RANGERS were beginning to pick up after a nervous start to the Division two campaign, travelling to the Vetch Field in search points to propel them up the table.
Teams: Swansea City v Queens Park Rangers
Date: Saturday 15th September, 1979
Competition: Football League Division Two
Venue: Vetch Field, Swansea.
Underachieving Rangers came into the game at the Vetch off the back of a confidence boosting victory over west-London rivals, Fulham. The thumping 3-0 win at Loftus Road would have certainly helped the confidence of an inexperienced, injury-stricken Rangers side.
Conversely Swansea were performing quite well in the league, ignoring the one large blip prior to the game in W12. The swans 5-0 defeat at Luton would have hurt John Toshack`s side, who were previously undefeated.
The Swans found the R`s a tough nut to crack as they early league table proved to be an unfair reflection on the sides performances. Some early pressure from Swansea proved to stand for nothing as Stan Bowles provided the cutting edge that Rangers so severely lack at present.
The welsh outfit had the lead early on as some good work from Liverpool stalwart Ian Callaghan and Alan Waddle created a chance that Charles finally took after a host of wasteful efforts.
Praised for his excellent display Bowles was the catalyst in a whirlwind ten minutes that handed the R`s the game and vital points at the Vetch.
His cleverly taken free kick initially found Steve Burke unmarked, and the winger did the rest, firing a rasping drive beyond the outstretched Geoff Crudgington.
It was that man again, Bowles, who crafted the second goal which Swansea obligingly finished off. A jinking run down the right gave him some space before firing a low cross which Welsh international Nigel Stevenson slid into his own net.
Rangers managed to finish the season on a high, finishing narrowly short of promotion in fifth place. Swansea went on to finish a respectable mid-table, as they finished 12th.
Final Score: Swansea City 1-2 Queens Park Rangers
Attendance: 16,931
City: Crudgington, Attley, Phillips, Stevenson, Bartley, Rushbury, Mahoney (Baker), Craig, Charles, Waddle, Callaghan.
Rangers: Woods, Shanks, Gillard, McCreery, Hazell, Roeder, Bowles, Currie, Allen, Goddard, Burke.
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