Match report

Injuries and suspensions enforced a number of changes to the Swans starting line up for the visit of Doncaster.

With Andy Robinson still serving his ban, Kristian O'Leary and Izzy Iriekpen were also missing as a result of their sending offs at Huddersfield last week. Adrian Forbes and Garry Monk failed to recover from their injuries and Lee Trundle was added to the list yesterday after picking up an injury in training.



The missing gave chances to Leon Britton, Owain Tudur-Jones, Kevin McLeod and loan signing Christian Edwards who made a welcome return to his first club.

Andy Gurney and Paul Connor would both feel aggrieved to only make the bench.

Doncaster, managed by ex Swan Dave Penney included ex Sunderland midfielder Sean Thornton and ex Cardiff Leo Fortune-West started on the bench. Doncaster were cheered on by around 500 or so fans most of whom were kitted in their red and white hooped shirts, making them look like something out of a Where's Wally convention.

The referee for the game was Steve Bennett who was taking a break from the Premiership.

Line up - Gueret, Tate, Edwards, Austin, Ricketts, Britton, Martinez, Tudur-Jones, McLeod, Akinfenwa, Goodfellow.

Subs- Murphy, Anderson, Gurney, Thorpe, Connor.

Swans started with a 4-4-2 formation with Goodfellow providing support for Akinfenwa.



Mr Bennett did us a favour in the first minute by ignoring Willy Gueret picking up Kevin Austin's backpass.

After a bright start Swans had the games first chance after 4 minutes when Adebayo Akinfenwa made an excellent run. He found Kevin McLeod out wide and his pinpoint cross was right back onto the head of Akinfenwa, but the header was directed straight at Andy Warrington in the Doncaster goal.

Doncaster didn't take long to settle and were playing the same brand of open and attacking football that they showed on their last visit to Swansea 18 months ago. They created a couple of early chances one of which was well saved by Willy Gueret.

Doncaster began to take charge of the midfield and were controlling the pace of the game. Swans were again being restricted to long balls forward and found difficulty in building any move through midfield our from out wide.



After 20 minutes Jones freed Akinfenwa and his right foot shot appeared to be bending inside the post only for Warrington to dive full length and turn the ball behind for a corner.

Swans were then caught napping at a quickly taken free kick just outside the box. Thankfully the ball across the 6 yard box was overhit with several Doncaster players bearing down on goal.

Chances were being created at both ends in what was an open free flowing game. Abebayo Akinfenwa was causing Doncaster a lot of problems by running at defenders but Marc Goodfellow alongside him looked out of sorts.

With half-time approaching, Goodfellow finally produced an incisive pass, when he freed Akinfenwa but his shot from just outside the box was well over the bar.



Doncaster's reprieve was short lived as Leon Britton picked the ball up on the right. He skipped over one challenge before delivering a wonderful cross to the far post. With two defenders picking up Akinfenwa, Kevin McLeod rose unchallenged and his firm header gave Warrington no chance.

Despite Doncaster shading the first half it was Swans who went in 1-0 up. Swans were well rewarded for their tenacity and commitment.

Two minutes into the second half, Doncaster almost equalised but Alan Tate intervened with a well timed challenge.

Swans were now gaining the upper hand and Sam Ricketts nearly doubled Swans lead with a wonderful long range effort that Warrington could only parry away.

Just after the hour Paul Connor replaced Marc Goodfellow who had never looked at home in a forward position. A few minutes later Lee Thorpe replaced Adebayo Akinfenwa who had not looked the same threat in the second half that he had in the first.

With seventy-three minutes after probably their worst spell of the game Doncaster equalised. A neat moved opened up the Swans defence for the first time in the game and David Mulligan tapped in past a helpless Willy Gueret.



Doncaster were, as you would expect, lifted by the goal and had a couple of chances to take the lead. Swans had lost their way going forward, Kevin McLeod was no longer the threat he had earlier been and limped off to be replaced by Ijah Anderson. Paul Connor and Lee Thorpe were guilty of trying too hard and were unable to hold the ball up at all. All too often attacks would break down as a result of their poor control.

With five minutes to go Doncaster grabbed the second they had been threatening, Alan Tate stopped, looking for the offside, allowing Lewis Guy a clear run at goal which he took with confidence.

Swans never looked like getting back into this game - lacking any sort of threat up front.

So the first defeat at the New Stadium after a run of 5 straight League wins spanning the tail end of last season and the beginning of this season.



The big questions today were how much we'd miss Lee Trundle and how the new boys Edwards and Jones would settle. The answer to the first was a resounding YES. Without Trundle we had problems holding onto the ball in attack. As for the new boys, Christian Edwards was uncompromising and solid but his distribution is very much Division 2 with the ball booted upfield or into touch rather than played to a colleague. Perhaps Alan Tate could take note! As for Owain Jones, his was the best full debut from a young player I have seen in many a long day. He got better and better as the game went on. He is strong in the tackle and most importantly supports the front two. The days of two holding midfielders in the starting line-up may be coming to an end.

Ratings-

Gueret 7 - Little chance with either goal.

Tate 6 - Usual Tate performance. Good for 85 minutes, one mistake leads to goal and his head drops.
Edwards 7 - No nonsense. Soild.
Austin 9 - Superb display. Doncaster's Welsh striker Neil Roberts will be able to play dot to dot with his bruises tomorrow.
Ricketts 8 - Normally Sam is off the pace after returning from International duty. Today he was excellent.

Britton 8 - Excellent game, didn't deserve to finish on the losing side.
Jones 7 - Excellent debut.
Martinez 7 - Never stopped running.
McLeod 8 - Excellent first 45 minutes. Took his goal well.

Afinfenwa 6- Good for 45 minutes. Tired after the break.
Goodfellow 5 - Looked jaded and far from happy in striking role.

Subs-

Connor 4- Oh dear. To be kind I'd say he was trying too hard.
Thorpe 4 - Good in the air. Awful on the ground.
Anderson 5 - The third substitution and completed the set for not matching the performance of the player he replaced.




Swansea City 1 Doncaster 2 - Match Report - Paul Nicholas, Pics supplied by Andrew Thomas

The second home game of the season saw Doncaster arrive at the New Stadium, and Rossi's Chip Shop having another bumper day on cod and jumbo sausages.

Injuries and suspensions saw a somewhat changed line-up, with Tudur-Jones, loan signing Christian Edwards, Leon Britton and McLeod taking the field at the start, and Thorpe and Anderson sitting on the bench.



A crowd of 12,744 turned up to watch with Doncaster bringing several coach-loads of followers. A drop of 4,000 on the first game's attendance, but with the East Stand looking very healthy, there was every chance that the atmosphere would be repeated.

The game started in a very open and lively fashion, and chances were created at each end, with Gueret making two excellent saves early on, one low to his right and one tip over the bar.

Doncaster seemed to be playing the slightly better football, as we still have a tendency to surround the ball with air at every opportunity. We are not always best at winning the airborne battles, but today, McLeod proved his worth on the left as he won virtually every header that was aimed at him in the first half.

He got his just reward for his efforts on that front when he met a Leon Britton cross with perfection and scored the Swans goal just before half time.



Akinfenwa is clearly capable of causing defences problems, and the mixture of size, strength and skilful ball control is not a picture that is easily visualised at first, but that is his game, and he does it well. He has a powerful shot, and brought one excellent save out of the Doncaster keeper.

Despite the unfamiliar line-up, the Swans had been a good match for Doncaster for the first 45 minutes, and would have been happy with the half time score.

The second half started in much the same manner, and a terrific shot from Ricketts rattled the left hand post after being parried by their goal-keeper. Further periods of Swans pressure gave the impression that we were as likely to score a second as concede an equaliser.



Goodfellow was then replaced by Connor, and even though Goodfellow hadn't had a great impact, the change did affect our pattern of play. A more surprising substitution followed shortly afterwards when Thorpe was brought on to replace Akinfenwa. Despite having a quieter second half, the centre forward was still a threat, and still a key player in our attacking options.

His removal really did alter the dynamics of the game, as any fluidity we had shown, and our composure, seemed to leave the field with him.

However, even when Doncaster equalised 15 minutes from the end, it had followed a period of Swans attacking, and to lose a goal at that time hit the team hard. The Doncaster winner ended the game, and we did not have the fight or the application to find an equalising score at that late stage.



This could, and probably should, have been 3 points, but to end up with nothing at all was a huge disappointment. The penalty of the two suspensions following the Huddersfield dismissals has already been paid, but we can't afford to pay the price in each of the games they miss.

Edwards had a good game in central defence and Tudur-Jones adapted extremely well in his first full game, but today did expose the shallowness of our squad for a League 1 season when injuries and suspensions will be an inevitable occurrence.

As I got back to the car today, it was so refreshing to see 4 boys trying to stick their boots through the side panel of a Transit Van, shouting 'get out here, or we're coming in'. It's a sight the Landore residents will no doubt come to recognise and expect in due course.



When I was eating my chips on the wall outside Rossi's before the game, watching the Doncaster coaches arrive, I was wondering what some of the away fans must think as they pull up outside this magnificent stadium.

After the game, as I stood watching the demolition of the Transit, and the coaches pulling out of the car park, I couldn't help wondering if, as they were leaving, the main thoughts in their heads included the ever stranger sight of Cyril and Sybil diving about at half time, thinking, 'what was all that about?'.



Whatever statues are eventually erected in the Stadium grounds, one day there should be one of Kevin Johns for the never ending fun, energy and enthusiasm that he puts into EVERY game that he MCs. Many others could do well to follow his lead.



















Would you like your match report printed here? Email it to the site straight after the match.
Click here to return to the main page.