LAST TIME OUT
BIRMINGHAM CITY 1 SWANSEA CITY 0
FORM GUIDE
SWANSEA 7 PNE 2
City not scored in their last three games
The Liberty Stadium (Welsh: Stadiwm Liberty) is a sports stadium and conferencing venue located in the Landore area of Swansea, Wales. The stadium is all-seated. It had an opening capacity of 20,750, making it the largest purpose-built venue in Swansea; minor layout changes have since increased this to 21,088. It is the home stadium of EFL Championship club Swansea City, who took full operational control of the stadium in 2018,[3] and the Ospreys rugby team. As a result of Swansea City's promotion, the stadium became the first Premier League ground in Wales. It is the third largest stadium in Wales – after the Millennium Stadium and the Cardiff City Stadium. In European competitions, the stadium is known as Swansea Stadium because of advertising rules.
When the match kick off it will be 28 years and 2 days since the Esha Ness non win in the Grand National, the day teh two Sheffield clubs met in the FA Cup Semi Final at Wembley and North End played Swansea at the Old Vetch Field
7 am start off in my old Rover Metro J894NFV 5 of us, stopped at Ross on Wye on the way down, and headed towards the Vetch, stuck in traffic on the main coastal road zero chance of actually making the kick off heard the immortal phrase on the radio The weather here in London is dull and grey but not as bad as the weather in the South West and Wales were the games at Torquay and Swansea have been called off. A 13 hour round trip for nothing oh how I laughed.
Back to the present time City seem to have gone off the boil losing at Birminfham on Friday they were slightly unlucky with the winning penalty as Danda slipped but it was a penalty unlike the first one which they gave away which was soft to say the least.
They had been cruising until recent weeks and it looks as if it is the play offs again given the top two show no sig of blowing up
FAMOUS SWANSEA CITIZEN
Sir Harry Donald Secombe CBE (8 September 1921 – 11 April 2001) was a Welsh comedian, actor and singer. Secombe was a member of the British radio comedy programme The Goon Show (1951–1960), playing many characters, but most notably, Neddie Seagoon. An accomplished tenor, he also appeared in musicals and films – notably as Mr Bumble in Oliver! (1968) – and, in his later years, was a presenter of television shows incorporating hymns and other devotional songs.
As Harry is dead and also the game is behind closed doors Harry will not be at the game
Last time we won in Swansea was 29/8/1961
Team News
Skipper Alan Browne sits out his final match of his three game ban for his red card against Middlesbrough last month.
Frankie McAvoy said after Friday’s game that Greg Cunningham was set to miss the game as well, with Declan Rudd and Patrick Bauer ruled out for the season.
Steve Cooper is without US international Paul Arriola, who has returned to parent club DC United after a recurrence of his thigh injury that will rule him out for the rest of the season.
The Swans boss had top scorer Andre Ayew and Conor Hourihane (on the bench) back from injury for the clash against the Blues and Marc Guehi went straight back into the side after international duty.
Liam Cullen looks likely to remain sidelined, although he is is making good progress in his rehab following an ankle injury.
Match Officials
The Easter Monday match official is Select Group One referee Peter Bankes, who is now a regular in the Premier League.
His last PNE game was way back in November 2018, when he took charge against Deepdale for a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough.
He has twice been to the Liberty Stadium this season, however, a goalless draw with AFC Bournemouth in December and their 3-1 Emirates FA Cup loss to Premier League leaders Manchester City in February.
Before the aforementioned Boro game, Peter’s last game as referee for PNE was the 2017/18 Gentry Day at at Bolton Wanderers. As well as the win at the Macron Stadium, he also took charge of the last two clashes with Aston Villa at Deepdale, our FA Cup third round victory over Gareth Ainsworth’s Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park back in January 2017 and the 1-1 draw with Barnsley in September 2017.
Other games in the past have included Leeds United at Elland Road in April 2017, the 2014/15 season’s 3-2 home win over Port Vale in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy and the 2015/16 1-0 defeat of Hull City 1-0 just after Christmas.
This is his seventh year on the officials’ list and he also took charge of our win at Chesterfield in February 2015, when Joe Garner scored twice on his return from a period out injured.
The assistants on Monday afternoon will be Nick Greenhalgh and James Mainwaring , with Sam Allison acting as fourth official.
FRANKIE SAYS
Preston North End’s interim head coach Frankie McAvoy has stressed the need to keep looking forward as his team head to Swansea City on Easter Monday.
The Scot’s Lilywhites picked up a point with a late, late equaliser against table-toppers Norwich City at Deepdale on Friday and he now wants to build on that against the high-flying Swans at the Liberty Stadium.
The side faced Steve Cooper’s men right back on the opening day of the season, in September 2020, but Frankie says this is not relevant to now: “It seems like a long time ago,” he told iFollow PNE.
“We lost the game 1-0, but it is in the past and the most important thing is to look forward to the game that is coming up.
“Let’s concentrate on the here and now; let’s look at the squad of players to make sure we assess everyone that played against Norwich and get the right team, the right personnel and the right shape on the pitch.”
Looking back at the Good Friday draw, he felt there was plenty to work on: “After reflection, when everyone looks back on it, the positive was that we got a draw,” he continued.
“I thought in terms of our game-plan and how we wanted to put our stamp on it, we created some good goalscoring opportunities, I thought – in the main – we got balls into the box, I thought we tried pretty hard to set off the press, to try and win the ball back early and go and hurt them, so I am happy with some aspects in terms of some good link up play, we were quick to move it and create opportunities, but defensively, we provided need to tidy up things going forward.
“If we are going to play two up top, we have to get that structure behind it correct. Yesterday we played the 4-1-3-2 and at times we were probably too open and Norwich had a good few opportunities and chances to score, so they are areas we can look to try and improve on, but all in all, I am delighted for the group, it is a good point and a building block, so let’s go and try and take it forward into the next games.”
And he stressed that it will be the same mantra ringing in the team’s ears when they head to South Wales, that they must concentrate on themselves: “It has to be the same message. We were very mindful of Norwich – they are a good team – and I thought the best way to create opportunities was the way we set up.
“On reflection, they caused us problems when they broke the first part of the press, so I need to look at what’s the best way going forward for each of the games.
“I thought there were some good parts and it is just a case of getting the structure, to give us the best platform to try and win the game.”
And after his first game as the man at the helm, what were Frankie’s thoughts on the experience as a whole?
“It is totally different to being a No.2 compared to being the guy that is at the forefront of it,” he admitted.
“I now understand the pressure that Alex was under and the pressures that everybody else is under and Alex used to say that you didn’t understand the pressure until you were under it too and he was 100 per cent right.
“It is pressure, but you have to deal with situations as they are. You don’t realise how much there is to do, but you have to make it as enjoyable as you can for yourself and that’s the bit that I will try do better going forward.
“The first game was Norwich, which we knew was going to be difficult, but the task that we set as a group was to try and come away with a result, that box is ticked and now we have to focus on Swansea, that is our biggest focus now and trying to tidy up the bits we didn’t do so well against Norwich and try and work better on the bits that we did do well as well, lots to look forward to on Saturday and Sunday, to be ready for Monday.”
The players returned to Euxton on Saturday morning, retaining the smiles on their faces that they had when they left PR1 on Friday evening and the interim head coach believes this is an important factor.
“It is massive. Confidence is a big thing within the group and you saw the togetherness that they have got and that is what I have tried to instil in them.
“There is a great camaraderie about them, a mutual trust and friendship about the group and they need to stay strong. When you have that, it gives you something to build on.
We have to make sure that our mindset is a positive one, every if we go a goal down, the mindset should be to keep going, keep working, try and create goalscoring opportunities and if we take them, then you never know what will happen in a game,” he added.
MACS VIEW
Strangely actually feel we may get something from this game the bonus of a point from the last kick off the game whilst City lost to virtually the last kick off the game on Friday.
Fair play to Cooper for not blaming teh penalty decision, misfiring at teh moment are the Swans still a tough game in an area were we have not won for nearly 60 years, however the celebrations after the goal show the squad is together.
Again missing out on the trek to South Wales third season on the trot maybe next year.
Have you heard about the news on Mizar 5
People got to shout to stay alive
People got to shout to stay alive