Match Highlights

WATCH HIGHLIGHTS

WEST BROMWICH ALBION 0 SWANSEA CITY 2

LATE GOALS FROM JOEL PIROE AND CYRUS CHRISTIE GAVE SWANSEA CITY A DESERVED WIN AT WEST BROM AS RUSSELL MARTIN’S SIDE PICKED UP THREE POINTS ON THEIR TRAVELS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE NOVEMBER.

TEAM LINEUPS

West Brom: Sam Johnstone, Conor Townsend, Dara O'Shea (Darnell Furlong 46), Kyle Bartley (captain), Semi Ajayi, Callum Robinson, Grady Diangana, Jayson Molumby (Karlan Grant 77), Andy Carroll, Adam Reach (Quevin Castro 65), Alex Mowatt.

Subs not used: Matt Clarke, Cedric Kipre, David Button, Taylor Gardner-Hickman.

Swans: Andy Fisher; Ben Cabango, Kyle Naughton, Ryan Manning; Hannes Wolf, Flynn Downes, Matt Grimes (captain), Cyrus Christie; Joel Piroe (Kyle Joseph 90), Jamie Paterson (Olivier Ntcham 77); Michael Obafemi (Korey Smith 83).

Subs not used: Ben Hamer, Jay Fulton, Joel Latibeaudiere, Finley Burns.

Referee: Dean Whitestone

Attendance: 20,209 (707 away fans)

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STILETTOS AND STUDS BY JULIE KISSICK

What a difference a week makes. Actually, what I really mean is, what a difference a win makes.

This time just over a week ago I was scratching my head trying to think of a way to start this column after the 4-0 away defeat to Sheffield United.

It’s never easy to find positives after a defeat like that, but there was no need to concern myself with such a problem as that this time around. Thankfully.

A 2-0 win against West Bromwich Albion in front of the Monday night television cameras was much needed and hopefully sets us on course to take plenty of positives from the remainder of the season.

I spoke to my dad after the match and, as he usually does, he gave me his summary of the game. His assessment was positive, especially on the return of Kyle Naughton, a player we’ve become very fond of over the last few years.

I’ve mentioned him in this column before because to me he has become such an integral part of the team and there’s no doubt we’ve missed him over the last few games.

He’s such a diligent, understated player; a real workhorse who quietly and effectively gets on with his job.

It’s easy to think that the big personalities, the flamboyant characters are the ones who matter the most to a team, but as Naughton has shown consistently, there’s a lot more to contributing to the success of a side than scoring or providing an assist for goals. And we know too that no side is going to be successful without support – and what an incredible job our travelling fans did to show their support at both away games. The 12th man was loud and proud, whatever was happening on the pitch.

The fans who made the long journey to Sheffield in such awful conditions as we saw a fortnight ago courtesy of Storm Eunice, deserve as many plaudits as those who travelled to the west Midlands in midweek. Of course, many of them will be the same fans, undeterred in the face of defeat and determined to support the side they love, no matter what the result or the weather.

There’s definitely something unique about us football fans. In 2018 two academics from the University of Sussex studied the post-match responses of 32,000 football fans using a smartphone app.

The app pinged people at different times to ask them what mood they were in. Using a combination of data relating to location, match dates, teams playing and the results of matches watched, they were able to assess how people’s happiness changed after a game.

“The pain felt by football fans after a defeat is more than double the joy of winning,” according to the study. It also showed that those inside the stadium, rather than those watching the game from elsewhere, experienced a higher level of jubilation when their side won and an increased level of sadness when their side lost.

Let’s hope for smiles all round this afternoon, wherever you are supporting the Swans.

WELSH COLUMN BY ALUN RHYS CHIVERS, GOLWG

Mae Abertawe’n anelu am drydedd buddugoliaeth yn olynol ar eu tomen eu hunain wrth iddyn nhw groesawu Coventry i Stadiwm Swansea.com y prynhawn yma. A byddan nhw’n sicr wedi cael hwb o’r fuddugoliaeth oddi cartref yn West Brom ddechrau’r wythnos hefyd.

Byddan nhw’n hyderus o gipio’r fuddugoliaeth hefyd, nid yn unig ar ôl iddyn nhw guro West Brom ddechrau’r wythnos, ond hefyd am fod eu rhediad di-guro yn erbyn Coventry yn ymestyn dros 12 gêm – a 41 o flynyddoedd (cyn i Russell Martin gael ei eni, gyda llaw!).

Dydy John Toshack ddim wedi bod yn bell o feddyliau’r cefnogwyr yr wythnos hon. Tosh ei hun oedd wrth y llyw fis Hydref 1981, ac roedd Coventry o dan reolaeth Dave Sexton newydd golli yn erbyn tîm Nottingham Forest Brian Clough ac yn bedwerydd ar ddeg yn yr hen Adran Gyntaf. Mae’n rhaid, felly, eu bod nhw’n disgwyl tipyn o her yn erbyn tîm yr Elyrch oedd yn hedfan ar y brig. Ond fe gawson nhw amser digon hawdd yn y pen draw, gyda blaenoriaeth o 2-0 ar yr egwyl yn troi’n 3-0 wyth munud wedi’r egwyl. Gôl gysur yn unig gafodd yr Elyrch, a gafodd eu bwrw oddi ar eu hechel, gyda’r tîm mewn glas golau’n codi i’r unfed safle ar ddeg.

Ymlaen i 2022 ac mae’r sefyllfa’n dra gwahanol. Yn ail haen y cynghreiriau y tro hwn, mae’r Elyrch yn unfed a’r bymtheg, tra bod yr ymwelwyr heddiw chwe safle uwch eu pennau, ar ôl ennill dwy gêm a gorffen yn y llall yn gyfartal yn eu tair gêm ers colli yn erbyn Caerdydd ganol mis diwethaf.

Ond yr Elyrch gipiodd y fuddugoliaeth pan herion nhw ei gilydd ddiwethaf, a hynny o 2-1 diolch i Jamie Paterson a Joel Piroe wrth i rediad di-guro Coventry ers dechrau’r tymor ddod i ben ym mis Tachwedd.

Roedd yr asgellwr cefn ochr chwith Jake Bidwell yng nghrys Abertawe y diwrnod hwnnw, wrth i’r Elyrch gipio’u pedwaredd buddugoliaeth mewn pum gêm. Daeth ei gêm olaf i’r clwb dair wythnos wedyn, cyn iddo fe fynd am Coventry ym mis Ionawr. Byddai ei gytundeb yn Stadiwm Swansea. com wedi dirwyn i ben yn yr haf, ac yntau wedi methu dod i delerau i aros yng Nghymru. Chwaraeodd e 92 o gemau i’r Elyrch, gan sgorio tair gôl, ac roedd e’n aelod allweddol o’r garfan gyrhaeddodd rownd derfynol y gemau ail gyfle cyn colli yn erbyn Brentford.

Cyfnod digon byr yn Abertawe gafodd y cynAlarch arall yng ngharfan Coventry heddiw. Treuliodd Viktor Gyökeres o Sweden ychydig fisoedd ar fenthyg o Brighton rhwng Hydref a Ionawr eleni. Daeth ei gêm gyntaf fel eilydd yn erbyn Millwall, ond fe fu’n rhaid iddo fe aros tan ddiwedd ei gyfnod gyda’r clwb am ei gôl gyntaf. Daeth honno ar Ionawr 9 yn erbyn Stevenage yng Nghwpan FA Lloegr, ond roedd e ar ei ffordd yn ôl i Brighton ac at gyn-reolwr Abertawe Graham Potter bum niwrnod yn ddiweddarach.

Mae rhyw deimlad o hyd ym mêr esgyrn cefnogwyr yr Elyrch y bydd cyn-chwaraewr yn dychwelyd i’w cosbi nhw. Nid yn aml iawn mae’r pryderon yn dyblu!