Barnet kicked off.
Now that they were behind, they naturally had to strengthen their attack.
Lynn watched from the touchline and noticed that Barnet had changed their attacking approach.
They began reducing the number of crosses they sent in from the flanks.
Perhaps, if they could not find the best timing, they were unwilling to casually launch the ball into the box and hand possession back to Swansea.
Swansea, anwhile, continued to create chances through quick, smooth passing.
Cromwell was especially eye-catching. He was running all over the pitch, but it was not the kind of blind, useless running that wasted energy. Instead, he linked Swansea's attacks together.
Jas Cook was beginning to find his rhythm with his crosses from the wing.
One excellent delivery was sent toward the far post, where Villa rose to et it with a header, only for the attempt to drift wide. It was a great pity.
After receiving Cromwell's pass, Ibrahimović used his footwork to shake off Hendon, then unleashed a powerful shot from just outside the box, but Freestone blocked it!
The Swansea fans were extrely excited, their spirits soaring.
They were now certain that the players Lynn had brought in were not diocre at all.
Every one of them had real ability, and they were still young. Their futures were surely bright!
But in the 37th minute, the match suddenly changed.
Jonathan Curtis struck a long-range shot from 35 yards out in the attacking third.
The ball flew straight toward the bottom-left corner of the goal.
Goalkeeper Glendower threw himself across and managed to block it, but the ball rebounded into the six-yard box.
Barnet forward Stevens charged forward at full speed to follow up.
With one push of his foot, he sent the ball into the bottom-right corner. Glendower could do nothing!
The Barnet players imdiately rushed off in wild celebration. On the touchline, Ray Kennedy punched the air heavily, then turned his head and cast a provocative glance at Lynn.
Lynn clapped toward the pitch, encouraging his players not to lose heart.
Afterward, he carefully recalled the entire sequence of the goal.
The mont Curtis took the shot, Barnet's two forwards, Stevens and Beadle, had already begun making forward runs to beat the offside line!
Clearly, they had planned this in advance, looking specifically to pounce on rebounds and second balls.
Brunel could dominate aerial crosses, but with his tall and powerful build, his slow turning speed was a weakness.
Friedrich and he had not yet developed enough understanding, so the covering and defensive support between them could not be perfect at the first mont.
Goalkeeper Glendower was making his debut today. The pressure on him was enormous, and his technique still needed improvent. Ray Kennedy surely knew that very well.
So that was it. This was the clever plan behind Ray Kennedy's adjustnt!
Use long shots to create chaos in front of goal, then manufacture opportunities for a second attack!
While Lynn was still thinking of a counterasure, Swansea nearly scored at the other end!
Jas Cook sent in a cross from the right that looked halfway between a pass and a shot, dropping the ball into the penalty area.
The ball landed near the right side of the near post. Ibrahimović was half a beat late in attacking the spot and failed to poke it toward goal.
Even so, the ball still fooled goalkeeper Freestone for a mont.
After bouncing a second ti, it brushed past the outside of the post and went out over the byline.
That ball sent a cold sweat through the Barnet players.
Jas Cook covered his mouth and let out a long breath. If that had gone in, it would definitely have been a lucky goal. Unfortunately, it had not.
Before the end of the first half, Tahart tried to break past Gabbidon down the left. Gabbidon stuck out a foot to intercept, catching his leg and bringing him down.
The referee awarded Barnet a free kick on the left side of the attacking third.
The right-footed Gamble took the free kick.
The ball was lofted into the penalty area. Friedrich leapt high and headed it out of the box.
Outside the area, Hendon t the dropping ball and blasted a long-range shot.
The ball flew through a gap in the crowd toward the bottom-left corner. Before Glendower could even make the save, Brunel stretched out a leg in an attempt to clear it.
However, the ball struck his raised calf, took a deflection, and flew straight into the top-right corner of the goal!
Brunel stood rooted to the spot, staring blankly at his own goal before lowering his head in sha.
The entire Barnet team roared in celebration!
Head coach Ray Kennedy shouted at the top of his lungs. They had completed a coback before the end of the first half!
The Swansea players seed to have taken a heavy blow. Their morale began to sink.
Lynn gritted his teeth. He could feel his palms sweating unconsciously.
The Liberty Stadium fell silent.
The fans stared at the pitch in disbelief, watching their team get overturned in just seven minutes.
At half-ti, Lynn was the first to turn and walk toward the players' tunnel.
In the dia area, David Livingstone stood up, preparing to stretch his legs.
As he passed Raleigh, he smiled and said, "Did you see that? Swansea are still lacking experience after all. They might play brilliantly at certain monts, but a football match isn't decided by one brief spell."
Riley replied in an indifferent tone, "Only 45 minutes have been played. There are still another 45 to go."
Livingstone snorted softly, then walked toward the passageway.
Back in the dressing room, Lynn imdiately pulled over the tactics board and said to the drenched players, "Barnet's tactics are very clear. They want to create long-range shots from outside the penalty area and use them to produce second-chance opportunities. In the second half, our defense must take the initiative to drop deeper and compact the back line, making it difficult for them to find chances inside the box.
"Gabbidon, in the second half, reduce your forward runs and tuck into the penalty area more often.
"Law, you and Grosso attacked well down the left in the first half. Be even more proactive in the second half and put pressure on their left side.
"Brunel, if the opponent isn't attacking from the flank, you can boldly step up to defend. Since your turning speed is slow, leave the space behind you to Friedrich and let him cover and intercept freely.
"As for the attack, Villa, receive the ball more often on the left. Ibrahimović, improve the quality of your finishing. In the first half, you missed at least two chances you should have scored."
Lynn arranged the tactical adjustnts in quick succession.
The players listened seriously. They were also beginning to feel nervous and under pressure.
Being overturned never felt good.
But they still had a chance. They firmly believed they could defeat their opponent.
Before leaving the dressing room, Lynn noticed that Cromwell and Jas Cook drank more water than the other players, and they were visibly sweating more as well.
As he walked through the players' tunnel, he frowned slightly.
Jas Cook was actually only seventeen years old, and would not turn eighteen until November. It was normal that his stamina could not keep up.
As for Cromwell, whose energy consumption looked even greater, one reason was his young age, and the other was that he had been running all over the pitch!
It was only natural that his stamina was dropping quickly.
After giving Cromwell the P-card that made him run tirelessly across the whole field, Lynn realized this might genuinely exhaust Cromwell to death on the pitch!
There was absolutely no way he could last the full ninety minutes!
Even though it made him shine brightly — the most active player on the pitch, covering the widest area, touching the ball the most, having the clearest impact, and appearing in both attack and defense — at his current age, he simply could not maintain it for the entire match.
Therefore, before the second half began, Lynn had all the substitutes except the goalkeeper go out to warm up, ready to enter the match at any ti.
The teams switched ends for the second half.
Barnet were leading, and their montum beca much steadier.
Swansea, on the other hand, followed Lynn's half-ti instructions and focused their attacks down the left.
Law and Grosso repeatedly combined down the flank, charging at Barnet's right-side defense.
Gamble and Smith could not hold them off at all on that side.
As a result, Barnet's back line was forced to frequently shift support toward the right.
In the 54th minute, Cromwell received Law's pass on the left side of the attacking third and made a brilliant switch of play.
He sent the ball over a long distance to the right.
In the open attacking space on that side, Jas Cook surged forward.
Before full-back King could get tight to him, Cook swept the ball diagonally into the penalty area.
This ti, Ibrahimović made a diagonal run behind Bowr and brought the ball under control. He did not shoot imdiately.
When Bowr chased him down, Ibrahimović dragged the ball diagonally back with one touch.
Bowr stopped sharply and chased again.
Ibrahimović, having planned it all along, then cut the ball back toward the byline.
Bowr was forced into repeated sudden stops and turns, completely unable to keep up with Ibrahimović's rhythm. He lost his balance and fell to the ground on the spot.
Ibrahimović's continuous feints also left goalkeeper Roger Freestone unable to read his attacking route.
Then Ibrahimović suddenly shot. With one thunderous strike, he smashed the ball in at the near corner!
Freestone went to ground and tried to block it with his foot, but failed.
He felt the terrifying speed of the ball as it flew over the upper-left side of his head!
This kid Ibrahimović's shooting was utterly ferocious!
The Liberty Stadium instantly erupted into thunderous cheers.
Ibrahimović stood where he was, raising both fists high, a smug smile appearing on his face.
Beside him, Howard gritted his teeth, his eyes full of hatred.
The Swansea players rushed over and embraced Ibrahimović.
Ibrahimović, who had also scored on his debut, already stood head and shoulders above the others in height.
Now, he looked like a divine tower standing at the front of Swansea's attack!
The fans were amazed by his footwork.
"My God! He's that tall, but he isn't clumsy at all!"
"That footwork with those consecutive feints was brilliant. I really didn't expect it!"
"I thought my eyes were playing tricks on !"
On the touchline, Lynn let out a low roar, then forced himself to calm down. There was still plenty of ti left in the match.
They absolutely could not beco careless now.
The score was level again.
Barnet's attack did not show any new changes, but Swansea were beginning to have problems.
Jas Cook and Cromwell's stamina was clearly failing!
Lynn called the warming-up players back and was just about to give them instructions for after they ca on.
But at that mont, Swansea suddenly launched an excellent attacking move.
After Barnet were pulled level, they strengthened their midfield defense. However, their players were packed too densely together.
Villa suddenly moved from the left side of the front line, making a run toward the space behind the defensive line on the right.
Jas Cook sent a lofted through ball from midfield!
Villa burst through first, successfully beating the offside trap and creating a one-on-one chance!
Every Swansea fan in the Liberty Stadium grew excited!
Their eyes burned with passion as they stared at Villa, expecting him to help the team take the lead again.
After controlling the ball, Villa carried it into the penalty area, but his touch was a little too heavy. Goalkeeper Roger Freestone imdiately rushed off his line.
When the two of them were two ters apart, Villa chose to chip the ball. He lifted it diagonally over Freestone, who raised his hand to block it but missed.
Freestone turned his head to look, only to see the ball bounce and fly toward goal before brushing past the outside of the left post and going out over the byline!
After shooting, Villa slid to his knees on the ground, clutching his head in unbearable regret!
Failing to score that one-on-one chance made him feel as if he had no face left to show the ho supporters!
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