Playing the same opposition who gained a 2-2 draw with our U21s last week, the Swans endured a really tough first half examination in the humid drizzle today at the stadium and finally secured a creditable – if what appeared at times unlikely – 2-0 victory.
Huddersfield named 7 of the players who started at Landore last Monday. Anthony Wright’s side contained 8 starters from last week and overall was a younger combination, with U18s making up 2 of the starters and 4 of the bench. 16 year old Bobby Lewis had to make an early appearance when what appeared to be a facial wound forced Billy Clarke off after just 4 minutes, Lewis entering the fray a few minutes later.
Line-up: Evan Watts; Arthur Parker (captain) (s – Kaven Bloniarczyk 46m), Carter Heywood, Iestyn Jones, Seb Dabrowski (s – Jack Fanning 83m); Billy Clarke (s – Bobby Lewis 7m), Milo Robinson, Alfie Jones (s – Bobo Evans 83m); Joe Davies (Kaleab Meron 83m), Ben Lloyd, Kai Rhodes.
Unused substitutes: Joe Collins (g/k), Greg Asomokhai.
The first half proved something of an ordeal for our young side – overpowered and outplayed across the pitch by a physically tall and imposing set of opponents who never gave us a chance to settle or get time on the ball.
On 2 minutes, a rebound off Seb Dabrowski’s clearance sent winger Ashia through on goal and – although we escaped punishment on that occasion – the resulting corner ended up on the edge of the box with Neil, whose deflected shot struck the outside of Evan Watts’s post.
Any sense that this was a one-off was dispelled by a half in which very little stuck to our forwards, our midfield was choked and our defence continually under pressure, not least from lengthy long throws into our area from right back Max Murray. Murray glanced a free header wide from a corner on 11 minutes, Fontoh and Ashia both broke clear of our back four to shoot straight at Watts, Fontoh then creating another clear chance for himself that we just about forced wide.
Often reducing to aimless balls forward, we finally created a first sight on goal just before the half hour mark when Alfie Jones’s shot was deflected wide. Just before half-time, Bobby Lewis – who started as a direct replacement on the right wing – had an effort pushed around the post after creative play by Kai Rhodes, who became more influential as the match progressed.
Onyeka missed another clear 1-on-1 and Seb Dabrowski became the first player in the book for a ruthless tackle on the breaking Murray. We could feel fortunate to get to the interval with a clean sheet.
Skipper Arthur Parker, one of the few Swans to shine in the half, was replaced at the interval by scholar Kaven Bloniarczyk, who slotted straight into right back.
Some slight positional tweaks saw Bobby Lewis join Joe Davies in a diminutive but effective front pairing, with Ben Lloyd and Kai Rhodes dropping to strengthen our midfield.
Huddersfield continued to threaten, a series of corners being scrappily repelled, but at least we were looking tighter defensively and limiting further direct chances on goal.
The tide started to turn our way, Huddersfield seeming to have run themselves out by the hour. The picture changed entirely when a very soft penalty award was given for the slightest brush by Terriers’ skipper Togo on Joe Davies. Ben Lloyd’s penalty was pushed onto the post by keeper Hurl, but the ball came back for Lloyd to scramble a right footed shot back into the net for an unlikely 1-0 opener.
Iestyn Jones, who’d been given a difficult time by centre forward Fontoh, subsequently made a tremendous tackle on the breaking centre forward inside our area and this seemed to give our team belief we could get something out of the game.
On 70 minutes, Bloniarczyk delivered a teasing ball over from the right into the heart of the Terriers’ retreating defence. Davies couldn’t connect, but the ball found its way to Rhodes, who stepped inside to finish perfectly. From that point onward, we started to put together smart moves against a tiring Huddersfield side, whose task was made more difficult in 78 minutes when Neil threw himself into a reckless challenge on Dabrowski, earning himself a direct red card. Iestyn Jones and Idemudia received bookings for the ensuing scuffle amongst players from both sides.
Our substitutions helped maintain the team’s flowing play against an increasingly ragged opposition.
Carter Heywood made one battling run through the middle to set up Rhodes once more and Ben Lloyd – who’d work himself to a standstill in the second half – went close on 3 occasions as the clock ran down.
For a team that looked so dominant for up to 55 minutes, Huddersfield must have left feeling baffled that they took nothing from today’s game and with so many clear-cut opportunities. Evan Watts was equal to everything today and was a major contributor to the outcome. Very influential second halves from Iestyn Jones, Lloyd, Lewis, Dabrowski, Bloniarczyk and Rhodes. Today proved the maxim that, if you can’t always be good, be lucky.