Topsy turvy fare in a highly entertaining game in the Landore sun today.
We went behind early in the 2nd half after looking in total control before half-time, only to surge back and finally triumph 5-3. There were some terrific goals along the way.
We lined up in a familiar U18 3-4-1-2: Ewan Griffiths; Arthur Parker, Jada Mawongo, Richard Faakye; Sam Parker (sub Yori Griffith 46m), Dan Watts (sub Charlie Veevers 86m), Jacob Cook, Zane Myers (sub Thomas Searle 65m); Thomas Woodward; Iwan Morgan, Geoff Bony (sub Rohan Davies 79m).
It was an often bad tempered game. Ipswich seemed disgruntled by what appeared to be a straightforward red card for their defender’s lunge at Richard Faakye and that bitterness continued through the rest of the contest.
Numerous chances came Iwan Morgan’s way, starting from the 1st minute through to added time. His hat-trick was well-deserved.
A fairly low key set of exchanges was broken on 14 minutes by Morgan’s burst into the Ipswich area. The keeper saved his strike, but the referee spotted an infringement, booked Okunono and awarded a penalty. After a minor bit of mind games from the frankly huge goalkeeper, Morgan sent him the wrong way to put the Swans 1 up.
We added a 2nd 10 minutes later with an end to end move started by Jada Mawongo, carried on by Morgan to Zane Myers, who broke forward and returned the ball into the box for Morgan to take slightly wide but still able to convert.
Any sense of a walkover was disrupted a minute later by a simple error at the back that allowed Ipswich’s trialist centre forward to slip into an empty net.
Undaunted, Morgan tried a shot from the resulting kick-off that went just over the bar. We created further chances but couldn’t added to the scoreline before half-time. Our interplay and movement was really impressive.
Ipswich not only survived but somehow managed to draw level on 53 minutes and also go 3-2 ahead 6 minutes later – both goals scored by their trialist centre forward to complete his hat-trick. In between the goals, Ipswich full back O’Neill was dismissed for a rash jump at a prone Richard Faakye.
We looked understandably stunned for a while but thankfully a couple of moments of brilliance from our U16 substitutes helped us back in. First Yori Griffith broke clear down the left to test the keeper, Morgan potting the loose ball to get us level. Thomas Searle then showed remarkable composure by chesting down a lofted Mawongo punt, taking the ball into the area and neatly pushing the ball home.
Dan Watts, who was in great form all game, finished the scoring by weaving his way across the penalty area and deciding to strike with his unfavoured left foot to find the net off the post.
There was still time in the game for further bouts of pushing and shoving – Morgan and Moodie getting themselves booked in the process – and even more chances for Morgan and for Rohan Davies.
Great entertainment. Aside from hat-trick man Morgan, there were terrific performances from Dan Watts and Arthur Parker in particular. Notwithstanding that strange period after half-time, another great all-round team effort.
Aside from a drafting error by having Geoff Bony replacing himself, the OS report also has the wrong Ipswich player substituted by Graham. It was the big number 8 Okunono who went off. Funnily enough, the visitors’ 2 trialists were probably their best players – I wonder if we’ll see them again next season.
Goals: Morgan (pen) 1-0 15m; Morgan 2-0 24m; Trialist 9 2-1 25m; Trialist 9 2-2 53m; Trialist 9 2-3 59m; Morgan 3-3 68m; Searle 4-3 73m; D Watts 5-3 86m.
Have a browse of images from the match in this Swansea City Under 18 v Ipswich Town Under 18 match gallery.
Feature Image Credit: Majestic Media