Carvalhal holds back tears in drab Hillsborough return

THERE was little pre-match fanfare for Carlos Carvalhal on his return to Hillsborough and his presence was barely acknowledged by the home crowd during a goalless game in dire need of a distraction.

Only once his Swansea team had failed to knock Sheffield Wednesday out of the FA Cup did the natives afford him a warm ovation.

‘It makes me the happiest manager in the world,’ said Carvalhal, who was sacked by Wednesday on Christmas Eve.

‘I almost cried after the game. It was a very emotional moment. I must say thank you to the Sheffield Wednesday fans.’

As for the game itself, it was the supporters who were bored to tears and probably like the two managers not thrilled by the prospect of another fixture.

This draw produces a third successive replay in the FA Cup for Swansea and Carvalhal joked: ‘The games are like the Police Academy films, there are too many of them.

‘At least it is an opportunity to stay in the FA Cup. We are the underdogs in this competition. Not because we are weak, but because our main competition is the Premier League.’

If congestion hinders Swansea’s quest to avoid relegation, another blow came before kick-off when Alfie Mawson’s knee locked in the warm-up and he had to be removed from the team.

England boss Gareth Southgate had travelled to Hillsborough specifically to watch Mawson only to find the centre-half on the bench with his leg in a brace.

‘I don’t want to interfere with the work of my colleagues but they should look at him,’ said Carvalhal when asked about Southgate’s interest. ‘His knee has locked before but this time it stayed locked.’

Wednesday opened with energy and purpose but Swansea were the better team and squandered the best chance when Mike van der Hoorn was denied by a brilliant save from Cameron Dawson.

Van der Hoorn met a cross from Kyle Naughton with a firm header but back-up goalkeeper Dawson threw up his left hand and pushed the effort over.

Wednesday almost snatched a winner in stoppage time when a slight deflection by Naughton was enough to prevent Lucas Joao converting a low cross from Adam Reach.

‘This is a fantastic cup to be in and we are still in it,’ said Wednesday boss Jos Luhukay.