A win’s a win and we keep our excellent U21s record at the stadium going. Our U21s clinched a 3-2 victory over Crewe on a warm evening. We didn’t look entirely convincing over the entire match, though.
On the face of it, our initial match line-up looked imbalanced: 3 widemen – 4 if you include Kyrell Wilson – in the starting line-up. Newcomer Evan Anderson was in goal, we fielded 4 at the back, with Ben Phillips selected again alongside Iestyn Jones. Dan Watts skippered, alongside Mitch Bates, who took the role Jacob Cook has vacated – and presumably until Mitch himself finds a suitable loan out. Aimar Govea completed midfield on the left side and the forward line comprised Josh Ginnelly on the right, Kyrell Wilson in the centre and 16 year old Kai Rhodes on the left.
Line-up: Evan Anderson; Zac Jeanes, Ben Phillips (s – Josh Pescatore 62m), Iestyn Jones, Seb Dabrowski; Mitchell Bates (s – Harlan Perry 62m), Dan Watts (captain) (s – Tom Woodward 62m), Aimar Govea; Josh Ginnelly (s – Morgan Bates 46m), Kyrell Wilson, Kai Rhodes.
Unused subs: Jakub Nowak (g/k)
Nothing apparently happened in the first 10 minutes – but that was largely because this correspondent got the kick-off time wrong. Anyway, the score was still 0-0 at that point.
On 25 minutes, Mitch Bates set Ginnelly up for a low first time pass into the box that Kyrell Wilson side footed over under challenge. Bates was booked almost immediately after for following through on a challenge. We looked as though we were finding our feet with some interesting selections, for some time there was no discernible pattern of play from either side.
Govea set Wilson up with a smooth pass, Wilson’s first time shot being pawed away. A minute later, Wilson seized on a loosed deflected ball outside the area to hit a cracking goal home to put the Swans one up. 2 minutes later, Bates’s own shot from distance was deflected wide when it could have easily beaten the static Crewe keeper. We dominated the game to half-time without further open chances.
At half-time Morgan Bates replaced Ginnelly and the forward line shifted, with Kyrell Wilson going to the right.
Crewe, who at this point had posed absolutely no threat at all, suddenly woke up with a shot from distance by Armstrong from a clearly well-worked set piece free kick.
That was quickly quelled on 51 minutes when a loose Crewe ball from defence was collected by Govea who released Wilson to swiftly set up Morgan Bates for a clean first time finish from close range to put the Swans 2 up. 3 minutes later, Wilson played himself to the edge of the box, decided to get off his weaker left foot by feeding Bates and snapped up the one-two to secure the 3rd Swans goal. Crewe were offering nothing by way of response and looking overwhelmed.
A host of substitutions for both sides followed just after the hour mark. We adjusted with Zac Jeans going to left back, Josh Pescatore slotting in at right back and Seb Dabrowski stepping inside alongside Iestyn Jones. For a while, we still looked in the ascendancy, creating and missing further chances through Tom Woodward and Rhodes, plus a couple of near misses from an uncleared corner. Rhodes later struck the underside of the bar with a shot after another winding run across the edge of the Crewe box.
Out of nothing, Crewe crafted a goal back with a crisp first time shot from Holt in acres of space on the right inside our penalty area. Crewe scented an element of vulnerability and got a second with 9 minutes to go – an elementary goal from Moore who was standing perfectly unattended outside the Swans area to shoot through bodies from a corner kick. We suddenly looked nervous, out of sorts, but doggedly managed to get over the line against a side that should have been buried earlier in the contest. For long periods we were in complete control. Coach Anthony Wright, who might well have had to be working with what he was permitted, will have undoubtedly picked up on what went right and what didn’t over the course of the 90 minutes.
For the Swans, Zac Jeanes was lively and creative, either on the right or the left. Aimar Govea settled into an unusual role and executed some intelligent deliveries. Dan Watts was always in the action and to positive effect.
Scoring: Kyrell Wilson 1-0 (33m); Morgan Bates 2-0 (51m); Wilson 3-0 (54m); Holt 3-1 (70m); Moore 3-2 (81m).