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Poor defending sees Swans miss out on fourth spot
Dec 26 2009 WalesOnline
Reading 1 Swansea 1

SWANSEA CITY threw away the chance of taking fourth spot in the Championship after a moment of madness in first-half injury time cost them all three points at Reading.

Darren Pratley had given Paulo Sousa's side a brilliant opener nine minutes from the break when he latched onto Angel Rangel's through-ball.

But instead of seeing the half out with just seconds remaining, poor defending allowed Gylfi Sigurdsson to level with a free-kick from just outside the box.

And despite a strong finish, the Swans could not find a way through the Royals as an off-colour performance from the visitors ended with a draw.

Swansea had enjoyed the vast amount of possession in the opening stages without doing much to trouble Reading keeper Adam Federici aside from a couple of long-range efforts.

The Aussie stopper did have to combine with Jobi McAnuff to keep out Nathan Dyer from close range when Pratley had pounced on a mistake from Bryn Gunnarsson on 14 minutes.

But Pratley would make sure of Swansea's advantage 36 minutes in when a superb run from defence from Angel Rangel, including a neat one-two with Andrea Orlandi, culminated in the killer ball to free the midfielder and he responded by finishing into the top corner from inside the box.

Swansea looked in control but a failure to clear their lines adequately cost them in first-half injury time as Nathan Dyer's foul on Sigurdsson allowed the wideman to curl home from the resulting free-kick.

Reading pushed for a second after the break but failed to make more of a dreadful start by the Swans.

And it was Swansea who would go close next, Orlandi's cross finding Gorka Pintado but the Spaniard's header couldn't beat Federici.

Sigurdsson had another effort after sub Jimmy Kebe pulled back only for Dorus de Vries to save low and the Dutchman had to be called upon again when Kebe raced clear only for the Swans No.1 to expertly smother his shot from inside the box.

Sub Joe Allen tried his best to change things, forcing Federici into a save moments after coming on while a Lee Trundle cross was inches away from being tucked home by another replacement, Tom Butler.

And although Trundle had the ball in the net with a minute to go after Pratley had seen his header from a Bessone cross parried by Federici, the linesman's flag ensured it would not stand.

Reading: Federici; Gunnarsson, Pearce, Ingimarsson (capt), Bertrand; McAnuff, Cisse, Matejovsky (Karacan 76), Sigurdsson; Long (Kebe 54), Rasiak (Robson-Kanu 65).

Subs not used: Hamer (gk), Mills, Howard, Cummings.

Swansea: de Vries; Rangel, Williams, Tate (capt), Bessone; Britton, Orlandi (Allen 77), Pratley; Dyer, van der Gun (Butler 65); Pintado (Trundle 81).

Subs not used: Cornel l (gk), Cotterill, Bauza, Serran.

Referee: Mike Russell (Hertfordshire)

Attendance: 19,608


http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballnation/football-news/2009/12/26/poor-defending-sees-swans-miss-out-on-fourth-spot-91466-25473384/

[Winchester Royal]

Seems fair enough.