An entertaining game for a very young U21 squad on a sweltering day at Landore.
No teamsheet. Stevenage turned up in a variety of different shirts, mostly unnumbered. They must have been amazed to score 2 goals, essentially due to inexplicable generosity on our part.
Kris O’Leary walked in after the start, presumably fresh from the Bristol Rovers game at Fairwood. Anthony Wright was running today’s team.
Depending on your view on these things, we seemed to line up as a fluid 3-1-5-1: Remy Mitchell; Waziri Williams, Harry Jones, Ben Blythe; Azeem Abdulai in the holding position; Joe Thomas advanced right back, Ben Lloyd, Joel Cotterill, Corey Hurford, Josh Carey advanced left back; Josh Thomas as lone striker.
There was a modest crowd and it was already 1-1 pretty much before anyone knew what was happening.
Our play was neat, if a little stilted by the time we got to the opposition penalty area. We dominated possession, didn’t create a great deal, looked comfortable, but somehow managed to go down 2-1 on the half hour.
The half-time switches possibly weakened us as Azeem Abdulai came off, with the effect that we had a midfield of very similar players all trying to weave intricate ways through a stubborn visitors’ defence.
With various final balls misplaced or chances passed up, we finally got the deserved equaliser a couple of minutes from time when Kai Ludvigden nodded in the rebound after the keeper’s save from Whittaker’s free kick came back to him off the post.
Newcomer Waziri Williams looked confident in possession and with both feet (I realise how ludicrous it seems to highlight this, but how many players aren’t). Harry Jones excelled in the middle 3. Ben Lloyd and Joel Cotterill strove hard to create openings. It was encouraging to see Kai Ludvigsen come into the team with good effect in what is an important 6 months for him.
Josh Thomas was given a 30 minute rehabilitation workout. His replacement Ruben Davies had a largely thankless task acting as the single target chasing about up front. Tarrelle Whittaker sparked things up on his arrival.
This team should be putting sides like Stevenage to the sword, but these are early days for what was on the day a very young squad.
Another plus point was seeing an upbeat Tiv Rushesha among the Swans entourage on the touchline.
For those who’re interested, the squad and rotations were: Remy Mitchell (sub Archie Matthews 46m), Joe Thomas (sub Corey Hurford 73m), Ben Blythe (sub Fillip Lissah 46m), Wasiri Williams (sub Zane Myers 62m), Harry Jones (sub Ben Blythe 73m), Josh Carey (sub Zane Myers 62m), Azeem Abdulai (captain) (sub Sam Leverett 46m), Ben Lloyd, Joel Cotterill, Corey Hurford (sub Tarrelle Whittaker 46m), Josh Thomas (sub Ruben Davies 30m).
Ben Blythe and Corey Hurford came back on in the 2nd half.