REPORT: SWANSEA CITY 3, PETERBOROUGH UNITED 0: Pity the Posh fans who travelled all the way to South Wales to witness this one-sided affair

Pity the Poor Peterborough United fans - all 400 of them - who made the longest trip of the season to South Wales - to watch this one-sided affair.
Ronnie Edwards of Peterborough United puts Joel Piroe of Swansea City under pressure. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.comRonnie Edwards of Peterborough United puts Joel Piroe of Swansea City under pressure. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com
Ronnie Edwards of Peterborough United puts Joel Piroe of Swansea City under pressure. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com

Swansea City were very good, but their style of play came as no surprise. They keep the ball well, they move well and the pass well. Dogged and organised defence is the order of the day at this stadium as you’re not likely to see much of the ball.

Instead, Posh conceded in the second minute before they’d touched the ball, gave the hosts a soft second in the 13th minute and then lost a third goal on the stroke of half-time straight after a substitution that made little sense, the timing of it at least.

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It was a stroll for the home side throughout and particularly in the second-half when only a couple of top saves from Swansea-born Dai Cornell kept the score semi-respectable.

As expected, Posh left power forward Jonson Clarke-Harris on the substitutes’ bench on his return from suspension, but there was a surprise in the starting line-up with Idris Kanu rewarded for an impressive effort from the substitutes’ bench last weekend with the right wing-back slot ahead of Joe Ward.

Swansea included former Posh promotion hero Ryan Bennett in their back three.

Posh presumably prepared for two home wingbacks pushed high up the pitch - if so, there were a few defenders not listening.

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Swansea kicked off and, as is their wont, kept the ball for 90 seconds before springing into action.

Mark Beevers followed Olivier Ntcham into his own half and sauntered back towards his true position, but not in time to do anything to prevent a pass to Ethan Laird who had advanced behind a dozing Harrison Burrows. Ronnie Edwards then opted not to come across to threaten the cross and Laird’s low centre was converted by Jake Bidwell from close range.

One wing-back had assisted a goal for the other and Posh hadn’t touched the ball.

And that was the start of a first-half procession in which Posh struggled to compete. They looked over-awed at the home of a bottom half team.

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While Posh stood off, Swansea pressed and goal number two arrived in the 13th minute when Nathan Thompson lost possession near his own area enabling deadly top scorer Joel Piroe to fire into the bottom corner.

It should have been 3-0 five minutes later when a set-piece landed at Piroe’s feet 10 yards from goal, but he blazed over.

It was never likely to matter, although Posh did enjoy two good moments before the inevitable third goal arrived.

On 25 minutes a fine run from Siriki Dembele was followed by an excellent pass from Sammie Szmodics into the path of Thompson whose fierce drive was well saved by Ben Hamer.

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And five minutes before the break Jorge Grant’s terrific pass reached Szmodics free in the area, but he couldn’t keep his left foot shot down.

Otherwise, Swansea came under no pressure against outclassed opponents incapable of passing to each other under pressure.

The hosts ruined some promising positions by overhitting passes, although Thompson did well to stretch and intercept a Laird pass after the wing-back had breezed past Burrows for the umpteenth time.

Bizarrely Burrows was hooked with just a minute of the half to go as Posh switched to a flat back four, but while they were sorting themselves out Oliver Ntcham appeared unmarked on the edge of the area and drilled home past Cornell.

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Nthcam had run past Norburn to find space and non-one was able to cover.

The second-half drifted to an inevitable conclusion with Posh somehow keeping a clean sheet.

Piroe took too long to get a shot or pass away after robbing Edwards inside his own area before Cornell made two excellent stops to thwart substitute Michael Obaferi.

There was a positive for Posh in the shape of Clarke-Harris who got 40 minutes under his belt and did okay. He looked in better shape than when he was last seen.

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Szmodics also worked his socks off as usual and he should have had a hand in a late consolation goal as his excellent flick sent substitute Ward scooting clear.

Ward could have shot and he could have passed to an unmarked Clarke-Harris. He attempted the latter and under hit the pass terribly to rather sum up the latest weak performance on the road.

Posh: Dai Cornell, Harrison Burrows (sub Dan Butler, 46 mins), Mark Beevers, Ronnie Edwards, Nathan Thompson, Idris Kanu (sub Joe Ward, 59 mins), Jack Taylor, Oliver Norburn, Jorge Grant (sub Jonson Clarke-Harris 54 mins), Sammie Szmodics, Siriki Dembele

Ubused subs: Will Blackmore, Frankie Kent, Josh Knight, Conor Conventry.

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Swansea: Ben Hamer, Ethan Laird (sub Morgan Whittaker, 78 mins), Kyle Naughton, Ryan Bennett, Ryan Manning, Jake Bidwell, Matt Grimes, Korey Smith, Oliver Ntcham (sub Flynn Downes, 73 mins), Jamie Paterson, Joel Piroe (sub Michael Obafemi, 63 mins),

Unused subs: Steven Benda, Ben Cabango, Liam Cullen, Joel Latibeaudiere.

Goals:

Swansea - Bidwell (2 mins), Piroe (13 mins), Ntcham (45 mins).

Cautions:

Swansea - Manning (foul), Downes (foul)

Referee: Matthew Donohue 7

Attendance: 16,639