LATE CULL TO ACTION
Cooper’s mixed emotions
STEVE COOPER admits Swansea blew a big chance to move closer to Watford – but is still backing them to catch their rivals on the nervy final straight.
The race for the second automatic promotion place behind Norwich should be much tighter than it is, with Watford having lost to Luton.
But the Swans almost tripped up, going 2-0 down before grabbling a precious point thanks to a Jamal Lowe penalty and Liam Cullen’s late equaliser.
It means that instead of being just four points behind Watford with four games to go, the gap is still a lengthy six.
And the Swans lost top scorer Andre Ayew early on with a hamstring injury that must make him a doubt for the run-in. Cooper (right) said: “I think it’s a missed opportunity. You can look at it as a point closer to Watford, but I’ve always said, whatever is left to play for, we are going to go for it.
“The start of the second half was really poor. We allowed them to score two soft goals because you have to do the non-negotiables.
“But the players showed a lot of heart and courage and some good play to get back in the game. We shouldn’t lose sight of that. In the end, it leaves you with real mixed emotions.”
If you put aside the 24 games Wycombe have lost this season – more than any other club in the Championship – they’re not a bad side. They proved as much with a dominant first half and then two thumping strikes from Admiral Muskwe and Garath McCleary that left Swansea stunned as 2-0 down within six minutes of the restart.
Without Ayew, the Swans lacked a focal point but Yan Dhanda’s appearance off the bench gave them more of a creative spark and they came to life in a frantic final quarter.
A handball gave Lowe the chance to pull a goal back from the penalty spot in the 80th minute and three minutes later a courageous header from sub Cullen levelled the scores.
Wycombe boss Gareth
MUSKWE 46, McCLEARY 51
Ainsworth insists that his rock-bottom side can still avoid the drop. He said: “Since the turn of year, we have probably shown mid-table form. We started the season badly, but we have learned and adapted.
“We have got to get
46 points, now. We have to win every game but there are still five teams below that mark.”
SWANSEA: Woodman 5; Naughton 5 (Dhanda
(54th) 6), Bennett 6, Guehi 8, Manning 7; Roberts 6, Fulton 5 (Smith (54th) 6), Grimes
7, Hourihane 4 (Whittaker (54th) 6); Ayew 6 (Routledge (8th) 5, Cullen 76th), Lowe 6
WYCOMBE: Stockdale 6; McCarthy 7, Grimmer 7, Stewart 7, Jacobson 7; Adeniran
6, Thompson 7, Onyedinma 7; Muskwe 8, McCleary 7 (Horgan (74th) 6), Ikpeazu 7 (Akinfenwa 85th)
STAR MAN: Admiral Muskwe
REF: K Stroud