Swansea v Bristol Rovers

On the whistle match report from the Liberty Stadium.

Coca Cola League One
Swansea City v Bristol Rovers
Monday March 24, kick off 5.45pm

Bristol Rovers shook Swansea City by taking a 2-0 lead in their second Severnside derby in seven days before being pegged back for a draw by the league leaders.

Rickie Lambert and Craig Disley had Rovers’ travelling support in dreamland, firing the Pirates to a 2-0 first-half lead which could have been doubled had they taken all of their chances.

But Swansea showed just why they are top of the table with a second-half comeback that should have seen them claim all three points in a scintillating game in front of the Sky cameras at the Liberty Stadium.

Paul Trollope shuffled his pack to shake off Rovers’ FA Cup hangover of four losses in their last five outings, adopting a 4-4-1-1 formation with Lambert as the lone striker and Disley offering support from deep. It was a ploy which effectively left Swansea facing a five-man barrier in the centre of the pitch.

The home side’s lead at the top of the table was cut to four points before kick off with Carlisle’s 2-0 win over Northampton and Rovers’ fans feared a repeat of last week’s 2-0 defeat as the Swans sought to preserve their lead at the top of the table.

Swansea still have to travel to Brunton Park in what could turn out to be an unlikely title decider, leading Roberto Martinez to declare his side have “four finals” at the Liberty Stadium to ensure they finish top.

This game, their first final, went badly wrong when, against the run of play, Lambert drew first blood with a fine left-foot drive into the bottom corner of Dorus de Vries’ net after a mix up by the Swans’ defence 20-yards out.

The “basic errors” Trollope referred to after the Pirates’ home loss to Huddersfield had almost come back to haunt them as early as the second minute. Andy Robinson cut the ball inside from the right to Leon Britton who fed Darren Pratley, unmarked on the edge of Rovers’ penalty box. But the Swansea midfielder dragged his shot just wide of the left post. Instead of trailing, Rovers found themselves savouring their surprise lead.

Within 20 minutes Bristol could have been three ahead. Campbell whipped in a corner to the back post and Steve Elliott had a stooping header parried away for another set piece. Right-back Danny Coles hit the inside of the post from the second delivery and again de Vries managed to clear for another corner. At the third attempt the Swans escaped further punishment.

Trollope, in his tracksuit, might not cut the dashing figure of Martinez on the touchline but he had his team playing like the play-off contenders they were before their recent slump in form.

And before the half-hour mark Lambert almost doubled their lead, narrowly wide with a diving header after David Pipe whipped in a cross from the right.

Minutes later Rovers’ captain, Stuart Campbell, played a weighted ball through the Swans defence who stepped up for offside. The Swansea fans could only look on in horror as Disley carried on his run, the linesman’s flag stayed down, and Disley coolly slotted home to give Rovers a surprise 2-0 lead.

Rovers’ five-man midfield barrier continued to frustrate the Swans for the rest of the half and they lacked the legs to break them down. Chris Lines and left back Aaron Lescott drew yellow cards for their tackling in a stoic all-round performance.

Martinez clearly had words at half time and signalled his intent replacing central midfielder Pratley with a fourth forward, Daryll Duffy. Within five minutes Britton tested Philips from the edge of the box and Scotland mopped up from six yards to spark Swansea into life.

The Rovers’ midfield went awol, unable to cope with Swansea’s transformation. The home side hammered Steve Philips’ goal in a 15-minute barrage during which Rovers did well not to concede.

Philips made a chain of fine saves from five corners but was almost shown up when he punched the sixth clear in a confident charge out of his own six-yard box only for Duffy to hit an almost perfect lob in the direction of the Bristol net.

As Rovers categorically failed to handle the pace and attacking verve of a rejuvenated Swansea side, Trollope was forced to make a change. He sought to fight fire with fire, bringing on Lewis Haldane for Sean Rigg and switching to 4-4-2.

Britton continued to feed the Swans’ Ferrie Bodde time and again though but Philips remained a match for his efforts when the body of Steve Elliott didn’t block the shots first.

With 15 minutes remaining Trollope was forced to rethink again, reverting back to 4-5-1 and bringing on Byron Anthony in place of Lambert to sit in front of, and bolster, the back four.

But nothing could stop the Swansea tide and Scotland stole his second of the night, his 28^th of the season, with a sensational, 18-yard curler 10 minutes from the final whistle.

In added time Philips was forced into three further match-saving saves as, somehow, Rovers held out for a well-earned, if fortuitous, draw in an extraordinary game of two halves.

Swansea City: de Vries, Austin, Tate (c), Bodde (Tudur-Jones 81’), Britton, Pratley (Duffy 45’), Scotland, Lawrence, Robinson, Rangel, Butler. Subs not used: Bauza, Way, Knight.

Bristol Rovers: Phillips, Lescott, Hinton, Coles (Klein-Davies 80’), Elliott, Pipe, Disley, Campbell (c), Lines, Lambert, Rigg (Haldane 70’). Subs not used: Anthony, Williams, Walker.

Ref: M Dean

Att: 15,048