Match report

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I was hoping by this time of the season that football would have stopped dominating our lives. I had hoped this would be the lull before the start of the World Cup. But no, as usual Swansea City have us all biting our nails and living on our nerves as we fight for promotion through the lottery of the play offs.

Tonight we welcomed 3rd place Brentford to a packed noisy Liberty Stadium. Only 800 or Brentford fans bothered to make the short journey down the M4 but that only meant more seats available for Swans fans.

Kenny Jackett made no change to the starting line up but preferred Adrian Forbes to Roberto Martinez on the bench.

Side- Gueret, Tate, Monk, Austin, Ricketts, Britton, Jones, Robinson, MacDonald, Fallon, Knight. Subs – Murphy, Williams, Forbes, Akinfenwa, Trundle.

The game started with an absolutely terrific noise level with every effort by the small band of Brentford fans to start singing drowned out by the East and West Stands.

Brentford had the better of the early exchanges and it took a nervous looking Swans team 4 or 5 minutes to settle.

Swans did produce a couple of long range efforts from Shaun MacDonald and Leon Britton but there was nothing to test either keeper early on.

Swans were having difficulty breaking down a rugged Brentford back line and Rory Fallon was winning very few aerial challenges against a giant of a centre half. When the chance for Swansea came it fell to Leon Britton. Leon Knight provided the perfect pass to Leon B. He cut inside the defender but from just 12 yards out fired his left foot shot over the bar.

Brentford were doing a good job of stifling Swans with two banks of four defending and they also were breaking well with the midfield all looking to support their attacks. Swans for their part were unable to provide attacking support from midfield and Knight and Fallon were all too often isolated.

On 28 minutes Swans failed to deal with a run down the Brentford left started by Jay Tabb. There seemed to be a couple of chances to clear that were missed before the ball fell ended up back with the impressive Tabb. He was just 10 yards out from goal and despite us having 3 or 4 defenders between Tabb and the goal, he was able to almost pass the ball into the net.

Brentford continued to frustrate the Swans players and fans with their organised, athletic approach and Swans were seemingly unable to find the key to unlock the Brentford defence.

On the stroke of half time Leon Knight was bundled over just outside the box but Andy Robinson's free kick cleared the wall but landed on the roof of the net.

It had been a really frustrating 45 minutes and Kenny Jackett would have had two options at half time, put a rocket under his midfield to get into the game or make a substitution or two. He chose the second option with Adrian Forbes replacing Shaun MacDonald.

Adrian Forbes soon lifted the crowd earning a corner and Leon Knight had a free header from the corner but headed straight into the arms of Stuart Nelson in the Brentford goal.

Then it was Sam Ricketts who tested Nelson with a powerful shot from 22 yards that the keeper was unable to hold but able to reclaim before Rory Fallon could get in.

On 52 minutes the game was turned on it's head. Owain Jones put an excellent ball to Leon Knight. He just had Nelson to beat and with the keeper advancing out of his box, Knight cleverly lifted the ball over the keeper and looked certain to score before being taken out by Nelson. Thankfully, referee Mr Stroud didn't bottle things and showed Nelson the red card.

It took Brentford fully 3 minutes to make the necessary change with substitute keeper Ademole Bankole replacing Isaiah Rankin.

Andy Robinson finally took the free kick which took a deflection and again ended up on the roof of the net.

If the opening to the first half had seemed noisy the Liberty Stadium was now at fever pitch.

Adrian Forbes tested Bankole with a powerful drive that the keeper scrambled around the post for a corner.

With Brentford now sitting very deep it seemed wasteful for Swans to retain a back four and they had little to do other than share out the duties of marking lone striker Marcus Gayle.

On 67 minutes Kenny Jackett bought on Lee Trundle but left many scratching their heads with his decision to take off Leon Knight. Was Kenny trying to protect a 0-1 scoreline? With the back four having so little to do, surely now was the time to be brave and go to a back 3 and throw on a third striker.

Lee Trundle took time to settle but as his confidence level grew so did the threat on the Brentford goal. Rory Fallon missed a golden opportunity to equalise but headed into the keepers arms.

Brentford were becoming more and more unsure at the back and were not helped by Bankole's absolutely awful kicking which more often than not was straight to a Swans player.

Swans problem, however, was that Brentford, despite being a man down always seemed to have a spare defender which again only illustrated the folly in persisting with a back four. This was further illustrated when a hopeful Brentford ball forward was nowhere near Gayle. Sam Ricketts and Kevin Austin both went for the same header with no Brentford player within 20 yards and only succeeded in both ending up on the floor and conceding a throw in.

With just 4 minutes to go Sam Ricketts redeemed himself perfectly. He was allowed to run at the Brentford defence who stood back almost inviting the shot. Sam's shot from 22 yards or so was low and hard and seemed to take a deflection and flew into the far corner of the net with Bankole rooted to the spot.

The atmosphere and noise level went to new highs and Swans now sought the winner. Andy Robinson tested the uncertain Bankole with a shot from outside the box, but the keeper saved well.

With the game into injury time Kenny Jackett brought on Bayo Akinfenwa but still rather defensively withdrew Rory Fallon.

Brentford held out with no further scares to perfectly set up the second leg.

Ratings

Gueret 7- After seeing Bankole's kicking I'll be less critical of Willy's kicking out in future.
Tate 6 – Did Ok for 70 minutes but dreadful last 20 when he didn't seem capable of crossing the ball.
Monk 7 – Did well first half, very little to do second half.
Austin 6 – As above.
Ricketts 8 – Our saviour.

Britton 7 – Good game but again his finishing let him down.
Jones 7- Excellent second half.
Robinson 7 – Decent game but the responsibility of playing central midfield leaves us short of support for the strikers.
MacDonald 6 – It was a hell of a lot to ask this lad to play the 3 most important games of the season. Let nobody down.

Knight 8 – Lacked support and ran his heart out. Should not have been substituted.
Fallon 7- Plenty of good work but was second best in the air against his marker.

Subs-
Forbes 6 – His arrival undoubtedly lifted the team although he again lacked composure and the ability to put his foot on the ball.
Trundle 6 – Still nowhere near his best.
Akinfenwa – Only on a few minutes.

END OF PART ONE.
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Swansea manager Kenny Jackett:
"That goal is a lifeline and gives us something to build on.
"It was a very important goal - but with the pressure we had and the shots, there was a goal there for us. We did deserve that.

"It sets it all up for Sunday - although with home advantage, they probably do have a slight advantage."


Brentford boss Martin Allen:
"I didn't think the referee gave us any protection for the amount of tackles from behind on our centre-forwards in the first half.
"I thought there should have been numerous yellow cards. But there was no protection, and the referee got carried away with the atmosphere and gave us nothing.

"We passed the ball well and controlled the game. Up until the sending-off, we were in control."



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Swansea: Gueret, Ricketts, Austin, Tate, Monk, Britton, Robinson, Tudur-Jones, MacDonald (Forbes 45), Knight (Trundle 68), Fallon (Akinfenwa 90).
Subs Not Used: Murphy, Williams.

Booked: Tate.

Goals: Ricketts 87.

Brentford: Nelson, O'Connor, Frampton, Turner, Tillen, Newman, Tabb (Brooker 84), Smith, Pratley, Rankin (Bankole 54), Gayle.
Subs Not Used: Hutchinson, Rhodes, Lewis.

Sent Off: Nelson (53).

Goals: Tabb 29.

Att: 19,060

Ref: K Stroud (Hampshire).