KAS HAPPY TO BE BACK
Palmer gets Pearson out of a corner
– who has been so consistent for the Swans this season – was then NIGEL PEARSON’S again at fault when his rescue truck rammed clearance was charged Swansea’s promotion down late on by Semenyo wagon off the road, for the visitors’ third goal. thanks to an amazing “I have inherited a turnaround inspired by talented group of young Kasey Palmer. players, with a team ethic
Robins boss Pearson that shines through,” said said his side could have Pearson. been 3-0 down at halftime “That result looked before Nahki Wells, unlikely in the first half. Palmer and sub Antoine Let’s not kid ourselves, we Semenyo scored to cancel were second best.
Andre Ayew’s penalty. “I couldn’t have had any
After losing seven times complaints if we had in a row, the Robins have come in 2-0 or 3-0 down. now had back-to-back But that just shows what away wins. football is like.
It was the Swans’ first “But I have to give the home defeat since midOctober players an unbelievable and a personal amount of credit – they triumph for Palmer, the stuck to their task and put ex-Chelsea man having their bodies on their line.” failed to nail down a regular Swansea boss Steve starting place when he Cooper admitted his team spent the first half of the paid for not scoring in a season on loan at Liberty first half they dominated Stadium. before Woodman’s errors.
It looked as if it might He said: “Freddie’s made be an unhappy return for a couple of mistakes for Palmer when he handled the second and third goals to give Ayew the chance to but he’s been brilliant for score the 55th-minute us since he’s come through opener from the spot. the door.
But rather than collapse, “The first goal was the former Leicester disappointing one as boss Pearson witnessed it was against the run the kind of backs-to-thewall of play and against the spirit that gained so half-time message. much initial success in his “They got their tails last spell in the Premier up a little bit and we League with Watford. were getting ready to
After Wells notched the take a draw, but it equaliser, the crucial goal didn’t unravel that that put the Robins ahead way unfortunately.” was Palmer’s outrageous Wells’ well-struck effort from a corner which leveller was set up by flew over the head of Zak Vyner, who squared flapping Swansea keeper the ball into his striker’s Freddie Woodman. path after another Swans
The Newcastle loanee error by Marc Guehi. SWANSEA: Woodman 5; Latibeaudiere 6 (Whittaker 83, 5), Cabango 6, Guehi 6; Roberts 7, Grimes 7, Hourihane 5 (Arriola 81, 5), Dhanda 6 (Fulton 78, 5), Bidwell 6; Ayew 6, Lowe 6. not used: Hamer, Naughton, B Cooper, Manning, O Cooper, Smith.
BRIS CITY: Bentley 8; Vyner 6, Mariappa 8, Kalas 7; Hunt 7, Palmer 8 (Semenyo 89), Bakinson 7, Nagy 7 (Massengo 90+4), Towler 5 (Sessegnon 45, 7); Diedhiou 6, Wells 7.
O’Leary, Moore, Pearson, Bell, Scott, Conway.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Kasey Palmer: Recovered from conceding penalty to inspire an unlikely turnaround.
REFEREE: Keith Stroud 7.
NEIL WARNOCK denied old mate Mick McCarthy a magnificent seven wins in a row.
Cardiff boss McCarthy is attempting to emulate Warnock, who led the Bluebirds into the Premier League in 2018 with a record eighth promotion as a manager.
But McCarthy saw his run halted yesterday when Paddy McNair equalised for Middlesbrough eight minutes from time.
Skipper Sean Morrison gave Cardiff a 37th-minute breakthrough with his second goal in successive games – he also scored the opener in Wednesday’s 2-1 win at Bournemouth.
Yet McCarthy still extended his unbeaten start with the Welsh club to nine.
As a young apprentice, he used to clean Warnock’s boots at Barnsley in the 1970s.
A n d McCarthy, whose side took the lead via Will Vaulks’ long throw, said: “Warney’s team used to launch everything into the box. He said something to me about that, and I said, ‘Well, you bought them all, I’m just using them!’ Neil was just complaining as that’s what he does.
“We’re the same. If we’re not complaining, you may as well nail the lid down as we’ll have croaked it.’’
Liverpool loan star Harry Wilson’s ninthminute free-kick brought a low save from Boro keeper Marcus Bettinelli, but Boro imposed themselves well.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing – a member of the Cardiff side who reached the Premier League three years ago – made his first Boro start. The Welsh club had terminated his contract in September after he had twice tested positive for cocaine.
And the winger was gifted a chance on half-hour mark when he just failed to get on the end of Vaulks’ risky header back to goal.
Then Cardiff struck against the run of play. Vaulks delivered the throwin from the right and Morrison’s header looped inside the far post.
But Warnock made a double change with nine minutes left – Djed Spence and Chuba Akpom – and that had an immediate effect as Boro levelled moments later. Fellow sub Neeskens Kebano took a return from Spence to centre, and after former Boro man Aden Flint’s attempted clearance hit Marcus Tavernier, Akpom got a touch before McNair fired in.
MIDDLESBROUGH: Bettinelli 6; Dijksteel 6, Hall 6, Fry 6; McNair 7; Mendez-Laing 5 (Kebano 71, 6), Tavernier 7, Howson 5, Bola 5 (Johnson 71, 5); Assombalonga 5 (Akpom 81, 6), Watmore 6 (Spence 81, 6). Subs not used: Archer, Morsy, Fisher, Saville, Coulson.
CARDIFF: Phillips 7; Morrison 8, Flint 6, Nelson 7; Ng 5, Vaulks 6 (Ralls 67, 5), Pack 5, Bennett 6; Wilson 6 (Bacuna 67, 5); Moore 5, Murphy 6 (Ojo 61, 5). Subs not used: Smithies, Williams, Sang, Harris, Bagan, Hoilett.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Sean Morrison: another goal and a tower of strength again at heart of defence.
REFEREE: Jarred Gillett 6.
BOURNEMOUTH boss Jonathan Woodgate was as delighted with the fighting spirit shown by his players in a late mass brawl as he was with victory.
An ill-tempered game boiled over deep into stoppage-time as both teams finished with 10 men in the battle of the promotion chasers.
Cherries midfielder Jack Wilshere, a 74th-minute substitute, was sent off on 99 minutes after a second yellow card for shoving former England teammate Tom Cleverley.
Two minutes earlier, Watford’s Joao Pedro had been dismissed for two bookings around 60 seconds apart – sparking a melee.
Players and coaching staff were still pushing and shoving each other as the two teams disappeared down the tunnel. And Woodgate, whose side earned their victory thanks to a second-half strike from Arnaut Danjuma, said: “We showed a hardcore surface instead of a soft underbelly.
“That was the most positive thing. Every single player was in it together, you could even see at the end. OK, there’s a slight fracas, but all your players are there sticking up for each other.”
Referee Tony Harrington had booked Wilshere for time wasting and again for his clash with Cleverley during the melee.
Of Wilshere’s dismissal, Woodgate added: “I didn’t really see a lot of it, but it’s the passion I want to see from my players. OK, It boils over at times, but I want to see my players sticking up for each other – that shows a real togetherness. If rugby players are doing it, no one talks about it.”
As well as losing Pedro through suspension, Watford boss Xisco Munoz will be without Nathaniel Chalobah for two games after his 10th booking for slapping Jefferson Lerma.
Woodgate said: “If you raise your hands with someone you have to get a red card no matter the force of the slap.”
Munoz was upset ref Harrington gave a foul against Chalobah, having first awarded a foul against Lerma, and Danjuma ran on to Steve Cook’s free-kick and beat Daniel Bachmann at his near post.
Munoz said: “Sometimes you lose the points for one decision or 10 seconds and today he was the difference.”