Sometimes even the ugliest present comes gift-wrapped and how joyously Swansea accepted the generosity of a Welsh international goalkeeper which moved them out out of the Premier League’s relegation places.
Boaz Myhill’s blunder in the ninth minute handed Swansea their first home win in almost four months and at the same time dragged West Brom deeper in the dogfight. It was anything but pretty, but Alan Curtis was quick to recognise it was absolutely vital.
Ki Sung Yeung scores the first goal for Swansea
The caretaker manager punched the air and hugged his staff when the whistle blew and so put the travelling fans, and indeed, any neutrals, out of their misery.
Posession stats
Huw Jenkins, the Swansea chairman, actually took time off from his search for manager to write his programme notes and from the sound of them, there will be not be a replacement for Garry Monk in the next few days. Jenkins should therefore give thanks to Curtis for buying him some breathing space, no matter how short-lived, with away games at Crystal Palace and Manchester United to follow in the next week.
Gareth McAuley keeps his eye on the ball
Yet however obvious the sense of relief at The Liberty, this certainly was not “the Swansea Way” to which Jenkins alluded in his missive. One win in their previous 13 games probably made it inevitable that Curtis’s team would end up hanging on for dear life, but to do so for such long periods against a limited Pulis outfit, is maybe the best gauge of the paucity of self-belief at Swansea at the moment.
Swansea attacking thirds
Myhill will not want to the see the replay. He should have done better that turn Angel Rangel’s ambitious near-post effort on to the woodwork and although it was hardly his fault that the ball proceeded to hit him on the back, he definitely lost the alertness race to Ki Sung-yueng. Credit to referee, Roger East, as it would have been easy in the melee to grant the goalkeeper a reprieve with a free-kick. The Korean bundled it home right enough and there was a collision - but it was clean.
Pulis suddenly changed the direction of his arm movements and, in his inimitable high-tempo style, urged his players forwards. Chris Brunt was unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty when he was pushed over in the box by Rangel, but there was no official to blame when Craig Dawson failed to get so much as a touch on Craig Gardner’s corner when a mere yard out.
West Brom attacking thirds
West Brom could hardly not pick up on their hosts’ nervousness and went away feeling that, at the very least, a point had been lost. Fabianski made a fine save from Rickie Lambert’s header on the hour mark, yet, in truth, the complete absence of cutting edge from both sides verged on the remarkable. Pulis was even prompted to bring on the disaffected Saido Berahino, but there was no way through; “the Swansea way” or otherwise.
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