The Swans kicked off this season’s U17s PL cup competition with an encounter with Wolverhampton Wanderers at Landore. With the exception of goalkeeper Jakub Nowak, all of the Swans’ starting XI featured at some stage on the previous Saturday’s U18 match with Wigan Athletic.
Coach Joe Roberts selected an interesting set-up. Although it was very fluid, the formation most resembled 3-2-3-2, with a back 3 of Heywood, Singer and May protected by Harlan Perry and Alffi Hughes. Godfrey and Ifans provided wide support with Bobby Lewis playing centrally behind strikers Ioan Johnston and Harvey Gray.
Team: Jakub Nowak; Carter Heywood (captain), Dempsey Singer, Jack May (s – Sol Baker 75m); Harlan Perry, Alffi Hughes; Alex Godfrey, Bobby Lewis, Caio Ifans (s – Elis Thomas 89m); Ioan Johnston (s – Rio Hassan 89m), Harvey Gray (s – Ifan Harding 75m).
Unused sub: Ryan Reynolds (g/k)
The formation seemed to work, even though Harlan Perry’s normal tenacious game was restricted somewhat by the referee’s decision to book him on just 14 minutes. By then we’d had a goal disallowed when Gray was caught offside on the end of good buildup work by Perry and Godfrey. Perry, Godfrey and Johnston were linking up particularly well in the early stages of the game.
It was due reward when the Swans went a goal to good on 23 minutes. Perry’s free kick from the right hand side of the Wolves box wasn’t properly dealt with by the Wanderers defence and the ball landed perfectly for Caio Ifans to direct a left foot shot through defenders and beyond the keeper.
Wolves woke up and had a couple of shots from distance, but the Swans youngsters were still in the ascendancy, keeper Grieves tipping away a dangerous Perry centre, then flapping at a corner from the same player with the ball being desperately cleared off the line.
The visitors still seemed rather tentative, but Jake Wilcox, operating in an advanced right sided role just behind the strikers, looked the most threatening opponent. He worked his way to the Swans by-line just after the half hour and sent in a low cross that Senyah snatched at and somehow sent over the bar. Minutes later, Wilcox found room to shoot from outside the box and got Wolves back on terms.
Ruffled by the setback, we lived a bit dangerously and had to ride out the next 10 minutes before Ifans and May both went close. Flush on half-time, Ioan Johnston got away again on the right and delivered a cross that Wolves couldn’t defend, the ball being worked back for Bobby Lewis to strike home to restore Swansea’s lead.
Our youngsters started the second half on the front foot, Johnston forcing Grieves into an anxious save before another flowing move down the right found Johnston, whose short range shot was blocked, with Ifans’s follow-up being instinctively handled away off the line by Wolves skipper Saba. A penalty was awarded, Saba was dismissed and Stafford also got booked for disputing the fairly clearcut decision. After a short debate as to who would take the penalty, Harvey Gray’s spot kick was parried to safety by Grieve.
On another day, this setback might have proven a real blow but the Swans pushed on. Within a minute another corner was half-cleared to the edge of the box and Alex Godfrey settled himself to deliver a sweet shot beyond Grieve to put the Swans 3-1 up.
This gave the young Swans extra belief and confidence. We took clever advantage of the extra man and worked the Wolves players around the pitch, notably outbattling the opposition in the tackle. During this period Alffi Hughes and Bobby Lewis really rose to the occasion with some smart possession and probing passes. Godfrey, Johnston and Ifans continued to get behind the Wolves defence to create chances, Gray stretching to meet another tempting cross but was unable to keep the ball down.
Wolves responded sporadically, it was noticeable though that key player Wilcox was rather isolated and ineffective. Our back three – marshalled calmly by Dempsey Singer with colleagues Heywood and May resolute – stood up well to examination.
Substitute striker Ifan Harding was very unlucky not to get on the scoresheet in a lively cameo. Coach Joe Roberts was able to introduce Rio Hassan and Elis Thomas into play to see the game out. Substitute Sol Baker, who’d initially started in the left side of defence, moved into midfield to accommodate Rio Hassan at right sided defence with the inspiring Heywood shifting across without any loss of cohesion.
Wolves snatched a second goal with the last kick of the match, substitute Nkume converting a Stafford cross at close range. 3-2 felt closer than the balance of play suggested, particularly in the second half – although Wolves were clearly at a self-imposed disadvantage by having to play with 10 men after 55 minutes. Overall, it was a really impressive result and performance, with some standout displays across the park, and great experience for the youngsters, a number of whom have played only at U16 level to date. Goalscoring: Caio Ifans 1-0 (23m); Wilcox 1-1 (34m); Bobby Lewis 2-1 (45+1m); Godfrey 3-1 (56m); Nkume 3-2 (90+3m).