Decent weather for a change at Landore as our U-21 side faced Barnsley. We rather threw the game away – 2-1 up at an early point and looking in complete control, we conceded a weak penalty on half-time and had a disappointing 2nd half before succumbing to defeat at the last.
It was another very young squad – 8 players from the U-18s, including Bobby Lewis who isn’t yet a scholar. A few players were missing on international duty. Jack Fanning, on loan at Briton Ferry Llansawel, turned up to watch from the stand.
We set up as 4-1-2-3, with Bobo Evans in deep midfield doing a lot of the orchestration. Light on centre backs, 2 left footers – Blair McKenzie and Callum Deacon – took the positions.
Line-up: Joe Collins; Billy Clarke, Blair McKenzie, Callum Deacon, Caio Ifans; Bobo Evans; Yori Griffith (captain), Bobby Lewis (s – Alfie Jones 65m); Josh Pescatore, Morgan Bates (s – Josiah Kallicharan 32m), Aimar Govea (s – Caleb Demery 65m).
Unused subs: Tom Wright (g/k), Jack May.
Today’s encounter was very much a game of 2 halves. We started brightly, Josh Pescatore having a first time effort blocked after Caio Ifans, Yori Griffith and Aimar Govea linked well down the left channel to open up the visitors’ back line. On 7 minutes, Griffith sent Pescatore away on the right to deliver a first-time cross that was pitch-perfect for the unmarked Morgan Bates to head home to put the Swans in front.
5 minutes later Griffith sent Bates through only for the centre forward’s shot to go straight at the keeper. Griffith was next to have a shot on target but was forced too wide to trouble Wilson. Govea scuffed a shot wide when the ball came back out.
We were playing neat football – Bobo Evans and Griffith enjoying a lot of possession.
On 32 minutes, Morgan Bates went off with what looked like a groin injury and that turned out to be a defining moment of the match. We never looked quite the same after that.
Barnsley had shown very little, aside from when Joe Collins was caught in possession outside his own area, but luckily escaped punishment. Centre forward and skipper Alker missed a free header on 41 minutes and into added time the Swans conceded a weak penalty when Alker went down in the area. Midfielder Holder converted straight down the middle.
In the second half, Barnsley – coached by former Tykes defender Nicky Eaden – elected to flood the midfield and effectively choke the Swans’ supply line. We had perhaps one shot on target in the entire half – a corner routine allowing Pescatore an effort that Wilson easily collected.
Otherwise, we were reduced to passing remorselessly across the backline and unable to forge openings.
An array of substitutions for both sides after the hour tended to strengthen the visitors. After a period of indecisive defending and uncharacteristically sloppy distribution, we gave up our lead when Rayner got a shot away inside our area with 7 minutes to go. At this time, we weren’t creating much – a McKenzie header from a corner going straight into the keeper’s hands – and looked increasingly edgy at the back. We finally relented in added time to a bizarre Barnsley miskick that found its way to Gould in an opportune position to beat Collins for the Barnsley winner.
Coach Anthony Wright was once more missing key players – we started so well, but the loss of Bates and increased reliance on youth during the remainder of the game put the team at a disadvantage.
Pescatore and (while he was on) Bates stood out. Bobo Evans and Yori Griffith had their moments, but the side as a whole couldn’t respond to Barnsley’s simple but effective tactics after the interval.