I don’t think Nigel Pearson or fans alike wanted a replay before the FA Cup tie against Swansea City and with potential hamstring injuries to Tommy Conway and Andi Weimann it wasn’t the best of Sunday afternoons.
With City's second-half showing, a replay was the least that they deserved, and looking on the bright side, we are still in the hat with a home draw against Chesterfield or West Bromwich Albion in the next round, if we win the replay, along with the £105,000 from a third round victory, but I’m not sure that the extra game will prove to be a good thing.
There were IT ticketing issues before the game, with long queues of fans struggling to get in and many missing kick-off and a good percentage of the first half. I know that the SLO and the ticketing team worked hard to try and get everybody in as quickly as they could, the club has issued an apology and will await a full report, and those fans affected will be contacted in due course.
Pearson opted to make the one change from the New Year’s Day outing at Coventry City, switching out Nahki Wells for Tommy Conway. Swansea set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation which is how they like to play and yet we opted for a 3-4-1-2 formation and despite a decent first 10 minutes, we were quickly second best as Swansea dominated the ball and we were all at sea.
What I will say is that with all their possession, it was a shocking mistake from Rob Atkinson that led to the Swansea opener and for all of their quick counter-attacking play from box to box, Swansea City only managed four shots with two on target. They play some lovely football but didn’t really threaten Max O’Leary’s goal.
The opening goal on 15 minutes for Swansea was a stinker. Max received a defensive back pass from Zak Vyner and opted to play it in to Atkinson rather than launch it. Atkinson was immediately closed down by Oli Cooper but had spotted the ball wide to Vyner with O’Leary pointing the way but just got his connection all wrong and instead passed the ball straight to Liam Cullen who squared the ball across the area for Joel Piroe to roll into an empty net.
For the remainder of the first half, we weren’t even second best. Swansea were playing it around us and once again our midfield struggled to impose themselves with the experienced Matt Grimes and Joe Allen in the Swansea middle running the game.
All of that said, City had two stonewall penalty appeals waived away but the less than impressive Premier League referee Craig Pawson. It’s now 428 days since our last spot kick and 715 days since the penalty before the last one. I thought these two were pens even from my disadvantaged position at the opposite end, in the South Stand but having watched them back on the BBC Sports website, I agree with Pearson, “wow!”.
The first one on Antoine Semenyo, Pawson has an unobstructed view and yet mimes that Swansea centre-half Ben Cabango won the ball, when he got nowhere near it. The second one on Atkinson, again Pawson’s positioning can’t be faulted, it’s brilliant and yet he doesn’t see Cooper wipe him out with his trailing leg. Anywhere else on the pitch it’s a foul.
I have been critical of Pearson’s in-game management and while I don’t know why he waited until half-time, he did at least get it right and change things. We went 4-3-3 in the second half with Pearson saying that, “it was to give us more width and more threat at their defence. We still had the same formation in midfield it just allowed us to put more pressure on their full-backs and be a bit more aggressive going forward and we did that.”
It did feel that we changed more than that. Kal Naismith was pushed into midfield and Semenyo and Weimann appeared to play wider. Whatever shape it was, it worked, and we were more aggressive and were the better side.
Mr. Pawson was at it again in the second half. Alex Scott and Nathan Wood came together and as the ball broke away for Swansea, Wood reacted to Scott and shoulder barged him in the chest knocking him to the ground. Pawson had not indicated he was playing an advantage and Wood’s reaction and subsequent booking would surely result in a penalty. Nope, don’t you believe it, incredulously Pawson gave a free-kick to Swansea.
City did get back into the game and claimed a deserved equaliser which earned the replay. Atkinson’s shot was charged down and Cam Pring re-cycled the ball out to Weimann whose first time cross found Semenyo at the back post and his downward header confused the Swansea keeper and the ball bounced over his glove.
Nahki Wells had a chance to win it with a well-struck shot, but Pring also had to be alive when making a last-ditch tackle.
As mentioned, Conway and Weimann both had to leave the pitch with hamstring injuries and there will be an anxious couple of days seeing how both respond to treatment.
The transfer window is well and truly open and this week we saw youngster Ryley Towler depart the club on a permanent transfer to Portsmouth.
I’ll admit to being surprised at the move, with Ryley earning rave reviews in his loan spell with AFC Wimbledon but the club felt that they have options coming through in his position and doing the best thing for Ryley allowed him to speak to Pompey and the youngster had the final say and decided on the move.
I’d like to wish Ryley well for the future and have a sneaking feeling it may be a move that we regret. Best of luck Ryley and of course "it’s Doors, mate".
Our 3 Peaps In A Podcast Bonus show ratings were Max O’Leary 6, Zak Vyner 7, George Tanner 6, Kal Naismith 6, Rob Atkinson 5, Cameron Pring 7, Andi Weimann 6, Alex Scott 6, Matty James 5, Antoine Semenyo 7, sub Nahki Wells 6 (subs have to have come onto the field before the 60th minute). A game average of 6.09.
For Nigel, it’s a 5, the first half was nowhere no good enough and knowing how Swansea play, we should have started with 4-3-3.
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