Swansea City vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

[goldandblack]

Brilliant Win you blues, now don't go losing anymore. onwards and upwards with Paul Hurst,

and well done Mike again on a long trip to prove you walk the walk for your club and not just talk the talk . you deserved this win today.

[Bluemike]

Tang & Aylesbury sum up the stats perfectly, they mean jack sh*t, it could be said we had a 100 % success rate for shots on target today, interpret them as you like. A bit like us having 16 attempts at Rotherham and losing the game, they mean nothing apart from one stat and we should be pleased we won that one today.

Thanks G&B, has to be done.

[marko69]

Was expecting something positive from Ashford tonight. Especially with the Jags being gubbed in Maryhill today!

[Bluemike]

You wont get anything positive, or from a few others who would have jumped on here at 5.15 had we lost.

[nicscreamer]

Damn..... just got back from a night out and get this wonderful amazing news!! I’m soooooooo happy .

Onwards and upwards you blues

[arana peligrosa]

So the wait is at an end and a goddamn victory comes into sight. Not before time and pity there's another f**king international break ahead next week as I'd rather build on today and keep the momentum but these things will happen.

Only got the score some time after it had ended, initial reaction was one of surprise. Never envisaged scoring three over there particularly after the non-victory start but what were they thinking, guess congratulations are in order.

Releases some of the pressure on the manager but all told it remains unacceptable. That's not to say today was a big relief, it was essential the club got it's first win, but we've lost considerable points since August which will prove a make or break difference by end of season. Don't get me wrong this was a very good score (perhaps lightly deserved if some reports are accurate) but as mentioned irritated to an extent not having an immediate game ahead to improve on today, believe we don't possess the consistency or team members to make a season if it also. Apologize if appear negative, I realize today was a huge step forward, victory was near imperative.

[Charnwood]

Just about managed to follow the second half from afar, and after being so disappointed when they equalised with only 10 mins to play and praying we would hold on for a point can’t explain the euphoria felt when Chalobah scored to put us 2-3 up.
So pleased for PH, Bluemike and the travelling fans especially after Preston thumped Wigan 4-0, Millwall beat Villa and McGoldrick scored yet again, anything less would have been painful.
Hopefully the nightmare start is over and we can all start looking up again.

[Bluemike]

And that is why I do it ! Traveling Thousands of Miles up and down the country for moments like that, it was right up there with the "Richard Chaplow" moment at Watford some seasons ago, or the Jordan Spence header in the dying seconds at Millwall to secure a 4-3 win, Emyr Huws crashing home the only goal of the game at Villa park, they don't come around too often but when they do you have to bask in the euphoria it brings, yesterday was a "moment" to behold.

For the most part I was over the moon when the team news filtered through, Andre Dozzell in for Jon Nolan and Jonas Knudsen relegated to the bench !! Perhaps I was slightly concerned at no natural RB as Janoi Donacien was destined for LB with Matt Pennington starting at RB, Freddie Sears as the lone striker hardly filled me with confidence either but the line up was better than anticipated.

The game kicked off somewhat surprisingly with a lovely Blue sky and the sun beaming down on the pitch, almost immediately things nearly turned very grey indeed as within seconds Town had kicked off, lost the ball and were already thankful to Dean Gerken for blocking Jame's shot, a sign of things to come I remember thinking to myself. Less than Five minutes into the game and I saw why Andre Dozzell just has to be a better option that Jon Nolan, an incisive and defensive splitting pass from the youngster saw Sears clean through on goal with just the keeper ahead of him, unfortunately Freddie lacks the real speed required and his dallying on the ball saw a defender back to snuff out the threat, it was a golden chance and Sears didn't even get a shot away which was disappointing, in truth it really should have seen us One up. That really was as good as it got for Town in the opening Quarter of the game, with Ten minutes on the clock the swans took the lead and again it was a bit of a catalogue of errors from Town, a nice move down our Right saw Pennington in no mans land bu thankfully the cross flashed across Gerken's goal and seemingly away, unfortunately no Town defender was anywhere near the swansea man at the far side and this time his cross crashed off Donacien and passed the helpless Gerken, just the start we didn't need and a real warning sign of things to come.

The next Fifteen minutes saw Town very much on the back foot with James in particular running Pennington ragged in the RB slot, all their chances were coming down that side, Town did have One or two forays forward with the willing Sears causing their back line some problems with his runs and movement but little was coming of it. McBurnie came close to sliding home number Two, again the marauding James the provider but somehow we survived as the ball was just too far in front of him. At this point my fickle side really came out as I remember quite clearly screaming at Hurst to change it already, Pennington was struggling and it seemed only a matter of time, shamefully the words "Get Knudsen on" spluttered out of my mouth, yes I said it, that's how worrying it had become already. Moments later yet another james cross almost set up celiona but on this occasion he fluffed the chance, quite how it was only One Nil I cannot tell you.

Incredibly in Five magic minutes and completely against the run of play we turned the game on it's head. Gwion Edwards won a header in Midfield which sent Sears away down the left, the welshman had continued his run into the box and from Sears pinpoint cross the winger glanced his header across the keeper and into the net, a magic moment that we could hardly believe in truth, was it deserved, no, did we care, not one bit. Unbelievably it got even better a couple of minutes later, this time Edwards racing on to Sears pass before crossing the ball in for sears to apparently nod home, it did look like an OG in real time but hey ho who gives a f**k, the celebrations were hard, could this be happening after being pulled from pillar to post by swansea's superb passing game ? How on earth had we found ourselves ahead. The key now was to at least get to half time and regroup.

Swansea were still spraying the ball around with a confidence rarely seen at this level, they have real zest and vigour to their play and came so close to getting back level, again Gerken to the rescue with his second big save of the game, this time thwarting the cheating git McBurnie who had twice tried to con the ref by going down in the box. Despite being second best for much of the half Town had always looked dangerous on the break, Dozzell was providing some lovely touches at times and strolls through games effortlessly while Ward was having one of his better games for sure, it has to be said that while swansea were very much on top Chambers had been a rock at the back, trying to steady the troops as the Swansea attack came again and again, more akin to the bloody Zulu's at Rorkes Drift, they just wouldn't go away. With half time upon us we were almost in clover as Sears came within inches of getting a Third for Town, that man Edwards again the provider but this time the ball just a fraction too forward. But the half had been a fab game to watch and somehow we were ahead, to add more worry to the situation Donacien had taken a heavy knock and limped off the field of play, that was the last we were to see of him.

The second half started with Knudsen on at LB and Pennington still at RB with as expected Donacien off, Swansea immediately got into their stride and were on the front foot, a couple of early half chances coming to nothing, squeezed in between Dozzell tried his luck with a free kick which sailed harmlessly over the bar. For once Town got a piece of luck as from a corner Swansea crashed a header off the bar and the follow up was sent over Deano's goal, another sigh of relief all round the away end. It was noticable however that it was far from all One way traffic since the restart, Town were having more time and space on the ball and breaking quite often, as good as Swansea are going forward they do leave gaps at the back and the tireless Sears who it has to be said was really impressing me was always causing them problems, a mention of Chalobah too who had come strongly into the game and was putting himself about and winning lots of ball and tackles in the Midfield.

Another exquisite piece of play saw Dozzell put Ward into a good position and his long range shot whistled just passed the post, Town were definitely giving as good as they got in the second half and not looking to hold what they had as so often in the past. As expected Swansea were trying to ramp up the pressure on Town's defence who were still standing firm, Celina, McKay and McBurnie all looking to get the leveller, Gerken was called in to action a couple of more times and was up to the task. One brilliant piece of defending by Chambers saw him stop Town old boy Celina from scoring an almost certain equaliser, it really was a superb tackle. With Town attacking whenever they could it came back to bite us on the arse as a swift breakaway saw that man Celina grab the equalising goal, with a cool finish after being played through by the impressive McKay who had made a big difference since coming on. It was heartbreak for Town who had played so well despite being under pressure for much of the opening half and it felt like if anything we were going to succumb to a Third before the game was over.

quite the reverse actually as Town heads did not go down, instead they went looking for the winner themselves and Cole Skuse was oh so close to providing it, his shot from the edge of the box was looking goalbound all the way until it hit a defender and deflected wide, we all stood with our heads in our hands as standing right behind it it really did look like goal from the moment it left his boot. What happened next was "that moment" I spoke of at the start, a Grant Ward corner was whipped in and was right on the money, charging in through a ruck of players was the man mountain Chalobah who crashed his thumping header down into the ground and through the outstretched hand of the Swansea keeper, a couple of seconds of deathly hush before the net rippled and the explosion of sheer delight erupted in the stand behind the goal, the players to a man celebrated with the fans at the front and at the back don't ask me who I was hugging and dancing up and down with cus I have no clue but the feeling was incredible.

There was till work to do and Swansea came at us but the defence was standing up to the barrage, Chambers was inspirational, Nsiala was heading anything and everything and Chalobah and Skuse were trying to protect the back Four by any means they could. The board goes up with Five minutes on it and my heart rate goes through the roof, please don't rip this from us again, thankfully we didn't play Five additional minutes, we played f**king seven, blow the whistle you cheating fuckwit I remember screaming at the top of my voice, still it wouldn't come, we even came close to a Fourth as Sears was set up by Jackson but it flew all the way to Port Talbot. Finally that magical sound, the full time whistle, the party started and I have to say it was quite emotional getting that first Paul Hurst era win. Every player played their part, some were superb and others did all that was asked of them, a real team effort.


Gerken (8) Crucial saves at crucial times from Deano, the first minute save was vital, has grabbed his chance with both hands, the new number One.

Donacien (6) A decent first half when under pressure, could do nothing with the OG and was forced off with injury, doesn't shirk a challenge.

Chambers (8) What a performance from captain fantastic, dreadful Tuesday, sublime yesterday, the tackle on Celina was world class.

Nsiala (7) Battled gallantly against wave after wave, wins so much in the air and we are worse off without him in there for sure.

Pennington (6) Run ragged by James in the first half in an unfamiliar role, gives his all though and improved after the break. Won't have many more difficult opponents.

Skuse (6) Not as effective as in some games this season but still gets through a shed load of the ugly stuff and sat in front of the back four when it was needed, so close to a cracker of a goal.

Chalobah (7) Very Impressive yesterday, got better as the game went on, won the Midfield in the second half and was the hero of the hour at the death.

Edwards (7) A very good game for the winger, involved in everything, scored one, created one and nearly created Two more, ran their defence ragged a few times.

Ward (8) Super game from Wardy, his delivery was on the money, chased down everything, created several good openings and looked a different player, close to a goal too.

Dozzell (7) love this guy, did in Three minutes what Nolan has failed to do all season. his simple passes and quick brain opens up defences with ease, keep him fit and play him, he is the creativity we crave. Tired as expected.

Sears (9) what can I say, my MOTM by a distance, ran his nuts off, made the first, possibly scored the second, should have had Three and was a great outlet all game which caused them problems, his best game in a Town shirt for three years. Hats off.


What a massive weight to remove from our shoulders, yes it's only One win and we need many more, Hurst will feel mightily relieved too, the pressure was getting silly and suddenly belief is there that maybe this experiment isn't going so wrong as some would have us believe, it is Five defeats in Twelve games, a couple of wins where we drew and it would feel so different. Yes at times we were under the cosh particularly in the first half hour but we battled courageously and never gave in, heads didn't drop in adversity and we wanted to win the game, players i have criticised in the past came to the party and gave it everything. The celebrations along with our determination to get the third after being pegged back tells me the players are definitely playing for PH, it should tell all of you that too. We have something to build on now, it's a shame we now have two weeks to wait until QPR come to Town, nothing less than a win there will do or this result is deemed meaningless. Time to believe again ? You bet. in the build up to the match some were billing it as Hurst versus Potter, hahahahahaha well look who won the battle. COYB's.

[rossi]

Well I'm really pleased that the first win has finally come, especially from such an unexpected quarter.

Another 4 changes to the starting line-up, but at least that included the dropping of Nolan so hopefully that might be a more permanent change especially as Dozell managed 80 minutes. Clearly Pennington is not a right back, and I feel that Donacien has to return to that with Knudsen left back - sounds like he did ok after he was brought on. And I also think that Sears will get better and better every time he is played through the middle.

Lets not get carried away - it was a really good win and hopefully has finally given PH a clue about the personnel he should be fielding. But at the end of the day there is still a hell of a lot of hard work ahead to get out of the mess created by the poor start

[derick_ipsw]

Well done Town and well done Paul Hurst. See what happens when you pick the right Team.

I am so pleased for everybody associated with ITFC. I still think Chambers maybe the weakest link at the back. Donacien, Nsiala, Pennington and either Kenlock or Knudson would be my preferred back 4. He was brave enough to drop Bart now he needs to drop chambers.
So pleased Dozzell started for Nolan lets hope he stays injury free because he is a real asset. I would still try and get Jackson in the side with his pace and Dozzell's vision that could be really useful. Well done Town and congratulations to PH on your first victory.

[Tangfastic]

Thanks for the great report, Mike. Over the moon with the result. Those 6-7 minutes in injury time lasted an eternity.

Not getting carried away. But just great to get the monkey of the back.

Can’t believe the next team we play will be as generous as Swansea, but we never gave up and you’ve got to applaud the attitude. I don’t see where we have problems behind the scenes as we still show character even when we’re under the cosh. Maybe Doig’s tough love is paying off.

Well done, Freddie. Ran his little tits off. Thought Jackson was hard done by to lose his place, but PH called it right.

Can’t say Dozzell ran the show as for much of the game he didn’t see much of the ball. But when he gets on the ball he’s always looking for that pass. When you’ve got willing runners like Sears, Edwards, Ward then he can pull the strings. For a 19 year old kid who’s been out of the first team for a year ... he did great. Got to start next game. Sears, too. In fact, just drop Penngton at RB. He’s not a FB.

[ashfordblue]

Urgent Message for Marco, the reason i never came on here last night to celebrate the Ipswich shock win, was because i collapsed in ALDI at 5pm whilst shopping with the wife, and it took nearly 5 hours of intensive after shock care from the medical team, for me to come round and realise it was a real result and not a figment of my imagination, and the wife scolding me all night for showing her up in the Aldi Supermarket, i cant put up with these sudden shocks i managed to ease my way back to near normal with a few glasses of red wine ,now as for the Jags it was not a shock result against Ross, as i half expected it the way the Jags have been performing of late, hopefully they will kick start a winning streak soon, but i wont hold my breath on that.

[marko69]

Took a sip of coffee as I read about Sears almost getting the 4th ...., “but it flew all the way to Port Talbot!” ..... and choked on the coffee!
And there is nothing worse than that wait for the whistle. Could feel the tension while reading it!

Excellent report, breath of fresh air.

And agree with Saint...... international break comes at the wrong time. QPR next Saturday would’ve been better for the ITFC cause.

[marko69]

Urgent Message for Marco, the reason i never came on here last night to celebrate the Ipswich shock win, was because i collapsed in ALDI at 5pm whilst shopping with the wife, and it took nearly 5 hours of intensive after shock care from the medical team, for me to come round and realise it was a real result and not a figment of my imagination, and the wife scolding me all night for showing her up in the Aldi Supermarket, i cant put up with these sudden shocks i managed to ease my way back to near normal with a few glasses of red wine ,now as for the Jags it was not a shock result against Ross, as i half expected it the way the Jags have been performing of late, hopefully they will kick start a winning streak soon, but i wont hold my breath on that.

@ ITFC part ^ ^ ^

Sack Archibald @ Jags part.

[marko69]

One more notable thing from the report....... Gerken being renamed “Deano”!!

Bart......, that’s a BAD sign for you, buddy!

[JohnnyB]

https://youtu.be/uYhjgFP5g6M

Highlights from Swansea TV - funny because massively biased commentator plunged into misery

[Watership Down]

I may have slagged Sears off a few times but give him his due..... he had a great game today and was instrumental in the outcome. Keep it up Freddie