Cowley rues Terriers conceding ‘soft’ goal
the 28th minute, after Town played themselves into trouble and Jonathan Hogg was caught in possession 25 yards out.
After shots by Ayew and Brewster had initially be blocked, and with Town desperately trying to close ranks, the ball was worked right to Kalulu whose low driven cross slipped through the hands of Lossl and left Ayew with a tap-in, his 13th goal of the season.
Swansea gained a lot of confidence and were suddenly sharper and slicker on the attack, Kalulu causing further problems and teeing up a shot for Kyle Naughton, which he drilled into the side netting.
Then, two minutes before half time, Lossl had to race smartly off his line to save from the breaking Brewster as the defence were again exposed by an accurate through ball from Gallagher.
It was the highlight of a miserable from Town.
Cowley sent on Steve Mounie for Bacuna at half time and moved Grant out to the left, but Swansea started where they left off, creating a chance for Kalulu which he whacked wide at the back post.
first-half
The breakthrough came in the 28th minute after Town played themselves into
trouble
showing
Fulton was booked for a late challenge on O’Brien, who later set up Grant to cut inside the box and unleash a fierce rightfoot drive, but it was straight at keeper Freddie Woodman. Cowley sent on Smith Rowe after 53 minutes to try and improve Town’s creativity.
Kalulu went off for Swansea after taking a knock on 62 minutes, with Garrick getting the nod from boss Steve Cooper. Town responded by taking off Elias Kachunga and sending on
Chris Willock with 20 minutes to play.
Stearman had a header from Smith Rowe’s free-kick neatly saved, and Town went close to equalising on 76 when Grant got on the end of a Simpson cross, but Woodman flicked the ball over the bar.
Less than a minute later, however, they were on level terms.
This time Willock found space on the right and, when he drove the ball across a crowded box, the ball may have taken a touch off Mounie as it crashed into the goal off the back post.
Town’s response did not last two minutes, however, as Lossl fell short of claiming a corner and Fulton nodded into an unguarded net.
Swansea then put the seal on their victory in the final minute, when Gallagher played a fantastic through ball for Garrick to round Lossl and fire home.
Swansea wasted some of stoppage time by replacing Brewster with Connor Roberts, and they saw out the game comfortably in the end.
DANNY Cowley lamented conceding ‘the softest of soft goals’ as Town fell to a 3-1 defeat at Swansea City.
The result leaves Town just two points above the Championship drop zone and needing to respond positively in the home games to come against Bristol City and Charlton
Athletic.
“The players are hurting, that’s for sure. It’s not that they don’t care,” said Cowley, who is hoping Fraizer Campbell can recover from tonsillitis to play a part this week.
“We just can’t concede goals like that (from a corner) at 1-1, we just can’t. Not free headers in your six-yard box.
“So we all have to go away and we have to look at ourselves.
“Me, Nicky, the staff, the players, because the easiest person you can affect in this situation is yourself.
“We can’t blame others, we can’t make excuses. We have to take responsibility and try to get better.”
Cowley added: “I think the first 20 minutes was okay away from home, but we weren’t pleased with the first-half performance.
“I think we lacked conviction. You only realise what you are missing with Fraizer Campbell when he isn’t there and, while we were glad to get Karlan back, I thought we lacked conviction at the top end of the pitch.
“We didn’t pass with enough purpose in our build and, against the ball, I thought we lacked aggression.” 18+, UK only. Place a minimum £10 pre-match single cash bet on Liverpool v West Ham, at odds of Evens (2.0) or above, and get a £2 free bet if there’s 4 or more goals in the game. Football Match Result ‘Draw’, Each Way, Cashed out, Void or ‘Draw
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