Jonty Banks

Mon 8 May 2023 17:02, UK

West Brom fell to a last-minute 3-2 defeat at Swansea City on Monday (8 May) and missed out on a spot in the Championship play-offs on the final day of the season.

A Swansea nightmare at the back presented John Swift the opportunity to square the ball to Okay Yokuslu to roll home after 13 minutes, before the Baggies were carved apart just ten minutes later when Luke Cundle lifted the ball over Alex Palmer.

Semi Ajayi gave Carlos Corberan’s side the lead once again with a vicious half-volley from a corner, before Olivier Ntcham smashed a low strike into the Baggies net on the 66-minute mark.

A last-minute free-kick from Joel Piroe was rifled into Palmer’s net to leave West Brom on 66 points, three off Sunderland, who clinched the final place in the Championship play-offs.

Here, West Brom News rates the players for their performances.

Alex Palmer – 6

Came rushing off his line to try and deny Cundle but stood no chance stopping a brilliant finish from the Swansea player. Was left unsighted for Ntcham’s goal, with Pieters and several other bodies meaning he had little chance of saving the strike. Other than that Palmer was a calming presence in between the sticks.

Conor Townsend – 5

Despite a brilliant performance last time out against Norwich City, Townsend didn’t have it easy in defence against a lively Swans attack. Most of the Welsh side’s attacks came down his flank, especially in the first half, with the opening concession also partly coming through his channel.

Erik Pieters – 4

Pieters was dragged out of position for Swansea’s goal, leaving a huge vacant space for Cundle to run into and subsequently score from. Could well have done better at closing down Ntcham for the second goal, with the Swansea attacker offered far too much freedom on the edge of the box to lash home.

Semi Ajayi – 7

Despite a pretty quiet start to the game, the 29-year-old made his presence known after the break, firstly making a goal-saving block before netting West Brom’s second of the afternoon. His goal was a quite sublime strike, arrowing his shot on the half-volley into the top corner of Swansea’s net before anyone in the stadium even had time to draw breath.

Darnell Furlong – 5

A quiet game for Furlong at right-back, who defended diligently when called upon, but struggled in his decision-making in the final third. In what has been a standout campaign for the 27-year-old, this wasn’t his best performance.

Okay Yokuslu – 7

The Turkish international was in the right place at the right time for the Baggies’ opener, cooly sliding the ball home when left unmarked on the edge of the box. Nipped in with tackles and interceptions during his 60-minute showing, but looked to have tiring legs as the game progressed. Was eventually substituted for Gardner-Hickman in the second half as Corberan looked to sure up the middle of the park.

Jayson Molumby – 5

The Republic of Ireland international really struggled to assert himself on the game in his usual manner, often caught in two minds whether to push up and press or sit back and defend Swansea lightning-quick counter-attacks. There was no lack of work rate from Molumby, but he was surprisingly quiet for an afternoon of such importance.

Karlan Grant – 6

Tried to involve himself in the game far more than the Norwich game last time out, dropping a little deeper to get on the ball and play his part, but still struggled on the whole. Popped up with a staining first-half effort that tested Any Fisher.

John Swift – 8

The playmaker was the architect of West Brom’s opening goal when pickpocketing the Swansea defence in possession and putting the ball on a plate for Yokuslu to convert. Picked up some beautiful positions in the final third and showed his brilliant passing range with some piercing through-balls and crosses. Swift also played a part in West Brom’s second, playing in the corner which Ajayi smashed home from. Should have got his name on the scoresheet after a brilliant counter-attack but still a brilliant performance from a classy player.

Jed Wallace – 7

Wallace played with his usual confidence down the wing, getting forward well on the counter-attack and providing some serious issues for Swansea’s defence. Unfortunately, the winger couldn’t quite find the final pass after getting into some brilliant positions.

Brandon Thomas-Asante – 7

After a standout showing against the Canaries, Thomas-Asante continued in a similar fashion, pressing aggressively from the outset and taking any opportunity to get on the ball and dribble through the lines. The ex-Salford City striker had a huge opportunity to give West Brom a 3-2 lead with a free header which he tamely put into Fisher’s hands.

Substitutes

Taylor Gardner-Hickman – (On for Yokuslu, 62′) – 6

Kyle Bartley – (On for Pieters, 79′) – N/A

In other West Brom news, a key first-team player may now be back to normal condition for up to 18 months as a fresh development emerges.