Match report

TALK about coming back down to earth with a bang.

Promotion-chasing Swansea went from one extreme to the other as they followed up their magnificent midweek win over Brentford with this shambolic defeat.

If they had resembled genuine automatic promotion candidates with the commanding 2-0 triumph at Griffin Park four days earlier, here the Swans looked more like relegation fodder as they committed defensive suicide to suffer their first defeat in six league matches.

A goal in each half from central defender Ian Cox and a 30th-minute thunderbolt from Matthew Jarvis ensured Gillingham made it three wins out of three as the spluttering Swans slipped down to eighth in the League One table.

To Jackett's disgust, both of Cox's goals stemmed from set-pieces that Swansea failed to deal with. And the outstanding Jarvis could have celebrated a hat-trick, such was the extent to which he was allowed to run riot in and around Swansea's 18-yard box.


Leon Knight celebrated his 24th birthday with a fabulous overhead kick into the back of the net but, with just five minutes left on the clock, his third goal in two matches came too late to prove anything more than a consolation.


Swansea were sloppy at the back, ineffective in midfield and the front two of Knight and Bayo Akinfenwa did not see enough of the ball to cause any real damage.


For a side that had conceded just one goal in their previous five league outings, it really was dismal stuff.


To think that continuity had been Jackett's buzz word going into the game as he took the same squad to Kent that had recorded that eye-catching win at Brentford. Jackett did, however, recall Andy Robinson to the starting line-up after two substitute appearances but the Scouse ace was poor by his usual high standards.


Gills boss Ronnie Jepson had hailed Swansea as the best side in the division ahead of the match, yet it was the home side who gained the upper hand and had Willy Gueret fishing the ball out of the back of his net for the first time in three matches.


The opener arrived on 14 minutes as Danny Jackman whipped in a cross from the left and Cox hooked the ball low past the French keeper with a fine first-time effort from 10 yards.


Swansea's attempts to recover from the setback were generally laboured and unconvincing, speculative wayward efforts from Robinson and Alan Tate summing up a dire lack of end product.


By contrast, the Swans had difficulty dealing with everything Gillingham touched and it was a surprise to no-one when the speedy Jarvis put them 2-0 up by rifling an unstoppable angled drive into the roof of Gueret's net after Michael Flynn played him through.


Seconds later a stinging Gary Mulligan volley had Gueret at full stretch, while Knight gave Swansea a glimmer of hope when he forced a smart save from Scott Flinders after gaining a rare close-range glimpse of Gillingham's goal.


Again, though, Easton hit straight back for the Gills with a ferocious 20-yard free-kick which Gueret had to beat away as Swansea endured a real first-half battering.


And things did not get any better in the second period as Gillingham defended their lead stoutly and Swansea's star performers failed to sparkle. Straight after the interval Easton almost made it 3-0 with a sweet half-volley, while Jarvis skewed a shot over the bar when he had time to do better.


Jackett made a triple substitution but it did little to improve Swansea's fortunes.


Gillingham wrapped up the points when Izzy Iriekpen's headed clearance from a corner fell straight to Cox who drove home from the edge of the area.


To their credit, Swansea kept fighting to the end and Knight made it 3-1 when he found the net with a cute overhead strike after his initial shot was saved.


Akinfenwa bundled the ball over the line two minutes late, but the "goal" was ruled out for an apparent foul on the keeper. It summed up Swansea's afternoon.