Huddersfield 0-0 Swansea - 10th March 2018

Huddersfield 0-0 Swansea

Huddersfield have not become so high and mighty that they can look down their nose at a Premier League point, yet they must feel frustrated with this one, because they know that another two seemed tantalisingly attainable. David Wagner’s team had almost a full match in which to convert numerical supremacy into victory after Jordan Ayew was sent off in the 11th minute, but they wound up banging their heads against the brick wall that was erected by Swansea’s 10 remaining players.

The teams remain level on points in the table, precariously placed above the relegation zone. The contest here changed when Ayew was dismissed for fouling Jonathan Hogg near the half-way line. His lunging challenge looked reckless rather than spiteful but given that he ended up planting his studs into his opponent’s knee, the referee, Michael Oliver, had to order him off. Swansea had to redefine their mission and switched immediately into survival mode. The 10 men barely left their half for the remainder of the match, and by full-time Huddersfield had 28 shots to Swansea’s zero.

Too few of those shots were on target, however. Only one forced Swansea’s goalkeeper, Lukas Fabianski, to display his inner acrobat – a ferocious drive by Steve Mounié just after the hour. Most of the home team’s efforts were blocked by one or other of Swansea’s three central defenders, who manned the barricades with bloody-minded defiance. That said, Christopher Schindler rose above Mike van Der Hoorn in the 18th minute to meet a cross by Rajiv Van La Parra, but the German’s header flew just wide, as did a similar header by Mounié around the half hour.

Huddersfield’s dominance increased in the second half but sharpness eluded them. Hogg flashed a 25-yard drive inches wide in the 50th minute before Scott Malone failed to connect with the ball from six yards out after a cross by Tom Ince. Ince then came agonisingly close to snatching victory in stoppage time but his header bounced out off a post.

Guardian