To get involved use Twitter (via hashtag #BBCFootball ) or text us via 81111 with FOOTBALL before your message. (Not all contributions can be used. Messages will be charged at your standard operator rate.)
HALF-TIME: SWANSEA 2-0 NOTTINGHAM FOREST 2034: Glimmers of hope for Forest, but small shards really. Borini, who looks razor sharp, just tested Camp to the full from a tight angle. Next goal crucial. Radio 5 live summariser Steve Claridge at the Liberty Stadium: "There is no width for Forest - who is going to get down the line apart from the full-backs? And even they are not particularly geared to attacking. It is very difficult to see them get back in this game because there is no invention right now." James E on the 81111 text: "Swansealona. Brilliant passing game will be a welcome addition to the Premier League." 2028: Not long until half time. Still, Swansea are pressing intensely when they're not in possession... BBC Sport's Paul Fletcher at the Liberty Stadium: "They sense Wembley and, beyond, the riches of the Premier League here inside the Liberty Stadium. The relationship between seat and supporter is rapidly breaking down. The stadium is full of song and, in some cases, dance. Forest boss Billy Davies is in most serious discussion with assistant David Kelly." 2026: More carving of the Forest rearguard and Sinclair breaks through. But he's rightly flagged offside, just as he's about to put the Swans three goals up. What a passage of play. Forest need a cuppa. Swansea goal: Barely time to catch the breath before a stunning sucker punch. Stephen Dobbie executes a fine give-and-go with Nathan Dyer before nut-megging Chambers - really cleverly, impeccable technique - to create the space to drive low past Camp with his left foot. Two goals in four minutes. Forest reeling. GOAL! SWANSEA 2-0 NOTTINGHAM FOREST (Dobbie) Swansea goal:Leon Britton receives a short corner to bamboozle Marcus Tudgay on the edge of the box, twisting his blood, doing him up like a kipper, before turning inside to crack a left-footer past a cement-footed Lee Camp. Spectacular noise, tasty goal. GOAL! SWANSEA 1-0 NOTTINGHAM FOREST (Britton) 2014: Lovely link-up play between Dobbie and Borini there. And. My word... 2011: Alan Tate tries to swap shirts with McGoldrick a little too early - but our referee Andre Marriner is, unlike Forest, unconcerned by the challenge inside the area. Getting tetchy now. Chris Gunter gets a yellow. BBC Sport's Paul Fletcher at the Liberty Stadium: "A sensational atmopshere here, real blow the roof off stuff. Forest central midfielder Guy Moussi is sitting very deep, team-mate David McGoldrick is much further forward, playing behind the front two. Forest have real purpose but look terrified when Nathan Dyer has the ball. His pace is astonishing." 2006: This time Swansea crack the woodwork. Wes Morgan is Forest's saviour once again as he crucially deflects Borini's powerful shot against the bar. How is this still goalless? Apart from no goals having yet been scored... 2002: Forest with another dead ball which McGoldrick glances into the arms of grateful De Vries. Another close call. Barca, sorry, Swansea then work a fine opening for attacking right-back Angel Rangel. But, after he bursts into the box from wide, his dink cannot find its target. Fast and frenetic this. 1958: But Alan Tate clears as Swansea break rapidly. And effectively. Ohhh. Scott Sinclair shimmies to find space but his cross-shot flies across the goal without anyone to add a finishing touch. 1956: Early mayhem recedes. Swans looking to get their passing game together. Forest may look to expose the hosts with dead balls. And here's a corner after Tyson dances down the left touchline... BBC Radio 5 live summariser Steve Claridge at the Liberty Stadium: "Chris Gunter's job will be to stick with Nathan Dyer and stop him from playing and using his pace." 1950: So close for Forest! Nathan Tyson breaks well to slot a cool pass inside for the on-rushing David McGoldrick, whose left-footer beats De Vries - but not the cross bar. Open game. 1948: Swansea settle well. Nathan Dyer's shot blocked by Wes Morgan. Twice! Full-blooded tackles everywhere, but no red cards yet, unlike on Thursday. Swansea corner. That's poor. Wasted. 1945: Deep breaths. We're under way... BBC Sport's Paul Fletcher at the Liberty Stadium: "Excellent. Forest boss Billy Davies appears to have brought his A-game with him. He has just spent the last few minutes whipping up the Forest fans. All the old faves - hand clapping, fist pumping, waving - down in front of them. The Scot then marched off towards the tunnel at double speed (which is the pace at which he always moves)." 1937: Yep, don't forget that Cardiff host Reading tomorrow night in the other play-off semi-final. That's also locked at 0-0 from the first leg. Any combination of these teams in the final is going to be explosive. What do they say promotion to the Premier League is worth. Something like ?80m, potentially. For the truly uninitiated tonight, Swansea are seen as a Championship version of Barcelona i.e. they can ping it about prettily. Anyone care to compare Forest to a continental side de jour? 1928: Dissecting those team sheets in full, here's BBC Sport's Paul Fletcher at the Liberty Stadium once more: "Just the one change for Swansea, and an expected one at that, with Garry Monk in for the suspended Neil Taylor. No such continuity for Forest as boss Billy Davies makes four changes from the XI held to a goalless draw in the first leg. Guy Moussi, Nathan Tyson, David McGoldrick and Marcus Tudgay all start, with Paul McKenna, Paul Anderson, Kris Boyd and Robbie Earnshaw dropping down to the bench." SWANSEA v NOTTINGHAM FOREST TEAM NEWS
Swansea: De Vries, Rangel, Williams, Monk, Tate, Dyer, Dobbie, Allen, Britton, Sinclair, Borini.
Subs: Ma-Kalambay, Pratley, Beattie, Orlandi, Serran, Moore, Gower.
Nottingham Forest: Camp, Gunter, Chambers, Morgan, Moloney, McGugan, Cohen, McGoldrick, Moussi, Tyson, Tudgay.
Subs: Smith, Anderson, Earnshaw, McKenna, Boyd, Majewski, Lynch.
Referee: Andre Marriner (W Midlands) Matt in Manchester on 81111 text: "Forest will implode in the 2nd half again. Always do in play-off 2nd legs. However, one of my examiners for next week is a big Forest fan - so please please do well Forest! My career could depend on it!" 1919: Both teams just going through their warm-ups right now under the shadow of Gower hill tops. Lovely setting at the Liberty. Don't forget, there's no away goals rule tonight... so any draw on 90 minutes will see us move into extra time. Should be tasty. BBC Sport's Paul Fletcher at the Liberty Stadium: "Swansea boast the best home record in the Championship this season, having won 15 of their 23 games, scoring 41 goals and conceding just 11. Having held Forest to a goalless draw at the City Ground on Thursday, they are understandably confident of a good result on their own patch. However, Forest boss Billy Davies is a canny operator who thrives on the challenge of the play-offs. His team blew it against Blackpool last year and the feisty Scot is desperate to avoid another crushing disappointment." 1909: Two chaps I know missed the first few minutes of the first leg, and nor could they hear TV commentary when they settled in to watch it. Turns out they didn't realise Swansea had 10 men 'til the match was over. What does that say? Now, I know you all won't be so lax as to even blink tonight what with the size of the prize. So if you want to get in touch hashtag #BBCFootball via that Twitter lark or text us on 81111. Rash wisdom. Sensible nonsense. Bring it. 1905: Know it ain't quite that simple - man gets sent off means team usually closes up quicker than a shy clam while working harder than a seaside donkey - but it's just an idea. Forest certainly struggled to kick sand in Swansea faces after Neil Taylor saw red early on in that 0-0 first-leg draw of this play-off semi-final. Welcome to the deciding second leg. I'm Chris Whyatt. And no, beyond subconsciously pining for summer, I've no explanation for the extended beach analogy. 1900: If football managers really believe, as they so often insist, that it's supremely tough playing against 10 men rather than a full 11 - and often, in fact, harder - why don't any of them just start with 10 men? Be brave. Be creative. Baffle the opposition changing room when the team sheets are handed in an hour before kick off...
No comments:
Post a Comment