Match report

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Lacking in ideas, guile, skill or speed, and generally very poor with no confidence - that was Carlisle; we were even worse I'm afraid. It was hard to believe that the team that matched Darlington blow for blow at their own ground just 9 days ago could perform so ineptly against such poor opposition. Also hard to believe that the side which competently and efficiently despatched Halifax and Barnet, without looking under any sort of serious threat, could suddenly look incapable of holding the opposition at bay. All round, a very disappointing effort that about 150 Swans fans travelled a long way to witness.

The line-up was the first disappointment - with the physical presence of big Jules unavailable to us, Tony Bird was selected over Walter Boyd. Surely this game called for a 90 minute run for Walter - keep him on the pitch long enough and he will usually get at least one sniff of a chance, which Bird frankly did not. So Bird and Watkin led the line in a 4-4-2 line-up, with the usual suspects in all the other positions.

The first 15 minutes contained no incident at all, other than a couple of flutters when Carlisle angled in some harmless crosses which we made a meal of at the back, Jones and Bound in particular looking strangely uneasy. There was no threat at all from the Swans other than a couple of moments when Price looked as though he might break through, but was quickly closed down. Our only serious efforts during this opening period were a long shot from Thomas, easily saved, a wayward effort from Jones and weak Watkin header which bobbled to the keeper. Carlisle responded by dominating possession, but were unable to produce anything other than speculative long shots, which made us feel that we had chance to nick the game. This almost came to fruition when experienced Carlisle defender Shaun Teale inexplicably overhit a back pass to his keeper, almost allowing Watkin to turn the ball over the line, but he was foiled by a desperate block by keeper Keen.

We paid the price for this miss a couple of minutes later - Jones and Price were both drawn out of position and failed to prevent a Carlisle player getting behind them on our right side. His cross was headed back across goal with no interference from Smith or Bound, and Searle touched the ball over the line from close range. This provoked some sort of response from the Swans - a vicious strike from Thomas was a sound effort, deflected for a corner, but then we blew our golden opportunity to get back into the game. Some good work from Price on our right saw him lay the ball back to Jones who delivered the cross of the game, which landed on the forehead of the unmarked Watkin on the edge of the six yard box - we were already celebrating a certain goal when he headed over the bar. A truly glaring miss.

In order to escape the juvenile taunts of the adolescent home fans, most of the Jacks spent half time congregated in the concourse under the impressive new stand at Brunton Park, sampling the rather impressive pasties. It was good to chat with Len, Paul, Ugo, Huw and others, but the general feeling was that there was no way back, and so it proved. We looked a little more lively at the start of the second half but failed to create a clear cut chance. Carlisle grew in confidence and looked the more likely to score, which they did in the 59th minute - a neat one-two at the edge of the box set Halliday free, and he ghosted past the static defence before rifling a fierce drive into the top corner from an acute angle.

This prompted a double substition - the ineffective Howard was replaced by Boyd and Appleby replaced Price, creating, for a period, a curious 3-4-3 formation, with no left side defence. This created a few flutters in the Carlisle defence - we forced acouple of corners, Boyd nearly played Watkin in, and a terrific shot from Cusack went just over. But then for the last 20 minutes we basically fell apart - passes went astray, most tackles were lost, players starting bumping into each other and shouting at each other and basically it all went horribly wrong. A few morons in the Swans crowd started abusing Cusack, and he responded by gesturing that we should get behnind them, but frankly, by that stage, it was way past that. The final whistle came as a relief more than a disappointment, bringing the curtain down on one of the worst Swans performances I have ever seen, almost as bad as the game at Hull earlier this season.

Freestone - 6 No saves to make other than the goals
Jones - 5 Out of position far too often today
Bound - 5 An unusual mare for Boundy who failed to dominate
Smith - 7 Our only in-control defender
Howard - 5 Lost in defence and ineffective going forward
Price - 6 Probed in the first half, and a couple of good crosses.
Coates - 4 Little impact. Cusack - 5 When we needed him to control the play he couldn't
Thomas - 6 Tried hard but needed some help
Watkin - 5 - got into some good positions but failed to take them
Bird - 4 no impression at all
Boyd - 6 Some creative running, but no real chances
Appleby - 5 Disappointing, but perhaps not surprising after such a long lay off
O'Leary - 5 Came on to stiffen the midfield, but didn't
JH and AC - Tactics were OK - the ball was played to feet and chest towards our smaller strikers, and the substitutions were right.... it was the execution that was the problem.

So where do we go from here? Clearly we need the physical presence of big Jules back. We have seen the Swans play very well this season when we have the opportunity to mix up the style of play, and we needed that outlet today. We should also remember that after the lads came through that tough spell of games (Barnet to Darlo) so well, with 10 points in the bag, it was inevitable that the physical and mental fatigue would begin to tell, and a spell of rough results was almost guaranteed.

Positionally we are still in the driving seat and our destiny is in our own hands - the lads will need to be a hell of a lot better in the next few games if we are going to secure the points we need, and to do that they will need our support. But we do have a few fans who think that "support" is only something you give when we are winning, when in fact it is most needed on days like this. So, let's leave the debates about squad strengthening etc until the boring weeks of the close season - for now, let's get behind them and make sure that they secure the promotion that (over the season) they deserve.

Not to put too fine a point on tonights performance but we were a disgrace. Not one of the outfield players were fit to wear a Swansea shirt tonight.We showed no grit, no determination, in fact I truly believe the team did not want to be there tonight.

Full marks to carlisle who gave 110%,they obviously want to stay up more than we want to go up.

Normally after a bad performance I feel pi**ed off, tonight I was ashamed of my teams performance and I dont say that lightly. I only travelled 400 miles so god knows what the trip home to Swansea was like.

I apologise for sounding negative but I defy any Jack at the match tonight to find a plus point in either our performance or commitment.

Normally as has so often happened this season, we put our foot on the pedal the moment we go behind. Tonight our pattern remained unchanged throughout the match we failed to put together more than 2 passes at a time. We allowed the Carlisle midfield to run us off the park.

Ironically, the first 15 mins showed a very disorganised Carlisle defence except for a first rate Teale, but alas we have nobody who can finish clinically.

Watkin missed a gem of a chance, heading unchallanged over the bar. Bird's first touch constantly let him down, Coates was non existent.

Price ran constantly into his opponents, Smith was uncharacteristically outpaced and careless in possesion. Jones was obviously suffering from colour blindness tonight as every pass he made went to a Carlisle player.

Thomas was totally inaffective in midfield even lacking his usual tenacity apart from a couple of ill-timed tackles. Cusack, I think he stayed on the team bus. Bound did his usual big aimless kicks to our front two who won about three challenges all night.

Appleby did his usual let's maim somebody act when he replaced Coates and Boyd was totally inaffective and I'm sure totally freezing.

Sorry everybody, but we were worse than your worst nightmare tonight. And as for Hollins, I didn't see him open his mouth once tonight, we were like a load of lost sheep tonight with the shepherd nowhere to be found.

Carlisle leapfrogged over Shrewsbury Town at the foot of division three after denting Swansea's promotion hopes.

United's defence was all at sea last Saturday and manager Martin Wilkinson brought in Paul Reid and Damon Searle to plug the leaks.

In contrast Swansea boast the meanest defensive away record in the league but the lowly Cumbrians breached it twice and totally dominated the second half.

Swansea had only lost once in 24 games and had the better of the earlier exchanges and seven-goal top scorer Steve Watkin should have made more of his chances.

Steve Jones' 29th minute cross was headed tamely at Luke Weaver form eight yards, and minutes later the keeper beat him to Shaun Teale's wayward back-pass.

The Cumbrians made the Swans pay dearly when ex-Welsh Under-21 international Searle arrived in the box to steer home Steve Halliday's cushioned header from Peter Clark's cross.

United almost extended their lead three mintues later when John Durnin put Halliday through but Jason Price nicked the ball as the striker shaped to shoot.

Watkin had a great chance to send the visitors in level at the break but missed a sitter, heading over Jones' cross.

That near-miss seemed to inspire United because they dominated the second half and deserved to extend their lead when Richard Prokas played a cultured back-heel to release Halliday to ghost past defenders before beating Roger Freestone with an exquisite finish from the narrowest of angles.

United's Cardiff-born goalscorer Searle was ecstatic after putting one over on his Welsh rivals, saying: "I'm lethal from three yards but it doesn't matter whether it's from 30 yards or six inches as long as they're against Swansea. There will be a few Cardiff fans ringing me tonight.

"I've played against Swansea four times this season and it's the first time I've been on the winning side. It feels delightful.

"They'll go on to get promotion this season but we could have beaten them by four goals.".