Well, it wasn’t quite as bad a game as the opening 30-odd minutes suggested it might be. Both teams had their chances in the second half, although Everton were marginally the better team. Fabianski was particularly impressive in the Swansea goal - confident in the air, assured with his shot-stopping - as he has been for most of the season. On a free, up there with the bargains of the season?
Anyway, that’s your lot from this here MBM. Thanks for reading, now it’s over to Tom Davies for the 3pm games - join him here.
Updated
Full-time: Swansea 1-1 Everton
Peeeeeeeeep. The last couple of minutes of added time didn’t have anything of note in them, but it’s all over now.
90 mins + 2: A cross comes over from the left, aiming for Dyer, but he flings up an arm and handles the ball under challenge from Baines.
90 mins: Four minutes of added time.
89 mins: Some neat work by Everton around the edge of the box, which eventually leads to Mirallas carving out a bit of space around 20 yards out. He shoots with some power, but it’s saved again by Fabianski.
88 mins: Baines curls a corner in from the right, and Fabianski comes out to claim it very well, once more. He collides with Stones and both men go down, but both get back up, like the troopers they are.
86 mins: Sub for Everton - Barkley withdrawn, Kevin Mirallas introduced.
85 mins: Sigurdsson takes the resultant free-kick and wallops it from way out, the ball swerving and dipping but ultimately straight above Howard, who tips it over the bar.
Updated
84 mins: Admin: Shelvey comes off, replaced by Nathan Dyer. Lennon gets a booking for a body check on Sigurdsson.
82 mins: Ach, Everton waste a chance. Some space opens up just outside the area, as McCarthy carries it forwards, but instead of taking a shot he tries to slip in Naismith, the problem being that his teammate had run the other way a split second before the pass, meaning the move broke down.
81 mins: Fabianski comes for a cross and for the first time in the afternoon doesn’t get to it cleanly, but that’s largely because he was being fouled by one of a pack of Everton players, Naismith slinking away with the guiltiest look.
Meanwhile, Peter McMurry writes: “Would I be reading too much into the situation if I noted that none of Shelvey’s teammates saw fit to congratulate him on his penalty?”
79 mins: A yellow card for Williams - or ‘Ash’, as Michael Oliver seems to call him - for a beefy foul on McCarthy. Pretty late that, and a yellow inevitable.
78 mins: Bodies everywhere in the Everton box. Sigurdsson is down after seemingly landing awkwardly going up for a header in the box, while Emnes also requires some treatment after a rather robust aerial challenge from Stones. Both men should be OK, though.
76 mins: Another errant shot from Barkley, blazing well over the bar from about 20 yards out. Meanwhile, Steven Naismith is on for Kone.
75 mins: Emnes breaks at some pace into the box, but a few defenders are quickly around him and sort of crowd him out. He shoots, limply and wide, even though there are a few other teammates around in better shooting opportunities.
73 mins: Barkley gets the ball on the edge of the box, but shoots wide.
72 mins: A set-to! A stramash! A blue! Well, sort of. There’s a ‘coming together’ between Shelvey and Jagielka, something that neither man appreciates and blames t’other for and they square up and have a little kick at each other. However, some calming words from the referee diffuse the situation. Or something like that.
70 mins: Everton nearly re-take the lead straight away, turning near the edge of the box and shooting, but that’s saved fairly comfortably by Fabianski.
GOAL! Swansea 1-1 Everton (Shelvey 69)
But the keeper’s off-putting tactics don’t pay off, as Shelvey sends him the wrong way.
Updated
PENALTY TO SWANSEA
68 mins: Well, interesting one. Emnes and Coleman battle on the left side of the area, with the Everton man claiming he was being pushed. However, nothing is given and Coleman, half on the floor, scoops the ball away with his hand and the referee points to the spot. Howard is booked for time-wasting as Shelvey waits to take the penalty.
66 mins: Swansea getting back into it now, and they have a couple of half penalty appeals - firstly Taylor is eased off the ball and to the turf by Coleman, then Emnes is similarly half-shoved by Jagielka. No dice on either.
65 mins: Sartorial/weather updates from Christopher Rendle: “You mention Martinez’s coat being too big for the weather. I’m emailing you from sunny North Devon and let me tell you, I wish I had his coat!”
Told.
64 mins: “While there is a lull in the game,” writes Jamie Ayres, although the game isn’t that ‘lully’ at the moment, “I was wondering if you, or any of your readers actually like/rate Mr Owen’s commentary? This is not a personal attack on him, as I am sure he is a lovely guy, but I am yet to meet anyone who enjoys his output.
“I should point out, I am aware that co-commentating is not exactly a rich source of insight and wit. Pat Nevin, aside.”
63 mins: Routledge and Ki exchange passes, and the latter breaks into the area, flicks the ball delightfully over the defender but shoots from a tightish angle when he had a couple of players in some space, waiting for the shot. Bit daft that, from the Swansea man.
62 mins: Kone is perhaps lucky to still be on the pitch, after going in a bit late on Cork. It looked worse than it was because the forward slipped a bit and the midfielder went over with some elan, but Kone is on a yellow card and one assumes that if his record had been clean, he might have seen yellow for a second time.
Updated
61 mins: Oh, there’s something. Emnes does well to win the ball then power forwards through the Everton defence. He takes a shot from about 25 yards out, but pulls is just wide.
59 mins: Nothing much has happened for a few minutes. This isn’t much of an update, but just wanted to reassure you that we’re sill alive back here.
56 mins: Emnes tracks Coleman back down the Everton right, but doesn’t do it very well. Or too well. Dunno. Either way, he’s been booked for a foul on the Irishman.
55 mins: Everton looking good in the second 45. Baines swings over a corner from the left that Barry gets to at the far post, but he can only direct his header just wide of goal.
52 mins: Taylor gets a booking for a bloody hard challenge on Lennon. That’s a two-match ban for the full-back, a game before the slates are wiped clean for the rest of the season. (I think. Happy to be corrected)
51 mins: Fabianski slices a clearance out of play, directly at his manager Monk, who turns his back and allows the ball to hit him on the shoulder blade. Disappointing to see, that. Would’ve liked him to ‘do a Dragan Stojkovic’, ideally.
50 mins: Martinez is wearing what looks like quite a big coat, which seems inappropriate for the conditions. Perhaps it’s not as warm as it looks.
49 mins: Lennon scampers forwards and feed a ball into the edge of the box for Kone, but the striker dozes, and allows Fernandez to hop in front of him and tackle.
47 mins: Tim Howard has just shushed a Swansea fan giving him the hurry-up while taking a free-kick. Are we classing that as ‘banter’?
46 mins: And here we go. 45 mins of the game remaining, in which we will all get a little closer to our inevitable demise.
The players are back out in the sunshine, and we’ll be underway, post-haste.
Incidentally, your humble MBMer is bloody glad not to have been live blogging the Red Sox v the Yankees last night...
Time of Game: 6:49 (+ :16 minute power delay). Officially the longest game in #RedSox history. Previous was 6:35 (18 inn.), 8/25/01 @ TEX.
— Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) April 11, 2015
In case you’re interested, good eventually defeated evil and the Red Sox won 6-5 in the 19th - nineteenth - inning.
“At the risk of incurring the wrath of some readers,” writes a wrath-incurring Michael Cosgrove, “this male footie fan is very pleased that the Guardian is set to give some decent coverage to this summer’s Women’s World Cup. Come on England!”
Weird half. For the opening 30 minutes Swansea were very much the better team, but didn’t especially create anything of note and it was, frankly, a powerfully tedious affair. However, the latter 15 were much livelier, and coincided with Everton being the dominant side. Indeed, they could have been a couple up at the break, rather than just the one.
Half-time: Swansea 0-1 Everton
Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
45 mins +3: Lovely play by Everton on the edge of the Swansea box, but they should perhaps have scored. A couple of flicks find their way to Kone, who had the chance to shoot but instead flicked it on himself for Pienaar, whose effort is low and on target but not especially powerful, and Fabianski saves with some ease.
45 mins + 1: Routledge tries to jimmy Swansea’s way back into this one, but his cross from the right is cleared at the near post. They can’t catch a break at the moment.
44 mins: Nearly two there, as Pienaar feeds Kone in the box and he swivels, around ten yards from goal, and shoots left-footed but Fabianski’s near post is secure and the keeper saves.
41 mins: Well, it would be a stretch to say that was coming, but Everton have certainly been coming back into the game in the last 15 or so. Some neat work down the left creates an opening, McCarthy crosses low and while Kone misses it at the near post, Lennon is there at the back stick, unattended, to force the ball home.
GOAL! Swansea 0-1 Everton (Lennon 41)
Well, there you go.
Updated
40 mins: Baines has been having some issues with the officials and where the ball is placed when taking a corner. That this is deemed worthy of noting tells you all you need to know about the quality of this game.
39 mins: My kingdom for this...
Tokyo Verdy trailed 3-0 at home to FC Gifu after 84 minutes today. Won 4-3 http://t.co/AhNvz22bND pic.twitter.com/dU2vc9DO0U
— James Dart (@James_Dart) April 11, 2015
38 mins: One thing of note has been Fabianski’s confidence in the air. Granted, he hasn’t exactly got Mick Harford bearing down on him, but he claims another cross from the Everton right with some assurance.
37 mins: Slo-mo of Martinez clapping on the telly there. Yeah. Been that sort of game.
36 mins: Pienaar is eased to the ground by Rangel, who’s walking something of a tightrope at the moment. If he falls off he’ll go straight into the yellow card pool below. Oh, I dunno. Doesn’t really work, but what the heck.
34 mins: Jagielka shows excellent technique to get his foot over a high bouncing ball and direct it forwards from just inside the Swansea half. The problem being that ‘forwards’ is quite a vague direction, and it didn’t go anywhere near anyone useful - specifically, one of his own players. Goal-kick.
32 mins: First proper effort of the day from Everton comes, as Coleman advances forwards and spanks a low diagonal shot towards the bottom corner, but Fabianski gets down well and palms the ball wide.
31 mins: Shelvey flicks the ball up for himself and whistles an absolutely belting shot right into the top corner, but alas for him just as he was shaping to shoot the referee’s whistle had gone. Routledge was adjudged to have clipped Baines, but that looked very soft, and Swansea are a touch unlucky not to be in the lead.
Updated
29 mins: Routledge looks like he might get some sort of joy down the right, shaping to cross for Emnes in the middle, but Baines does very well to usher the winger away from goal and the ball out of play.
28 mins: Groin issue for Osman, apparently. Pienaar is on and Everton should retain the same shape.
27 mins: Change ahoy for Everton too. Leon Osman looks like he’s struggling, so Steven Pienaar is imminent.
25 mins: Kone makes his biggest impression on the game, the drawback being it’s also a fairly healthy impression on Ferndandez’s face, his arm catching the Swansea defender on the bridge of his nose, and a yellow card is thus dished out.
23 mins: Ki shimmies and shakes down the right, going past his man, and cuts one back to Rangel on the edge of the box but he gets a pitching wedge to the shot like one of those horses in the boat race this weekend. Might have got things a bit mixed up there. Some sports that are Not Football are happening this weekend, you know? Weird, isn’t it?
20 mins: Emnes tries to chest the ball down in his own half but the control is a bit off, and he fouls Barry while he tries to retrieve things. Baines curls the free-kick in, that if someone had got a head to would’ve been pretty dangerous, but as it goes nobody does, and Fabianski gathers gratefully to his bosom.
Updated
18 mins: Everton haven’t really got going, here. Coleman tries a slipped ball down the right looking for Lennon, but Taylor is there to easily swoop in and intercept.
16 mins: “Muscle injuries are just so bad,” says Michael Owen on the commentary, presumably with his eyes glazing over like a grizzled old American serviceman recalling his days in Saigon. Indeed, this one won’t allow Gomis to continue, and Marvin Emnes comes on to replace him.
14 mins: From said corner, Williams gets up in the middle and heads towards goal, but it’s deflected behind. More worryingly for Swansea is Gomis, who seems to have twanged his hamstring taking that shot. Doesn’t look good for the Frenchman.
Updated
13 mins: Routledge is back on the pitch and manages to win a free-kick. From it the ball is fed to Gomis with his back to goal, about 25 yards out, and he rolls Jagielka like a carpet before firing towards the top corner. However, Tim Howard is there to produce a save every bit as good as the turn and shot, pushing it wide for a corner.
Updated
10 mins: Ooof, that looks nasty. The ball drifts forwards towards Routledge, who gets up to flick the header on but a split second after he got there Jagielka arrives and smacks into the back of his bonce. Completely unintentional, but that will sting. Routledge comes off worse, receives some treatment and looks a little bit fuzzy, but he looks like he’s going to be OK.
9 mins: McCarthy dinks a smashing ball over the top looking for the run of Arouna Kone, and the striker just gets there before the ball runs out of play, placing his studs atop the ball to keep it in, but eventually the ball rolls out.
Updated
7 mins: Bafetimbi Gomis gets onto a pass from Rangel down the right of the penalty area, cuts inside Phil Jagielka leaving the centre-back sprawling on a well-watered deck, but Baines ghosts in to deny the big striker a shooting chance. Good job, too.
5 mins: Lennon flips the ball over Taylor looking for the run of Seamus Coleman, who is tracked by Jonjo Shelvey but the Swansea man barrels his quarry over with a shove to the back. Everyone glances towards the referee and half prepare to take their positions for the subsequent free-kick, but bafflingly the whistle is kept from Michael Oliver’s lips. Weird.
Updated
3 mins: Aaron Lennon skips down the right and tries to stick over a cross, but Neil Taylor is there to block and put it out for a corner. Leighton Baines swings said set-piece over, but Lukasz Fabianski claims with an assurance that has been pretty typical of the Pole this season.
1 min: And we’re away, in the South Wales sunshine. Ashley Williams gets things started with a maverick and errant pass across his backline, taxing Angel Rangel on the right flank but the full-back manages to keep it in. Is this a sign that the players are trying to make things interesting for us? Hopefully.
Garry Monk and Roberto Martinez share a cool-guy handshake and a hug, and Swansea are about to kick-off.
There’s an air raid klaxon played over the PA as the players line-up in the tunnel, which can only mean one thing. Yes, that’s right - we all take football far too seriously. Anyway, we’ll be underway soon.
Well, there you go...
40 - Garry Monk has the best win rate of any Swansea manager in the Premier League (40%, Rodgers had 32%, Laudrup 27%). Dedicated.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 11, 2015
This is also a joy, by John Ashdown - The Joy of Six: songs about sportspeople, featuring the Super Furry Animals, Billy Bragg and a 13 minute Zimbabwean rhumba-pop tune documenting a 3-3 draw between the Tornados and the Dynamos. Another nomination - Mr Carbohydrate, by the Manic Street Preachers about former Glamorgan batsman Matthew Maynard.
While we’re waiting for this one, how about a celebration of some happy couples? This gallery of sport stars’ weddings is a joy, particularly Donald Campbell and Tonia Bern shooting the breeze with Terry Thomas...
...and Babe Ruth, full of the joy of his special day when marrying former stage star Claire Hodgson...
...and Mark Hughes’s hair.
Team news
Swansea
Fabianski; Rangel, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor; Cork, Ki; Shelvey, Sigurdsson, Routledge; Gomis. Subs: Tremmel, Amat, Britton, Emnes, Dyer, Grimes, Fulton.
Everton
Howard; Coleman, Jagielka, Stones, Baines; Barry, McCarthy; Lennon, Barkley, Osman; Kone. Subs: Robles, Alcaraz, Garbutt, Besic, Pienaar, Naismith, Mirallas
Referee: Michael Oliver (Ashington)
Preamble
It’s that point in the season. The point where, if everyone’s really honest, they’d like to call it. Done. Everyone go home. We’ve all got a decent rest ahead of us in the summer so why not get it started now? Let’s stop kidding ourselves that a ‘strong end to the season’ or ‘finishing as high up the table as possible’ are real achievements. Neither Everton nor Swansea have anything to play for, so all of this - this playing out of the remaining games in the schedule, is essentially admin. It’s box-ticking, making sure that all is proper and taken care of, that the holy and established fixture list is respected and adhered to.
But still, there are appearance bonuses to be claimed, points to be won, goals and starts to be tallied up. And, of course, football to be played. For the other side of the long summer rest, aside from the Women’s World Cup, which we will actually be interested in, and some youth tournaments that we’ll pretend to be interested in, is no football. And that’s a disquieting thought. No football. Not that we really have much emotional investment in, anyway. And, on balance, Some Football is most clearly better than No Football.
So, to Swansea and Everton. These are two clubs with managers whose reputations really don’t reflect their performances this season. Roberto Martinez is, despite a campaign that even his mother would struggle to call anything but ‘a colossal sigh of a season’, still enjoys plenty of kudos, brownie points and respect. He’s a good manager because he did a good job at Wigan under the circumstances, despite getting them relegated (although their subsequent travails after his departure might, oddly enough, be more of an indication of his quality than anything he did while there), and because people like some of the things he does, and people who have worked with him say he’s excellent. Which is all fair enough, but it doesn’t really explain why, the season after they bloody nearly doubled their transfer record, it’s all gone a bit wrong, and those concerns about Martinez being able to organise a defence have resurfaced, and so on and etc and so forth.
In the other dugout, Garry Monk. While he may slot firmly into the ‘Footballers Who Look Like Estate Agents XI’ (also Harry Kane, Alan Pardew - any and all nominations welcome), Monk has done a pretty splendid job at Swansea, despite losing his best striker to the great pit of transfer Sarlaac known as Manchester City. And, as an aside, last week’s win over Hull meant that Swansea’s record this season without the healthily-posteriored Ivory Coast striker is actually slightly better than with him. Huh. Imagine that. “I think it was a huge risk when you think about it,” said Monk this week, about his appointment, straight from the first team squad, to replace Michael Laudrup last year, and he’s right, but it’s paid off. Monk is in line to record a better finish than both Laudrup and Brendan Rodgers at the Liberty, which is quite the achievement.
Which is not to say that all is rot at Everton while all is sunshine at Swansea. But the point stands. Two managers, not alike in reputation. One is better than t’other for sure, but which? Perhaps we shall find out today.
Kick-off: 12.45 BST
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