By Paul Jones
Steve Cooper has conceded Swansea City are now looking to secure a place in the play-offs after admitting their hopes of automatic promotion to the Premier League are almost certainly over.
The Swansea City head coach saw his team lose 1-0 at home to QPR to leave them nine points behind Watford with only three matches left. The Swans would also need to make up a gap of 14 in terms of goal difference.
Needing a victory to keep in touch with second-place Watford after their rivals’ 1-0 win at already promoted Norwich City, the Swans fell to their third defeat in their last four home games.
It means the club, for so long this season either inside or near the top two places, will have to settle for a place in the play-off and hope to reach the final, unlike last season.
After QPR striker Lyndon Dykes had scored a 90th minute winner, Cooper said: “Technically we are not out of it, but it’s a mammoth task and we haven’t helped ourselves.
“So, we have got three games left and we have to win games. That’s what it is all about now – getting results. There are three left and unless we win games nothing can happen.
“It’s been a psychological test for a while and it still is. We have to prepare and then deliver.”
Just to add to the gloom that has descended over the club during a run that has brought five defeats in their last eight games, striker Andre Ayew is still struggling to overcome a hamstring injury.
Ayew missed tonight’s game and will be absent at Reading on Sunday.
“He’s out with a hamstring injury. It’s a grade one,” added Cooper.
“He’s unlikely to be fit for Reading, but hopefully he’ll be okay for Derby.
“It could have been worse. Hamstring injuries can be nasty and it could have ruled him out for the remainder of the season, but it won’t do that.
“Whether he’s ready for Sunday, we’ll have to see in a few days or so.”
Cooper admitted Swansea paid the price for missing too many first half opportunities.
“We are disappointed because of the number of chances we created in the first half which we didn’t take and it cost us. I would have expected to have taken one
“We didn’t manage to create as much in second half, because turned the ball over and lacked composure
“That’s not like us. We conceded territory and that’s how they took advantage with the goal at the end.
“We tried to make changes and alter the shape but we couldn’t affect the game.
“For sure we’re disappointed. I think the missed chances in the first half have ended up costing us on the basis that we’ve ended up conceding.
“I think if somebody said we’re gong to create as many good chances as that in one half we’d be more than happy. We’d have expected to have taken at least one.
“We didn’t manage to create as much in the second half because we didn’t manage the ball in the game well enough. We turned it over too much and lacked a bit of composure.
“When you do that, you give up territory, and in the end allow QPR to get into areas where they can create and score, and that’s what they’ve done late on.”
Poor from Swans (again) but I will also say it again – how we are even in the play off race with no out and out striker is a miracle in itself so hats off to Cooper and players for getting us in this position with a gaping hole in the squad #EFL #SWAvQPR #SWAQPR #SwanseaCity
— Aaron Elliott (@aaron_housing) April 20, 2021
QPR manager Mark Warburton said: “We know Swansea are a very good footballing team and fighting hard for automatic promotion and the play-off places.
“We had to come here and impose ourselves, but we were tentative in the first 15-20 minutes. But we had some good chances at the end of the first half and I thought we deserved the win in the end.
“It’s about learning. We were playing well before Christmas and couldn’t score for fun. Second half of the season we’ve responded really well and impact of the senior players has been significant and we’ve had a really good run since mid-December.
“I hate this mid-table mediocrity nonsense. It’s your responsibility to hunt down every point when you pull the shirt on. We’ve moved to eighth tonight and we want to finish strongly.”
After missing several chances, but often living a charmed life themselves, Swansea were undone when Dykes drove the ball home low from inside the penalty area with decisive finish.
In truth, however, QPR – marooned in mid-table – were more than a match for their promotion-seeking hosts and created as many chances in a game high on opportunity, but lacking ruthless finishers.
Swansea struck the post through Wayne Routledge and went close through Korey Smith, but their lack of a focal point for their attacks was glaring in the absence of their injured striker Ayew.
They did, however, have a convincing claim for a penalty waved away in the midway through the second-half when Niko Hamalainen appeared to deflect a through ball with his arm while laying on the ground.