it was in for ages by which time Richards had run 50 yards into the arms of the Swans bench.

The last 20 minutes and the 4 minutes injury time are something of a blur. Swans played too deep and gave away possession too easily, but hell if I'd been out there I'd have been too nervous to stand let alone play football.

The full time whistle saw mass celebrations involving all the Swans fans with many of the players joining in, including Kris O'Leary jumping into the arms of one group of fans. At times, we have accused many Swans players of not caring enough. The reaction of many should just what this club at its plight means to them.

Days like today make one realise what SCFC means to us another performance like today is all that's needed to secure our Football League future.

Players ratings:-

Cutler 7 – One or two shaky moments, but overall did well.

Jenkins 9 – Battled throughout, excellent in defence and assisted going forward at every opportunity.
Tate 8 – Did a sterling job in marking the awkward Platt.
O'Leary 7 – Gave 100% and his reaction at the end showed just what this result meant to him.
Howard 6 – Did OK. Supported down wing whenever he could.

Britton 7 – Much better performance than of late.
Martinez 9 – Dominated midfield. Where would we be without him?
Johnrose 7 – Much more involved in a more central role. Supported attacks at corners and free kicks and won more than his share of headers.
Coates 6 – Surprise selection. Did well considering miss lack of match practice. Tired second half.

Thomas 7- Worked his socks off and few if any opportunities fell his way.
Nugent 7- Did really well for 70 minutes, took his goal well.

Subs

Richards 7- Scored within a minute or so of coming on, but then missed when one on one with keeper.
Hylton 7 – Not really on long enough to comment, but helped shore up the left side for the last few minutes.

Man of the Match – The travelling Swans fans, who were magnificent throughout. Made one proud to be a Jack.

Our journey home could have been a 5 hour trek with nobody speaking to one another. Instead the first half found us listening to Radio Wales laughing at all the Cardiff callers and from 7.30 onwards we had the privilege of free tickets to 3 hours of Stars in their eyes special with Andrew Thomas taking all the parts from Little Richard to REM with T Rex, the Stranglers and Cher thrown in. Thank God we did have a break for pie and chips and a couple of pints in Leominster.

Rochdale v Swansea City

But, as ever with the Swans, they kept their habitually magnificent away following on tenterhooks right until the end. In fact, when Rochdale's captain and goalscorer, Gareth Griffiths, rose at the far post to send a header towards goal, the match should surely have been over for we were in the 95th minute of a contest whose only previous significant stoppages had been for substitutions and goals. Thankfully, a Rochdale leg flicked out at the ball, diverting it over the bar to a huge collective sigh of relief from the massed ranks in the visitors' stand.

It need not - and should not - have been such a nerve-jangling finale, though. Three minutes earlier, and with only his second act on the ball - his first having been a cushioned left-foot volley on the stretch from Leon Britton's inch-perfect cross to restore Swansea's lead midway through the second half - Marc Richards raced clear of a deserting defence, but having carried the ball over the best part of 50 yards for what seemed like an eternity, it appeared that that left too much time to ponder his options and the Blackburn Rovers loanee shot straight at the legs of the exposed Matthew Gilks.

Having gone ahead for the second time at 2-1, the Swansea seemed to make a concerted effort to kill this game off instead of sitting back with the intention of merely protecting a narrow lead, as they have done in some recent encounters. Indeed, such was the belief and confidence coursing throughout the side that even the previously lumbering Kevin Nugent was essaying fancy first-time flicks, and, less surprisingly, Roberto Martinez produced a delightful step-over and shimmy to burst past two bewildered Rochdale defenders into the penalty area before shooting disappointingly wide, while centre-back Alan Tate was to be found bursting down the right wing in the closing stages.

Actually, never mind sitting back, the Swans could have laid back against this Rochdale outfit and they would still have been relatively unperturbed. For despite manager Paul Simpson's claim that more misery would be heaped on the Welshmen, the visitors could have scarcely wished to come up against less motivated and less imaginative opponents.

Nevertheless, Swansea should be credited with shaking off the hesitancy and nervousness of previous displays by taking the game to their hosts straight from the kick-off, led, chiefly, by the on-loan West Ham schemer Britton, whose impeccable control and dribbling skills constantly worried the vulnerable left side of Rochdale's rearguard. Britton seemed to be no longer concerned about his recently-fractured cheekbone as he attacked with gusto, often finding himself surrounded by two or three blue shirts. Furthermore, on the rare occasions when he was dispossessed, he would soon be back, snapping at his tackler's heels and launching into sliding challenges when apt. Unfortunately, despite all the youngster's foraging and prompting, Swansea still lacked a cutting edge with a front two comprising a not fully-fit James Thomas (recalled at the expense of Richards, whose two second-half misses at home to Exeter had proved so costly) alongside Nugent who prefers playing with his back to goal - unless the ball's in the air, thus allowing him to use his heading proficiency. This he was able to demonstrate perfectly on 18 minutes when, peeling away to the back post, he met Martinez's flighted pass to thump a header back past Gilks into the opposite corner.

Swansea certainly needed that because in spite of their encouraging start - which included a typically towering Lenny Johnrose header that flashed marginally over the bar - there were signs that the home side were beginning to get a grip on the game. After 13 minutes, a defensive slip-up enabled the giant Clive Platt to nip into the area, nod the ball past Neil Cutler, before reaching it on the edge of the six-yard box and turning it goalwards. Fortunately the shot was weak and Kristian O'Leary, alive to the impending danger, had raced back to block and clear.

Predictably Platt was the focal point for Rochdale's attacks - the strategy apparently being 'lump it up towards the big fella and hope he barges defenders out of the way'. That was never going to be good enough against a solid and defiant O'Leary and the composed and unruffled Tate. The duo also rendered anonymous the highly-rated Lee McEvilly, leaving their full-backs to concentrate on supporting Swansea's forays forward.

A physical Rochdale side's only other source of danger came from set-pieces and it was from a routine David Flitcroft free-kick that Griffiths forced home a thoroughly unmerited equaliser just before the break. The hosts were to threaten no more than sporadically from thereafter, forcing Cutler to display his agility only sparingly - when pushing away McEvilly's drive and the subsequent dangerously inswinging corner at full stretch. But the man from Stoke - who has done the unthinkable in replacing Swansea legend Roger Freestone - excelled himself on the hour mark when another Blackburn loanee on as a substitute, Darren Hockenhull, mishit a cross that looked to be looping in (just like Sam Shilton's fluke for Kidderminster last month, but this time from the right flank) until Cutler thrust himself backwards to tip the ball away. However, Lee Jenkins, rushing back to help out, became more of a hindrance when the ball bounced off his thigh and onto the post before eventually! being scrambled away.

Although practically unavoidable, this incident perhaps betrayed the nerves and desperation of some Swansea players, and the tension was to become almost unbearable in the last ten minutes as panicking players were repeatedly slicing clearances into the stands and straight up in the air, when a little extra composure on the ball could have led to more chances on the break.

But make no mistake, because notwithstanding the way the game finished, Swansea totally justified only their third win on their travels all season, and to have their final game to ensure Football League status next season at home in front of a capacity crowd at The Vetch against under-achieving mid-table opponents with nothing to play for is a not a bad position to be in, considering where they were at the turn of the year. And so let's hope that next Sunday we can begin to draw a veil over these last two turbulent seasons in the history of Swansea City Football Club and start to look forwards and upwards once more.

Rochdale (4-4-2): M Gilks - W Evans, S Hill (sub: P Connor, 69), S Grand, G Griffiths - R Patterson (sub: D Hockenhull, HT), D Flitcroft, C Beech, M Doughty (sub: K Townson, 87) - L McEvilly, C Platt. Substitutes not used: N Bennett, R Jobson.

Swansea City (4-4-2): N Cutler - L Jenkins, K O'Leary, A Tate, M Howard (sub: L Hylton 83) - L Britton, R Martinez, L Johnrose, J Coates - K Nugent, J Thomas (sub: M Richards, 67). Substitutes not used: R Freestone, A Mumford, J Williams.

Rochdale v Swansea City

With Nugent and Thomas working hard up front, and the midfield trio of Johnrose, Britton and Martinez probing and prodding behind them, the Swans made a positive start, on a very difficult playing surface. Indeed we should have taken the lead when Johnrose headed back across goal from a Martinez free kick, only for a Nugent header to glance agonisingly wide. Indeed, much of the first half hour saw the Swans comfortably in control, eagerly trying to break down the stubborn home defence, with some creative forward play. On several occasions crosses flashed across goal, with Swans players coming close to getting the vital touch. And Nugent continued to look dangerous with his clever link play. We eventually got the goal and the lead we deserved when Nugent powerfully headed home a Martinez cross. A rapturous response from the visiting crowd, soured only by the news of our rivals' successes elsewhere.

In defence we were tenacious. Coates, starting his first game since his return, ably supported Howard on the left side to stem the flow of the home attack, whilst Jenkins stood firm on the right. In the centre, though, Tate and O'leary lacked the height to cope comfortably with the robust threat of Clive Platt, and indeed the high ball was always Rochdale's most potent weapon. Tate denied Platt early on with a fine block from point blank range, but shortly before half time, the home side exploited our lack of height at the back with a routine free kick headed home by Griffiths.

The disappointment among the visiting fans was tangible, but it didn't deter the vocal support, which picked up where it left off as the second half began. The early exchanges of the second period were worryingly very open, with both teams apparently going for the jugular. In the first few minutes Rochdale looked at their most threatening, with Cutler having to make one fine save, and later a bobbling cross coming back off our post. They also had a decent penalty shout when a Rochdale player went to ground under a challenge from Howard, but the ref, fortunately, was unimpressed.

The Swans rallied, and played their way back into the game with some excellent creative work on our right side, mainly through the promptings of Martinez and the industry of Britton. This led to a couple of headed chances for Johnrose, the latter of these looping agonisingly wide after some fine approach play.

With the substitution of the flagging Thomas for Richards, the Swans succeeded in pressing home their territorial advantage, and grabbing the goal that their more creative play deserved. A cross from Martinez found Richards peeling away at the far post. He deftly flicked the ball beyond the advancing keeper towards the opposite post, and the Jacks held their breath as the ball trickled onto the post and over the line. The crowd went mad!

The final stages were frantic - Rochdale threw players forward and attacked long ball style in an effort to save the game, and the Swans defence performed an heroic rearguard action, led mainly by the inspirational Lee Jenkins whose performance at right back was that of a true-hearted Jack. This spell saw some flutters in our back line, including one header back across goal which missed by inches. But it was the Swans who had the best chance to seal it, when Richards was put through unopposed on goal, but his hurried finish was saved by the Dale keeper. In the dying moments a Rochdale corner was nearly flicked in from close range, but it was not to be, and the final whistle was greeted by tremendous celebrations amongst players and fans alike, which we can only hope are not premature.

Ratings
Cutler - 7 One hesitant moment, but otherwise very solid. Will need to command his box next week against Hull.
Jenkins - 8 Supported the attack well and defended ferociously.
Tate - 7 Worked hard but struggled a little against Platt
O'Leary 7 - Dogged and determined, if lacking height and finesse
Howard - 6 Tidy, but didn't get forward much
Coates - 7 Caused them some problems and supported Howard very well in defence. As usual, Coatesy is a better player away from the Vetch.
Martinez - 8 Great dead ball delivery and pretty much everything was directed through him.
Britton - 7 Some mazy running and a real handful down the right side
Johnrose - 7 Tenacious first half, though shattered by the end
Thomas - 6 Not a great game, but worked hard
Nugent - 8 Particularly effective in the second half - he was a real handful for the home defence.
Richards - 7 A good cameo performance, with a well taken, and possibly vital goal.
Hylton (For Johnrose) Little time to make an impression.

Not too much more we can say. Our daughter continues to bring us luck away from home, and she seemed to enjoy all the chanting even if she was a little bemused! We can't be at the Vetch next week...we have to go to a wedding! But we know where our thoughts will be. Now, I need to find that "discrete ring" button on my mobile! Good luck to the Jacks...we can do it!

Rochdale v Swansea City

No. Those were the opening words of our report against Exeter, today it's as far from the truth as you can get, as each player sweated blood in bucket fulls. Today was not about pretty football it was all about getting the three points. A crowd of 2,700 had a very healthy contingent of over 1,000 visiting fans.

The major surprise today was the formation 4-4-2.

The game started in bright sunshine, and from the whistle the team were like greyhounds out of the trap, as they seemed to want to forget the last two performances. Their start was matched off the pitch as well, as the fans kept up the magnificent support. It seemed that for the first 15mins we were camped in their half, as we mounted attack after attack, most being thwarted by their centre back Griffiths who was having an excellent game. Britton had one attempt blocked at the edge of the area, and Johnrose came close from a Martinez corner. After all the pressure it was Rochdale who nearly, and should have, scored the first goal. A long ball bounced over Tate and Platt got on the end of it, his run putting it past Cutler and shooting, the ball hitting Tate on the line, much to the relief of the Swans fans. The opening goal did come on 18mins when a cross from Martinez was met by Nugent at the far post sending the ball back into the far corner. The relief must have been heard in Manchester as the fans went w

Swansea kept the pressure on and it only seemed a matter of time before we got a second, the increased pressure on the pitch was matched by the fans as the sound levels increased. With half time nearing Rochdale were awarded a dubious free kick out towards the touchline about 25yards out. Flitcroft sent over a pinpoint cross towards the far post where Griffiths sent the ball into the top corner. How cruel, but the stunned silence of the fans, lasted 1 min as they continued to spur the team on. Half time was slightly subdued as for all the effort we were back to square one. Even worst news came as Carlisle were 3 up and Exeter 1 up.

The second half started brightly again for the Swans as they kept up the effort. The defence had been quick into blocks and tackles but for the first time they backed off allowing Rochdale a shot from the edge of the area, Cutler having to dive to his right to push the ball away with both hands. A real let off. The game started to change as Rochdale controlled midfield and we came under more and more pressure. The defence were heroic getting in blocks, headers and tackles as the pace of the game increased, there seemed no let up, and the nerves showed as for the first time the fans were much quieter. Another major escape as a speculative shot went across goal hitting the post, rebounded on to Jenkins and somehow the ball was cleared. Thomas was replaced by Richards after 20 mins of the half. Within five minutes he had restored the lead. A cross by Britton was met by Richards and with the fans already celebrating the ball hit the post but ended up over the line. Magical scenes as the players hugged each other

Every player played his part today, there were mistakes but every effort was put in in redeeming them. Rochdale didn't make things easy for us, and it was not a match to have listened to on the radio. The fans left the ground with smiles, although the other results had come through and we were still not safe. Goodbyes were said to other exile fans who we will meet again next season, wherever we are playing.

It might be the third division and far away from the 'elite' but today was one of those games where in the future we can say 'We were there'. It had everything, from penalty appeals that we got away with, an open end to end game, with that extra tension and massive vocal support from the fans. In addition to everything Rochdale threw at us in the second half, we also had torrential rain in our faces. Through all this the players were men.

So here we stand, 90mins from the end of the season. The past is just that. We now play the most important game in the clubs long history, much of the same is all we can ask of the players. Today they did themselves and us proud.