With 21 goals scored in the last 3 home academy matches, regular observers at Landore can’t really complain about a lack of entertainment!
I won’t repeat the detail of the OS report, here are some personal observations:
- A 3-0 lead on 36 minutes didn’t flatter us at all – we really should have scored more – but we threw away this advantage in a crazy 8 minute spell either side of half-time.
- I hope the match was televised, as our opening goal on 14 minutes was very impressively worked – starting with Harry Jones inside his own area, moving quickly and neatly upfield through Liam Walsh, Ben Lloyd and Liam Smith before Kyrell Wilson finished with a close range right footed drive. Kyrell could have had a hat-trick before half-time. His striking partner Kristian Fletcher also had a number of shots on or near goal.
- At this stage, little had been seen of Watford, apart from menacing right winger Adu-Poku, who routinely had the beating of a procession of Swansea left-sided defenders designated to mark him.
- We gifted 2 of Watford’s initial replies and the visitors sensed vulnerability.
- Liam Walsh had a very effective outing before going off at half-time. He did blot his copybook somewhat with a loose pass that offered Watford a surprise first goal with 2 minutes of the first half remaining, although he didn’t flinch from tackles and played his part in a slick moving Swans performance.
- We definitely looked weaker without Walsh pulling the strings, even though substitute Dan Watts was arguably our best midfielder in 2nd half. Centre half Filip Lissah also went off at half-time and it’s true to say that our defence wasn’t quite as secure after that.
- Wilson’s hat-trick finally came with a smart volley from a clever Maliq Cadogan cross on 76 minutes.
- Watford rallied once more, Gyamfi flicking in another cross from Adu-Poku to take the game to 4-4 with 10 minutes to go. He went straight off with cramp, Mullins completing the Watford substitutions.
- It really could have gone either way after that – Watford looked the more threatening and we rode our luck to hold the point.
- We flexed formations at various points during the game, switching from 3-5-2 to 4-4-2 and 4-2-3-1. Cadogan alone must have played in 3 different positions after coming on.
- There was also a welcome opportunity for Jack Stafford to get into action for the first time since April 2022. He was understandably a little rusty, being thrown into a game that was pretty much end to end at that point, but he’ll undoubtedly have appreciated being back out there.
- First team manager Michael Duff watched the match.
