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| MATCH REPORTS |
NOT many teams come to the John Beck school of direct football and leave with a smile on their face.
It's always a tough examination, and very few pass with flying colours.
Twelve months ago on the road to the play-offs Swansea failed miserably after their patched-up side ended up on the wrong end of a 4-0 trouncing.
Last night Swansea went into the Sincil Bank pressure cauldron full of anxiety over similar selection problems, but came out of a difficult match punching the air.
Not merely because a much changed side came close to winning when most had written off their chances, more the manner that hard earned point was achieved.
Swansea have buckled all too often in recent memory when questions have been asked of their physical and mental strength, but there are one or two positive signs to indicate that is changing.
''I was delighted with the way we coped. Teams like Lincoln will always create pressure by the very nature of the way they play, and I had a few doubts because we changed the way we play,'' said Alan Cork.
The Swansea manager need not have worried. Despite being without six front-line players, and using Damian Lacey and Jonathan Coates as wingers to support, lone striker Tony Bird Swansea produced a spirited performance to frustrate the team that really can only play one way.
The last time Swansea tried that system in a home match they picked up three points. Last night it forced Lincoln to alter their strategy after barely three minutes before they could revert to type.
Pumping the ball high into the opposition goalmouth from corners, free-kicks and throw-ins is very predictable and- although the purists might scoff at it- Lincoln have found it very effective.
What it creates is panic and mistakes. Swansea made three and, on Cork's own admission, got away with it thanks to the woodwork, the brilliance of goalkeeper Roger Freestone and the defensive stability of Matthew Bound and Keith Walker.
Two of the errors came from Jason Price, squeezed between the goal he scored 20 minutes from time which threatened to produce an unlikely victory.
Price was caught out in the first-half and must have been greatly relieved when substitute Steve Brown hit the post instead of the back of an empty net after taking the ball beyond the goalkeeper's reach.
But the culprit turned hero and then villain again after the interval when Swansea, for all their commendable efforts to combat Lincoln'n siege-gun mentality with a passing game, came close to submission.
Freestone, who dropped just one high ball all night, produced a brilliant one-handed save to turn over Lee Thorpe's header while Colin Alcide saw his miscued effort land on the bar.
Swansea survived and Linton Brown's introduction for the tiring Michael Howard, which forced Lacey to finish the match at left-wing back, proved significant. The forgotten striker was not even named in the original squad, but the depth of Cork's problems offered a rare opportunity which he did not waste.
Latching on to a throw-in, Brown found the supporting Price who galloped forward before driving in a low shot to register his third League goal.
That merely increased the pressure on the Swansea defence and Freestone made another vital save to deny Steve Holmes before the Lincoln way produced the inevitable equaliser 10 minutes from time.
Fleming's long throw was flicked on at the near post and the straying Price left the unmarked Thorpe with a simple equalising header.
''We could have taken all three points but I'm extremely pleased and very, very satisfied with the overall performance,'' said Cork.
LINCOLN CITY (0) 1 SWANSEA (0) 1 Lincoln City: Richardson, G Brown (S. Brown 3), Whitney, Fleming, Holmes, Austin, Walling, Hone, Bimson (Miller 66), Thorpe, Alcide, S Brown (Gordon 66). Booked: Alcide. Goals: Thorpe 80. Swansea: Freestone, Lacey (O'Leary 90), Howard (Brown 61), Edwards, Walker, Bound, Cusack, Price, Bird, Jenkins, Coates. Unused: Mainwaring. Goals: Price 69. Attendance: 2,281. Referee: M J Jones (Chester).
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