Swifts earn first Super League Point

An injury time free kick from Stevie McManus saw Swifts earn a well deserved first Super League point last night following a 3-3 draw with Broughty Athletic.

Swifts had battled from 2 goals down inside 20 minutes (again) to level the game before Broughty scored what looked to be in winning goal in 89 minutes. But the Perth side are made of sterner stuff and levelled the game when all looked gone.

Jeanie travelled to the City of Discovery with an understrength squad with Manager Ross Gunnion & Robbie Holden both out injured. Defensive pair Chris Anton & Sean Fleming were serving the final games of their suspensions carried over from last season. New signing on a delayed form from the under 19s Richard Donovan was on the bench as was team mate Robbie Miller who has impressed in pre season training with the 1st team.

As with Saturday & the win of Largs in the last pre season game, Swifts gave their opponents a 2 goal start inside the opening 20 minutes. Poor defending allowed Mair to get to the goal line before passing to the unmarked Clark at the edge of the box. He took a touch before firing the ball past Mark Mitchell with the aid of a slight deflection. Swifts settled a bit and had a lot of possession without really troubling the home defence.

The lead was doubled soon after and it came from another Swifts mistake. A slip in midfield saw the ball land at the feet of Cavanagh. He drove towards goal, skipped past the last defender before slotting past the oncoming Mitchell. Swifts are learning the hard way this season that any mistakes in the league will be punished.

Swifts then started to control the game and started to create a few chances. Chris Scott flew past his man and crossed for Tony Holt at the edge of the box. He passed out to McManus whose strike was well blocked by Ross in the goal. Scott was involved again when his cross found Keith Dewar but his headed was cleared just before the goal line. The goal that Swifts were looking for did come and that man Scott was involved once again.

Kiffy cut inside from the wing and found McManus 25 yards out. Macca took a touch and he from that range there is only one thing on his mind. He let fly and with the aid of a deflected the ball looped over Ross and into the net to give Swifts a lifeline as they game headed to half time.

The second half kicked off his heavy rain leaving the pitch slippy on top with several players on both team unable to stay on their feet meaning challenges had to be more careful than normal. Swifts had lots of the ball without causing any problems but as the half went on those chances started to come for the away side. Lee Deans broke from the back before playing to Stuart McDermid. The young full back passed to Holt who fed Kevyn Fowler but his effort was blocked away for a corner. From the corner the ball came back into the box and Deans passed the ball towards goal but it went agonisingly wide of the post with the keeper beaten. Daniel Kelly was next to threaten when he latched on to a John Anderson flick but his attempted lob was meat and drink for the keeper. Swifts were pushing bodies forward looking for the leveller and in 78 minutes it arrived.

Holt picked the ball up on the edge of the box and passed to Scott Mollison who was in an advanced position on the left hand side of the box. He drove the ball across looking for a touch from somebody and thankfully for us that touch was from a Broughty defender who fired the ball into his own net. This was a well deserved goal as Swifts had been in control from the start of the half.

This seemed to wake the home side up and Mitchell made a top save to stop McCord edging Broughty in front in the latter stages on the half. There was nothing the Swifts Number 1 could do in 89 minutes when the dangerous McCord curled home from the edge of the box for what most people in the ground thought was the winning goal.

Sadly for them this Perth side are no easy touches and John Anderson was pulled back on the edge of the box. Up stepped McManus and he curled the ball past Ross and into the top corner. It was very similar to a free kick that the ginger genius scored down at Pumpherston in 2014.

A good point for the visitors but we have to cut out the mistakes if we want to start claiming the 3 points.

This weekend we make our first journey of the season over the Forth as we travel to face Newtongrange Star. Fleming & Anton return to the squad giving the management team choices when choosing the team.