Match report

Barnet 0 v 1 Swansea City

Report by Jeremy Kivell of the mailing list

I'm normally very worried when we have a defender making his debut in a
league match. Remember Mark Harris's first game for Swansea? Yesterday,

I needn't have worried, as Swansea overcame a Barnet side lacking in any
real creative footballing ideas. 

To be perfectly honest, this game shouldn't have been close. We were by
far the better side in the first half and for most of the second period,
but failed to convert several chances.

To be fair, Barnet started the better side. Playing up the considerable 
slope, they forced four successive corners in the first couple of minutes. 
However, after this danger was eventually cleared, Swansea totally 
dominated the next half hour, creating four gilt-edged opportunities 
before finally taking the lead. Out-of-touch Dai Thomas was guilty of 
missing the two best chances, putting a shot from the edge of the 
area well wide, and failing to divert the ball past the Barnet keeper
 when put through only six yards out. The most notable of the other
 efforts on goal was a long-range shot from Steve Torpey which was 
heading for the top left hand corner before being well saved by the 
Barnet keeper.

Ampadu's goal after 13 minutes was a cracker. The ball broke to him about
30 yards out. He made some space for himself, then hit a low left foot
shot right into the bottom corner of the Barnet net.

The game became a bit scrappy after that as Barnet managed to get a bit
more posession, but Hills, Brayson and my man of the match Steve Jones
were consistently finding space down the flanks to provide dangerous
looking crosses. After half an hour, one such ball from Jones was headed
inches wide by Torpey at the far post. 

Swansea still had a bit of defending to do before the break, as Willer
was called upon to make a brilliant challenge when it looked like the
Barnet striker was through on goal.

Early in the second half, Thomas missed three more excellent openings,
and Torpey and Brayson were also guilty of wasting some presentable
chances. Then, unbelievably, Swansea took their foot off the gas, and
Barnet started putting us under pressure. A game we looked like winning
by at least a couple of goals eventually ended with the Swansea fans
nervously whistling for the end of the match. Barnet even created a
superb chance which their striker couldn't connect with when 5 yards out
and with only Freestone to beat.

Thomas Willer had a solid debut in central defence. He's got the physical
build and posture of John Toshack, and looks strong in the tackle
(ooo-er!)  and useful in the air. 

With other results going our way, things are looking a bit better
play-off 
wise, but we're still only showing patches of our past form. Hopefully,
we'll have another confidence-boosting game against Darlington at The
Vetch next Saturday.

A footnote on Barnet. They're are probably the worst side I've seen this
season (and that includes Brighton). Their fans spent half time calling
for manager Alan Mullery's dismissal. Frankly, after this performance, I
can't blame them.

PS. Well played Doncaster! (and Darlington and Lincoln).