Two teams which were in the Premier League in the 2016/17 season, as Middlesbrough were relegated that year and the Welsh team the year after, face in this tasty affair.
Middlesbrough have managed two draws and ten losses in their last twelve games. Winless in twelve, something has to change for the Teeside team.
Boro started the game as the more promising off the two teams, with a chance they should have in all honesty scored from as the ball fell to Sarmiento and Brittain but they were unable to convert. In the fourth minute, Swansea showed how they could play through the Middlesbrough press as they created their own chance to score. The first five minutes have been a nice end-to-end affair.
Luke Ayling, the former Leeds defender, captains Boro in this encounter, and is being deployed in the role of centre-back.
When in possession, Leeds build up in a 4-1-2-3 formation while they invite the Middlesbrough press to play through rather than bypassing it by going long.
In the twelfth minute, a string of good passes as well as a misplaced touch from Sam Barker led to a well-taken finish by Bangura as he powers one past Vigouroux to give Middlesbrough a one-nil lead. A minute later, shouts of handball were coming from Swansea as the ball hits Luke Ayling’s arm, but no penalty was awarded.
Swansea begin to gradually push players forward, looking for the equalizing goal. And they got their reward, as in the eighteenth minute, the goal scorer Bangura turns villain as he fouls Josh Cullen.
In the twentieth minute, Vipotnik equalizes for Swansea City. He hits it to the goalkeepers left. It’s one all. He got his twentieth EFL Championship goal from the spot.
It’s been a lovely end-to-end affair with both sets of players going for it.
Jeremy Sarmiento has shown a lot of pace and trickery down that left wing with Bangura also making himself an option down that side with the overlap and at times the underlap.
Alex Bangura then had to be subbed off in the thirty-fifth minute due to injury.
In the fortieth minute, Vipotnik has a counter-attacking chance to give the Swans the lead, but he slipped and the chance went away. He had another chance in the forty-second minute as Swansea, bit by bit, create chance after chance looking for the second goal.
The referee awarded five minutes of additional time at the end of the first half in which Middlesbrough had a chance to score in the forty-sixth minute.
In the second additional minute, Eom, the tricky Swans winger was fouled by the Boro goalkeeper, Brynn, in the box. Could he redeem himself from the spot?
The answer to that is NO!
Žan Vipotnik with the second goal. 2-1 Swansea.
The half-time whistle is blown with no other changes to the scoreline. 2-1 to Swansea.
Middlesbrough start the second half hoping to overturn their one-goal deficit. They have set up with two defenders and two holding midfielders with the other six with more attacking responsibilities. Swansea allow Boro to bring crosses into the box as they are confident of dealing with them. As Boro bring men forward, they are vulnerable to the counter-attack, as they are short out wide when they commit men forward.
Boro, to their credit have had more possession of the ball, and are baiting Swansea so they can play through their press. However, they haven’t created many chances by the sixtieth minute. However, in the sixty-third minute Aidan Morris had his shot well parried by Vigouroux as it seemed like a certain goal without the shot-stopper’s intervention.
They made changes with Dael Fry, Sené and Hansen introduced to try to change the game. Monroe also had a chance in the sixty-eighth minute but was wide off the mark. Tommy Conway also drove through in the sixty-ninth minute but was blocked by the Swansea defence.
The blueprint of the second half was clear. Middlesbrough look for the second goal and pile men forward, but as they have the positive approach, they need to be wary of the counter which could result in the Swans’ third goal.
However, Boro’s persistence paid off as Brittain was allegedly fouled by Eon.
It’s Conway to take the spot-kick.
It’s 2-2! Tommy Conway hits it hard and true into the middle.
Now it’s Swansea who were piling players forward looking for the third goal and they had a chance which was blocked in the seventy-seventh minute.
Hansen, two minutes later had a chance about twenty yards out but was wide off the mark.
Boro was looking for the goal that would bring them up to second place as they had the dominance in this second period. Alex Gilbert in the eighty-fourth minute but Vigouroux went down to his left and held the ball. Swansea holding on for dear life, but in the eighty-seventh minute they had a chance to score but was denied expertly by Brynn.
With five additional minutes of stoppage time, both sides have had chances of winning this game but due to some profligacy and also some exceptional goalkeeping at times, the score remains level.
2-2 a fair result in the end! It’s been an exciting match as both teams share the spoils. Three points in the last fifteen not good enough for a team who has aspirations to be in the Premier League next season.
Ore M. 
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