Grimes: Late drama keeps momentum going

30th January
First team

He and his team-mates would have preferred a win, but Matt Grimes feels Swansea City’s dramatic salvaging of a point against Birmingham sets them up nicely for Saturday’s trip to Bristol City.

The spoils were shared with Garry Monk’s side as the former Swansea player and manager returned to the Liberty.

Monk had looked set to leave with all three points as his side led 3-2 deep in stoppage time, only for Oli McBurnie to sweep home a Mike van der Hoorn header and ensure it ended all-square.

It was a frantic, thrilling, and occasionally chaotic encounter, but it keeps the Swans unbeaten run going and they are now seven games without defeat.

And, while midfielder Grimes felt the hosts should have claimed the win having led 2-1 against 10 men with 25 minutes remaining, he believes the boost of that last-gasp equaliser will ensure spirits remain high ahead of the trip to Ashton Gate.

“You can have a gameplan but when your backs are to the wall you have to grind out a result, and it was testament to ourselves really.

“We were 3-2 down playing against a tough team, who are tough to break down, going into the final 10 minutes. We just had to keep going and we got the result we wanted.

“Of course we wanted to win, but in the grand scheme of things it is seven games unbeaten which we will take going into Saturday’s game.

“It is a draw when we wanted the win, but to score a last-minute equaliser gives us a big lift and we’ll take that into Saturday.

“With them going down to 10 men we feel we should have won the game from that point. Then when we went 2-1 up we should have seen it out, we should have managed the game better.

“But ending up 3-3 with the last kick of the game, you definitely take a point in the circumstances.”