AFTER their back-to-back defeats earlier this month Swansea City's promotion campaign looked to have gone as cold as the appalling weather that accompanied their trip to Plainmoor yesterday.

But boss Brian Flynn will hope a point chiselled out in monsoon conditions in south Devon will provide the spark Swansea need to get their push for Division Two simmering again.

A hard-earned draw against their fellow promotion chasers Torquay means the Swans have still taken only nine points from their last nine matches.

But Flynn could have no complaints with the result nor the performance of his men given the conditions they were forced to endure.

Incredible swirling wind and rain - at one point it was so bad you could hardly see what was happening on the pitch - dictated the match and hindered the attempts of both sides to get a passing game going.

Swansea showed a marked improvement on their poor performances against Southend and Doncaster, displaying greater resilience at the back as well as creating several good chances going forward.

On their first-half showing the Swans were unfortunate not to get a goal, but in the second half it was a case of having to defend against the elements as much as the dangerous Torquay strikeforce.

And in a frantic final 10 minutes a desperate goal-line clearance at either end ensured the match would finish 0-0.

Swansea had gone into the encounter in dire need of a positive result, their last league victory - a 1-0 home triumph over Darlington - having been registered some five weeks ago.

Since then Flynn's men have contrived to produce some pretty forgettable performances, namely those against Southend and Doncaster which made this trip to the windswept English riviera such a critical one.

It might have been termed a must-win match for the Swans, but this was hardly an ideal time to face a Torquay team harbouring promotion ambitions of their own.

Leroy Rosenior's men went into the game just one place below Swansea and seeking compensation for a shock 2-0 defeat to bottom club Carlisle last weekend.

There were three changes to the Swansea side subjected to a pre-Christmas mauling at Doncaster.

Leon Britton returned to midfield after a groin problem, while Brad Maylett and Karl Connolly made long-awaited returns after lengthy spells on the treatment table.

Connolly was pressed into action up front since captain Kevin Nugent had failed to recover from a toe infection he picked up earlier in the week.

It was an exciting first half and it was also an even one, with several good chances being created at either end of the pitch amid the rain.

Swansea were playing some neat pass-and-move football, but Flynn's men were given a scare after three minutes when Tony Bedeau laid off a ball for Martin Gritton on the edge of the area and the Gulls striker fired his shot into the arms of Roger Freestone.

With Britton displaying some neat early footwork and Maylett injecting both pace and width, the Swans' build-up play was deserving of a goal but it was the final shot that was lacking.

Indeed, a superb effort from Richard Duffy after 13 minutes proved to be the only moment Swansea really tested keeper Arjan van Heusden in the opening 45 minutes.

Abandoning his right-back station, Duffy ventured into the box and struck a fierce effort from point-blank range that forced a tremendous reflex save from van Heusden.

Four minutes later Swansea squandered a chance to go in front. Michael Howard played a ball into Connolly who provided a good chested lay-off to Robinson.

Making a dangerous run into the box was James Thomas but Robinson wrongly chose to go it alone and pulled his shot wide of the right-hand post. It was almost like an away game for Torquay, who allowed Swansea to pile forward before hitting them on the break to dangerous effect.

One such moment came in the 38th minute when David Graham teed up the inrushing Bedeau whose first-time shot flew just a yard or two over Freestone's crossbar.

Having won nine corners in the first half, Swansea could consider themselves unfortunate not to go into the break in front, but on the other hand it was to their credit that their own defence had not been breached.

The conditions got progressively worse after the interval and you had the sense that any mistakes made amid the downpour would decide the direction of this match.

It was hard for any good football to be played, but Swansea did create a decent opening after 64 minutes.

Maylett supplied a tantalising looping cross to the far post where Thomas was lurking, but defender Steve Woods made a vital headed clearance.

Moments later Robinson swivelled superbly, flicking with one foot then the other, and beat two men before placing his shot straight into the keepers' arms.

In the 74th minute there was another good chance for the Swans following good movement between Nugent - on as a substitute for Connolly - and Thomas.

Nugent showed some crafty footwork before playing in his striking partner whose right-footed shot drew another good save from van Heusden.

Nine minutes from time Duffy saw a near-post header hacked clear before Craig Taylor cleared Nugent's half-volley off the line after Robinson had slid the ball into the danger area.

It was a nervous final five minutes for Swansea as Torquay laid siege to the visitors' goal. But for a crucial clearance off the line from Alan Tate, the Gulls would have crept in front.

And with two minutes to go there was another fright for the 1,000 or so Swans fans shivering behind the goal when Matt Hockley sent a ferocious 30-yard effort a fraction wide of the woodwork.

BRIAN FLYNN has urged his Swansea City side to regain some promotion momentum when they face Yeovil in tomorrow's top-seven showdown at the Vetch after watching them battle to a point against Torquay yesterday.

Flynn expressed his delight after his side put behind them two successive defeats to chisel out a scoreless draw in monsoon-like weather conditions in south Devon.

But the Swans are still without a win in four league matches - their last victory came against Darlington more than five weeks ago - and the Boxing Day results saw them slip to seventh in the Division Three table.

Flynn, who tomorrow welcomes back 15-goal striker Lee Trundle from suspension, insisted last night that he does not want to settle for a play-off place this season.

And he has challenged his team to close the gap between them and the automatic promotion places against a Yeovil side who slipped to fifth following a shock 2-1 home defeat to Kidderminster.

"Considering what has happened in the last two matches, Torquay was a big game for us and I'm pleased with how it turned out," said the director of football.

"The weather was almost monsoon-like and that made it very difficult for us, but I'm pleased with how we performed. It's a hard-earned point and it's a good point.

"A week or so ago I spoke about having a platform to build on and we have to make sure this result is that platform.

"What we need to do now is get some momentum going - the kind we had earlier in the season - and put a good run together.

"We're exactly halfway through the season and we've got 36 points, which is pleasing. Doubling that in the second half of the season ought to be enough to get us into the play-offs.

"But that is the least we're aiming for. It would be nice to avoid the play-offs and the players we've got are capable of getting us into the top three.

"And, as I said, to do that we need to build some momentum - starting against Yeovil at the Vetch.

"Apart from when we beat Mansfield very early in the season, we haven't won against another top-six team and we have to put that right." Swansea, who led the Third Division little more than three months ago, have collected just nine points from their last nine games and remain in the top seven only by virtue of having a better goal difference than Torquay in eighth.

But Flynn had plenty of positives to dwell on as he prepares his team to face a Yeovil side who slipped to fifth after their Huish Park upset.

"Losing a third game on the trot would have been a massive blow to us, so I'm delighted we've kept a clean sheet and picked up a draw against a good side," he said.

"In many ways, we were trying to make amends, not only for the two recent defeats against Doncaster and Southend, but also last Christmas when we lost six in a row.

"It was good to see so many fans make the trip down and we wanted to produce a good show for them.

"But the conditions made it difficult for us to play our normal style of football. At times the wind was so strong that the ball was blowing away from the players' feet!

"We adapted well, though, managed to create some good chances and were strong at the back when we needed to be.

"And it was good to have Brad Maylett and Karl Connolly (returning from injuries) back in the team. Neither of them are 100 per cent match fit, but I was pleased with their contributions."

Kevin Nugent, who started yesterday's match on the bench as a precaution against a toe infection he picked up earlier in the week, is suspended for tomorrow's game.

But Swansea will hope the Trundle factor kicks in against the Somerset club, who claimed a 2-0 win over Swansea earlier in the season.

"It'll be a great boost to have our leading scorer back," said Flynn, who has a slight doubt over Connolly after he suffered a reaction to his calf problem at Plainmoor.

"I wouldn't disagree with the argument that we present more of a threat when Lee is in the team and let's hope that proves to be the case.

"This will be a big test. Yeovil have done well and they'll be confident of getting a good result at the Vetch. It could be a bit of a battle. But it should be a cracker."

CAPTAIN Kevin Nugent insists the key to Swansea City clinching promotion this season is turning the Vetch into a fortress once more.

As he prepares to lead the team into today's Third Division clash at Torquay, Nugent has stressed the importance of Swansea rediscovering the outstanding home form that propelled them to the top earlier this season.

The Swans claimed maximum points from their first five Vetch games and remained unbeaten there until a 2-0 defeat against Cambridge on October 21 marked the start of an inconsistent run of home results.

"We've had a bit of a dip in recent weeks and struggled to repeat the excellent home form that we had at the start of the season," said Nugent.

"Despite that, we're still in a good position in the league and we're confident that we will claim one of the automatic promotion places.

"But, to make sure we achieve that, I think that it's vital we turn the Vetch into a real fortress again.

"At the start of the season it was evident that teams didn't like coming down here.

"No one wanted to come to Swansea not only because it was an intimidating place to play, but also because we made life difficult for them on the pitch.

"In recent matches we seem to have lost that bite at home. We've let teams off the hook a bit and, as a result, teams have taken points off us.

"As I said, we're still in a good spot in the league, but tightening things up again will help us to push on and try to get back in the top three.

"Most of the serious promotion contenders have excellent home records and we've got to make sure ours is good too.

"Otherwise we'll end up putting too much pressure on ourselves to pick up results away from home."

Today Swansea travel to face a Torquay side who are also chasing promotion and one who have been difficult to beat at home this season.

Not that Nugent believes the Swans, whose festive schedule continues with the visit of Yeovil on Sunday, have anything to fear from this or any other forthcoming fixture.

"The aim over Christmas is simply to pick up as many points as possible," said the 34-year-old, who will have to sit out the Yeovil tie after picking up his fifth caution of the season against Southend.

"We want to win every game and I honestly see no reason why we can't remain unbeaten until the end of the season.

"Winning game after game is something you can do in this division because everyone is capable of beating each other.

"But the thing is a lot of teams will fancy their chances of putting a decent run together between now and the end of the season.

"And, because the league is so tight this season, you might find that right up to Easter there will be a lot of teams with just as much chance of getting caught up in the relegation battle as getting into the play-offs."

Looking back over Swansea's league progress so far, Nugent said, "I don't think we can have too many complaints considering what we went through last season.

"That said, we're disappointed that we're not in the top three at the moment which just goes to show how high expectations have risen.

"I guess some fans will be delighted with our current league position while others will feel we should be higher after the start we made.

"But automatic promotion is what we've all got in mind. That's the target we've set and we're confident we can achieve it."

And as the season reaches its halfway mark with the trip to Plainmoor, Nugent believes Swansea have a number of positives to reflect on.

"Most people would pick out the goals and the performances of Lee Trundle and rightly so because he's been superb," said the former Cardiff man.

"But I would also point to the way Leon Britton has performed. His ability is as good as anyone I've ever played with. He's Premiership class.

"Then there's (defender) Richard Duffy, who has come into the side and done so well that he's already being linked with other clubs.

"And, if you add the fact the club seems to be in a good position financially, the future is looking good."

Comfort and joy were in short supply at Swansea City's Christmas dinner 12 months ago. Tomorrow, it should be party hats all round for Brian Flynn and his men. Such has been the scale of the turnaround masterminded by Swansea's director of football since he last left a couple of mince pies by the fireplace.

After a ropy start - at one stage things looked terminal - 2003 has proved a vintage for Flynn, one of the best in his 13-year managerial career.

Let there be no doubt, the little man from Port Talbot has seen his stock go up emphatically in a gripping year - even if it has threatened to plummet once or twice along the way.

A couple of bad results in the last couple of weeks have left a little sour taste, but all those suffering with No Trundle Trauma should think back to the 2002 Christmas scene at Vetch Field.

Sleigh bells were just coming into earshot when Leyton Orient won in South West Wales, just on their way out of range again when Bristol Rovers did the same.

Lincoln had inflicted a fourth straight defeat before the turn of the year to ensure a miserable start to 2003.

When York City made it six on the bounce on January 18, Flynn and his team looked doomed.

"The panic button isn't near me at the moment, but it's getting closer all the time," he memorably declared.

It was in the same post-match debrief that Flynn revealed Roberto Martinez was on his way from Walsall to join the survival fight - a pivotal moment in Swansea's history.

Flynn's other key signings - Alan Tate, Leon Britton, Marc Richards and Kevin Nugent - had brought something extra.

But Martinez, who debuted in midfield alongside fellow new boy Lenny Johnrose on the first day of February, was the player who did most to save Flynn's side from the drop.

And to think his free transfer from the Midlands almost fell through.

To this day no-one really knows why Martinez, a class act on and off the field, disappeared back to Walsall having shaken on a deal with Flynn, all are just grateful that the move was revived seven days later.

Only one other Flynn signing can rival Roberto: the man with the Magic Daps.

Lee Trundle would never have been a Swansea player but for James Thomas, the springtime king of the Vetch who has spent the second half of the year in the shadows.

But for the local lad's memorable hat-trick, a Flynn-less Swansea and not Exeter City might have been preparing for a Conference trip to Hereford the day after tomorrow.

Trundle, Martinez, Britton and the rest would not have been playing. Who would have been in the line-up is impossible to know. Suffice to say that crowds at the Vetch would not have been averaging more than 7,000 this season.

No wonder Thomas did not buy a drink on the night of May 3.

The Morriston boy should have won his first full Wales cap a few days later when Mark Hughes summoned him to America.

Unfortunately, nobody could get hold of Thomas on his post-Hull holiday to alert him to the call-up, and his luck has remained equally rotten ever since.

Too often last season's hero has had to watch the Trundle show with the rest this term - the pair have started only two matches together - partly thanks to his problems with gout, partly because of the form of evergreen targetman Nugent.

It has been some spectacle, though.

Trundle, signed on a free from Wrexham in the summer, did not know what daps were when he was christened by the couple of hundred travelling fans on his new club's pre-season tour.

The Scouser with the swagger was soon asking having dazed the Dutch on a trip that hinted at what was to come.

His quick feet have also proved too much for most Third Division defenders to handle, and his form and fitness remain fundamental to the club's chances in the second half of this campaign.

Generally speaking, Swansea 2003-4 win with him and don't without him.

The trend has frustrated Flynn, who knows he has other players capable of turning games.

Of those Karl Connolly, Brad Maylett and especially Martinez have been seen far too little because of injury so far in this campaign, one where physio Richie Evans has at times been more overworked than an elf in December.

Given the crocks, few cracks have appeared in Swansea's promotion plan.And provided the key men are involved, they can look forward with as much expectation as hope to a happy new year.

Flynn will keep his fingers crossed.

With Trundle and Martinez leading the way, the next Vetch Christmas party could be toasting the year when Swansea returned to the Second Division.

Alan Tate heads into the penultimate game of his Swansea City career on Boxing Day fearing he may be dropped for the first time. The on-loan Manchester United youngster returns to Old Trafford when his second Vetch Field loan spell ends this weekend.

But for one game he missed through suspension, Tate was ever present after joining Swansea on a seven-month deal in November 2002.

And the 21-year-old has started all seven of the club's league matches since returning to the club back in October.

Tate has been largely impressive throughout his time in South Wales, but after below-par showings in Swansea's last two outings he will spend Christmas Day gearing himself up for the possibility of a place on the bench at Torquay.

''I hope I can finish off with a couple of good results,'' said Tate, ''but I don't know if I'll be playing against Torquay or Yeovil (on Sunday) after the last couple of games.

''I don't know what happened against Southend. That was probably the worst game I've ever played in my life.

''Afterwards I felt I'd let myself down, the rest of the lads down and the fans down."

Six days after the embarrassing 3-2 Southend reverse, Tate was substituted 63 minutes into Swansea's 3-1 defeat at Doncaster.

He went on: ''I'd been home for a couple of days before the game and hadn't realised how much I'd missed being there.

''I spent time with my family, my friends and my girlfriend and realised just how homesick I was living in Swansea on my own.

''I'm going back to United on Sunday and I'll see what happens.

''My contract is up in the summer, but if I don't get a new one it won't be the end of the world.

''I'd love to come and play for Swansea again one day. This is the club where I started really and everyone knows I love it.

''But right now I want to try my luck higher up the Nationwide League.''

Director of football Flynn must decide whether to stick with Tate or recall Kris O'Leary as Swansea aim to end their worst run of the season against a Torquay side sitting just one place below them in the Third Division table.

He said: ''We have had Alan for quite a long time now and knowing him as we do, we know he's had a couple of indifferent games. I'm sure he'd be the first to admit that.''

Flynn has further selection headaches ahead of the trip to Plainmoor, with fit-again Brad Maylett hoping for a first start since October. Kieron Durkan could make way.

Leon Britton should recover from groin trouble to return in place of Jon Coates, while Leon Hylton is back in contention after more than three months in the treatment room.

With Lee Trundle suspended, Swansea hope Kevin Nugent will overcome a toe infection which has kept him out of training this week. Otherwise Karl Connolly will partner James Thomas.

''We've lost two games in a row for the first time,'' Flynn added.

''What we mustn't do is lose three in a row. You just don't do that.''

ANYONE who believes Swansea City are in the midst of a crisis would do well to remember the position the club was in 12 short months ago.

Rewind to Christmas 2002, when Brian Flynn's side were contriving to chalk up six straight defeats that would leave them anchored to the foot of Division Three, and you soon gain a sense of perspective on their current struggle.

Indeed, the very fact Swansea are preparing for their Boxing Day trip to Torquay sixth in the table has to be viewed as extraordinary given the annus horribilis that was last season at the Vetch.

But, as swift as the transformation from relegation no-hopers to leading promotion contenders has been, it is understandable that the North Bank natives are starting to get restless.

For a team that raced into an early-season lead with the verve and panache of a top-of-the-range sports car, in recent weeks Swansea have displayed all the speed and grace of a clapped-out, three-wheel van.

And where once hopes were high the Swans would be firmly ensconced in the top three come the final run-in, people are now beginning to question whether Flynn's men have the credentials to make the play-offs even.

The statistics do not make for comfortable reading. One win and only five points gained from the last six league matches is hardly the stuff of serious promotion contenders.

One counter argument is that if Swansea can muster as many points in the second half of the campaign as they have in the first they can reasonably expect to finish in a play-off spot.

With 35 on the board so far, a repeat performance might suffice as a haul of 70 points enabled Bury to finish seventh last season and the required total has hovered around that mark for the past three years.

Put cold mathematics aside, however, and it is as blindingly obvious as Lee Trundle's shiny silver boots that a major defensive improvement is needed if Swansea are to realise their promotion ambitions.

Six goals have been leaked in the last two matches and even more worrying for Flynn was the manner in which Doncaster cut Swansea down the middle last time out with frightening ease.

It is hardly a fresh problem. The Swans have been pretty porous at the back since the word go - remember August and the goals that flew in at the wrong end of the pitch against Bury, Cheltenham and Oxford?

But it is something that needs to be addressed and, with Alan Tate returning to Manchester United after Sunday's visit of Yeovil, what Swansea desperately need to do is bring in an experienced centre-half to help shore things up at the back.

Banking on his side scoring more goals than they concede is too big a risk for Flynn to take at the business end of the season.

Another gamble is to continue with the lop-sided system Swansea have employed in recent years. When will Flynn do something about the lack of left-sided balance?

In Brad Maylett and Kieron Durkan, Flynn has two effective right-sided players - the former more so than the latter - but there remains a massive vacuum on the other side of midfield.

Time and again left-back Michael Howard gets exposed and ends up caught in the no man's land between defence and attack that ought to be stationed by a genuine left-sided player.

Back to the goal-scoring debate and Trundle's return from suspension against Yeovil will help matters considerably, though there will be more times this season when he is missing and the goals dry up.

Copious column inches have been devoted to the debate about whether Swansea are over-reliant on their 15-goal front-man and the statistics would suggest they are.

Swansea have won just one of the six matches the Scouser has missed this season - the 1-0 win at Rochdale in late October - and generally been poor without him.

A one-man team or a side capable of getting along nicely without their star striker? The truth probably lies somewhere in between.

Certainly, though, a side laced with talented individuals like Leon Britton, James Thomas and Andy Robinson - player of the season so far? - should not have struggled in Trundle's absence as much as they have.

Perhaps therein lies the problem: plenty of individual talent which too often fails to gel into a cohesive unit.

But any appraisal of the first half of Swansea's season has to acknowledge the price the club has paid for one of the worst run of injuries most people at the Vetch can remember.

At one point the Swans almost had more players queuing for treatment than they had on the pitch and, with key men like Roberto Martinez, Maylett and Karl Connolly out for long periods, results were bound to suffer.

Swansea have done well to weather the crisis without being blown too far off the promotion track and Flynn will pray for better fortune in the second half of the season.

Apart from the continued absence of Martinez, who should be back at some point next month, Flynn now has a full squad to pick from - and that means there can be no excuses for a post-Christmas lull.

If the Swans are going to push for automatic promotion, they will need to have a good January - otherwise forget it.

Such a vital cog in the Swansea machine, Martinez returning could well be the difference between Flynn's men going straight to Division Two and collecting a ticket for the play-off lottery.

The Spanish midfielder's ability to take the ball out of defence and spread it 30 yards up the pitch for fun is something Swansea have been unable to substitute. Priceless stuff.

Get Martinez back and at full-strength Swansea ought to at least finish in the top seven.

Never mind last season's relegation turmoil. Given the standards set at the beginning of this campaign and the players now at Swansea's disposal, anything less than a play-off place will rank as a failure.

WHEN Brad Maylett arrived at the Vetch in the summer it was supposed to be a fresh start - but his fortunes have ended up mirroring those of Swansea City as a whole.

Just like Brian Flynn's promotion-chasing team, Maylett made an explosive start to the season, claiming a hat-trick in the stunning opening day 4-2 defeat of Bury.

The pacey winger, who made a permanent move from Burnley after a loan spell at the Vetch last year, was one of the top early-season performers as Swansea swept to the Third Division summit by the end of August.

After such a flourish, though, came a couple of troublesome injuries that have restricted Maylett to just two first-team starts since September 20 - during which time the Swans have gone from top spot to clinging onto sixth place.

But just as the Swans are aiming to put an inconsistent three-month period behind them, so Maylett is adamant his season will start afresh when the team travel to Torquay on Boxing Day in search of a much-needed win.

"For me personally it's been a frustrating couple of months and things haven't been going too well for the team either," said Maylett, who returned as a substitute in Friday's 3-1 defeat at Doncaster after two months out with a hamstring problem.

"I could hardly believe the start I made to the season - scoring a hat-trick like I did was a dream - and as a team we made a fantastic start.

"I had become disillusioned at Burnley last season so it was just a pleasure to be getting regular first-team football at Swansea.

"But just as things were going so well, I picked up a dead leg against Huddersfield and since then it has been a catalogue of injuries.

"To come back in October and then damage my hamstring in my second game was devastating.

"I've had to miss another two months of the season and in that time results haven't been going as well as they did at the start of the season.

"Some people have said that one of the reasons for that is the fact I've not been in the side. That's flattering, but I'm not sure if that's true.

"It's a team game and the side has missed others that have been out like Lee (Trundle) and Roberto (Martinez).

"But I just want to put the past couple of months behind me now. It felt great to be back at Doncaster and as far as I'm concerned the season starts again."

Swansea could not be blamed for thinking along similar lines. The dismal defeat in South Yorkshire means Flynn's men will head for Plainmoor looking for their first win in seven league outings.

And Flynn's chief worry is the fact the defence is starting to leak goals at an alarming rate and threatens to undermine Swansea's promotion bid.

"I'm confident we have a side that is good enough to be playing Division Two football," insisted Maylett, who celebrates his 23rd birthday tomorrow.

"But everyone recognises that if we are going to fulfil our potential, we've got to tighten up at the back and start keeping more clean sheets.

"Division Three is a difficult league to get out of and if we're going to do it we've got to get back to playing how we did earlier in the season.

"Despite the fact we're going through a bit of a blip, the character in the side is incredible. We believe we're going to pull through."

Maylett will probably come in for Kieron Durkan when Swansea face a Torquay side humbled 2-0 by bottom club Carlisle at the weekend.

Leon Britton should also return in midfield after missing the trip to Belle Vue with a groin problem.

With Sunday's visit of Yeovil completing their Christmas programme, Maylett insists Swansea must aim to make it two wins from two.

"We'd certainly hope to get three points from the home match, but given the way things have gone over the past couple of weeks, I think Torquay is also a must-win game," he said.

"We need to start a run of about 10 or 12 decent results. We're still in a good position, but we can't afford to lose more ground on the top teams."

Swansea City will be looking to become Christmas misers to keep on track for promotion to the Second Division. The 3-1 defeat at Doncaster on Friday meant it was back-to-back defeats for Brian Flynn's men for the first time this season and coach Kevin Reeves admits the defensive area is something they are keeping an eye on, especially with the imminent departure of loan defender Alan Tate back to Manchester United.

Tate's loan spell ends after the clash with Yeovil on Sunday and while Reeves says there are no definite plans to bring anyone in, he and Flynn are keeping their eyes open.

''It's fair to say it's an area we are looking at,'' he said. ''We have got a list of possible players when we go to watch games.

''Kris O'Leary and Stuart Jones, who was injured for quite some time, will obviously come into contention, but we are looking.

''It wasn't so much conceding the goals on Friday, it was the fact that they opened us up too easily.

''We have a young defence that's going to get better and better but we will be working hard over the next couple of days to improve on a few things before the game against Torquay.

''In the last couple of games we have conceded one or two sloppy goals and that has to stop. We must tighten up.''

Despite the 3-1 defeat at Belle Vue, Reeves took a few positives out of Friday's game, especially the return to action of Brad Maylett and Karl Connolly.

Both made their first appearances since September as second-half substitutes against the new leaders and Reeves was delighted to see the pair back in action.

''It was good to see them playing again,'' said Reeves.''Brad looked sharp for the last 30 minutes and he looks like he will be in the frame for a bigger part in the next couple of games.

''Karl may be a little bit behind Brad but I was pleased to see him too.

''We said at the start of the season that if we lost a game then it was important that the next performance was better.

''All things considered in a tough game we had the better of the first half and it was end-to-end stuff with the keeper making a great save from Andy Robinson early on.

''We scored a great goal, too, but we didn't create as much second half.''

Swansea go into the Boxing Day clash at Torquay still in sixth place after most of Saturday's results went their way including Boxing Day's hosts going down to a shock 2-0 defeat at bottom-placed Carlisle.

''In some respects the results went well for us,'' said Reeves. ''The team's round about us didn't take advantage of our defeat apart from Yeovil and no-one expected Torquay to lose. It will be interesting to see how they react to that.''

Leon Britton, who missed the Doncaster match with an injury to the top of his thigh, should be ready to return at Plainmoor.

RICHARD Duffy is making Brian Flynn eat his words this term - but the Swans boss couldn't be happier.

Flynny's being made to tuck in to a sizeable slice of humble pie after being well wide of the mark in his expectations for Duffy this term.

When the Swans boss sat down with his fledgling star before the season kicked off, Flynn set a target for the Brynhyfryd-born youngster.

Duffy has promptly obliterated it.

"I sat down with the gaffer before the start of the season," said Duffy. "He was setting targets for all the players and he told me mine was to start five games.

"Well I've passed that target, almost trebled it I think!"

But Flynn's a wily operator and it's odds on the little fella at the Vetch had an inkling Duffy's involvement would stretch beyond just the five games.

But a little bit of reverse psychology appears to have worked very nicely.

By Duffy's own admission, Flynn's words have spurred him on.

"Yeah, it probably did make me more determined," said the Wales Under-19 international.

"I knew if I could beat the manager's target then obviously I would be doing well. It's good of him to give me the chance to prove myself and I'll always be grateful for that.

"And with Lee Jenkins there now it obviously gives me a better chance of holding down my place, although if I'm not up to scratch I know there's a few who will be breathing down my neck."

But even an experienced old-hand like Flynn must be surprised at the speed of Duffy's transformation from new kid on the block to a virtual first team regular.

Having recovered from 12-months laid up with a back problem, Duffy has showed time again why so many clubs are keen to prise the 18-year-old away from his hometown side.

Stylish and assured are two words that sum up the impression Duffy's made to date.

So it's hardly surprising that Portsmouth, led by a manager who knows a thing or two about spotting raw talent, reportedly slapped in a £150,000 bid for Duffy.

The sum was dismissed out of hand by Swans chairman Huw Jenkins, who claimed it was nowhere near their valuation of Duffy.

Jenkins went on to declare Swansea are no longer in the business of off-loading their finest assets and the Swans hierarchy are keen to tie up the youngster on a long term deal

"It's a struggle for me to get my head around all this transfer talk to be honest," said Duffy, who made his Swans debut as a 17-year-old under Colin Addison.

"But it is good to hear the chairman say nice things about me. All the directors are local people and fans of the club so it's a double compliment for him to say something like that.

"And it is nice to have your name mentioned linked with a Premiership club. But it's all paper talk and I just want to get on with doing my job."

Even the most seasoned of pros would struggle to keep a focused head while the subject of continuous speculation.

"Sometimes it feels like I've been playing for years instead of just a couple of months," added Duffy.

"It's difficult when people come up to you and ask what's happening, am I going, am I staying. But at the end of the day it's not up to me."

Fair comment but is it as simple as that? Precisely how long the Swans can hold out in the face of temptation will depend on Pompey's willingness, or otherwise, to up the ante and whether they will really fight hard to hold on to one of the brightest young things to come out of Swansea for a long time.

Many fans believe something a bit more long-term than just the 12 month extension to his current deal would probably resolve the issue.

"Besides what the manager said to me pre-season, I've got my own targets and I've already met one by just playing for the Swans," said the one-time striker. "But the two big ones are to play for my country and to play in the Premiership.

"There's no point in hiding that because I think if you asked any footballer they would say the same thing. Everyone wants to play the highest level they can and I'm no exception."

"There is an expectation of me now but that's fine with me - I just hope I can meet it."

Swansea City's season so far has mirrored the national side's efforts to reach Euro 2004, with dreams of success fading as early momentum was lost. Just like Mark Hughes's men, Brian Flynn's side have seen early superiority swamped by mediocrity.

Only three wins had come in 11 league matches before last night's trip to Doncaster - not too bad, but not exactly promotion form.

Hopes at Swansea remain high, however, that they can go where Hughes's heroic failures did not and achieve their goal.

Flynn's players believe that just 12 months on from their last-gasp escape from the jaws of non-league football, they could be celebrating heading the right way out of Division Three come early May.

Whether their optimism is justified in the next five months will depend largely on whether Richie Evans, the club physio, has a quieter time in the second half of 2003-04.

For August to December has been just about the busiest period in the Vetch Field treatment room in living memory.

Just this week Karl Connolly, Brad Maylett and Leon Hylton exited after long-term lay-offs, leaving only Roberto Martinez on the injured list.

Though the club skipper's prolonged absence is particularly painful for Flynn, the triple return in Tuesday's reserve-team game made a refreshing change.

Only five senior players, including goalkeepers Roger Freestone and Brian Murphy, have remained free from injury this term as the halfway point approaches.

And it is no coincidence that the club's best run of form came back in August and September, before the problems really kicked in.

After 10 league games Swansea had 22 points on the board and topped the division.

After 21, they had only 13 more and sat sixth, nine points adrift of leaders Oxford.

At times the understudies have done well, but those occasions have not been often enough.

In the six league and cup matches Lee Trundle had not started before last night, Swansea had won only one and lost three.

With the Scouse striker's name on the team sheet, Flynn has enjoyed 11 wins in 19 matches and draw another three.

"I can't argue with those facts," he conceded this week.

The former Wrexham boss has argued all season long that his is not a one-man team, though.

He has conceded that Swansea without Trundle is like Liverpool without Owen or Manchester United without van Nistelrooy, but he maintains they are no one-man team.

And with the rest of his most influential attacking players available, you can see his point.

With Maylett, Connolly, Martinez, Leon Britton, Andy Robinson, James Thomas and Kevin Nugent around, Trundle will score goals because of the chances others create.

Cheltenham away, when he scored his sensational 27-minute hat-trick to give Swansea an unlikely 4-3 win, is a prime example of that.

But it is when the support cast have been absent that Swansea have looked too reliant on their spiky-haired talisman. Remember Darlington at home, when Trundle's second overhead kick of the campaign saved the off-colour Swans?

Ideally, Thomas, with his gout problems seemingly behind him, will keep up the form he displayed against Southend last weekend and so take some of the goalscoring responsibility off Trundle's shoulders in the New Year.

Even if Thomas chips in, there is a feeling that Trundle's presence could be a fundamental part of any Swansea promotion push, such has been his impact since arriving from North Wales.

Elsewhere, the return of Martinez, who has managed just five starts this season, could be critical if Flynn's men are to haul themselves back into the all-important top three.

All at the Vetch will hope his next comeback from knee trouble does not have to be abandoned, such is the influence the smooth Spaniard exerts over the squad.

Given the major part he played in the club's successful survival effort last season having made his debut on the first day of February, it does not require the footballing mind of Arsene Wenger to recognise that his return next month could decide whether Swansea finish in the promotion shake-up this time round.

Tellingly, Martinez's one start since August, at Rochdale in October, was the one game Swansea won without Trundle.

There are other key figures in the club's ranks - Maylett, for instance, is the sole player with genuine pace and has always impressed when not injured or suspended this term.

Former West Ham man Britton may not quite have recaptured the form of his loan spell last season, but he still possesses the quality to ruin Third Division defences.

And Robinson, an unknown who showed little as a striker in pre-season, has been a true revelation in midfield after the injury problems gave him his chance.

At the back Freestone has looked close to his best, leaving central defence as Flynn's major concern going into part two of the campaign.

Alan Tate, it seems, is to return to Old Trafford next week, so Swansea must sign a player to compete with Izzy Iriekpen and Kris O'Leary for a place at the back.

Flynn can control what happens there, now he must hope for good news on the fitness of the players he has already got.

If, as he said at the start of the season, injuries are scarce, then Swansea look good for a play-off place at least come the spring.

Brian Flynn admits the heat is on stuttering Swansea City after they slumped to a second straight defeat in the cold at Doncaster Rovers last night. Andy Robinson's fine second-half strike had threatened to hand them a pre-Christmas lifeline, but it was the home side who were celebrating at the end when Gregg Blundell sealed a victory set up by early efforts from Michael McIndoe and Paul Green.

Having lost at home to lowly Southend seven days ago, the top-six spot occupied by Swansea throughout this campaign now looks perilous as the midway point approaches.

And after succumbing to the Third Division's new leaders, things are not about to get any easier for Flynn's men.

On Boxing Day they travel to Torquay, a club who could go above them today, before crunch meetings with promotion hopefuls Yeovil and Oxford - two teams who have beaten Swansea once already this term - either side of the FA Cup third-round tie with Macclesfield.

''After a disappointing home defeat and now this, the pressure is on us given the games we have coming up,'' conceded Flynn, whose side have not suffered consecutive setbacks previously this season.

''I said to the players before Doncaster that the next five games were important.

''We need to give ourselves a platform over the five games and we will see if we are in the right place then.

''We had a blistering start to the season, then an average next 10 games and now we have started this sequence poorly.

''It's the first time we have lost two games on the trot this season and Torquay is going to be an even tougher game now because of what's happened. It's edging towards a must-win game for us.

''You are always going to get a bit of bad form during a season and we'd rather have it now than at the end, but we need to get that platform for success. Right now we're on the ground floor.''

Flynn substituted Alan Tate last night after the on-loan Manchester United defender, who returns to Old Trafford in eight days time, suffered for the second straight game.

''He is struggling as bit,'' added the Vetch Field director of football.

''We're getting opened up by one pass, although it's a collective thing.''

Swansea hope to have Leon Britton available for the trip to the West Country after the ex-West Ham midfielder missed only his second game through injury since arriving at the Vetch 12 months ago.

Britton sat out at Belle Vue with a groin problem which has been troubling him for a month, Flynn revealed.

SWANSEA City favourite Lee Trundle will be the guest of honour at the SCFC shop inside the Travel House in the Quadrant on Monday.

Fans are encouraged to take along their official Swansea City calendars and posters to have them signed by the club's top scorer.

Trundle will be at the shop from 2pm to 3pm.

A World Cup one week, the Third Division the next. Life is certainly not dull for Swansea City goalkeeper Brian Murphy.

Murphy returned to South Wales on Monday after just under a month at the Fifa Under-20 world championships in the United Arab Emirates playing for the Republic of Ireland.

The Irish made it through to the last 16 before going out 3-2 to Colombia on the golden goal rule after fighting back from 2-0 down.

They had eased through their group with a 2-2 draw against the Ivory Coast, a 2-0 win over Mexico and a 2-1 victory over Saudi Arabia before Erwin Carrillo's extra-time strike knocked them out.

Murphy played in the win over Mexico and performed well to keep a clean sheet.

He was disappointed to be only on the bench for the other games, but still said he loved every minute of his time in the Middle East.

"It was great experience for me," said the 20-year-old Waterford-born stopper.

"I was a little disappointed not to play more.

"I wasn't given a reason why but I did have an ankle knock, so maybe that was it.

"I missed a couple of days' training but when I did get in I did pretty well against Mexico and kept a clean sheet.

"We have a very good squad and we did well, but it was really disappointing to lose to Colombia, especially after coming back from 2-0 down.

"I really enjoyed it, though.

"There aren't many players who can say they have played at a World Cup, whatever age group.

"Hopefully I can get to another one at least before I finish playing."

Murphy returned to find Swansea's No. 1 stopper in pretty decent form and on-loan Anthony Williams taking his own place on the bench.

Williams may return to Hartlepool now, but whatever happens, Murphy knows it will be a battle to win the first-team jersey back after making the position his own in the first four games of the season.

"My aim is to get back into the first team," he admitted.

"I was in at the start of the season and I was not surprised by that because Roger had been injured and I had done pretty well in pre-season.

"Now I have been away for quite a while and the lads have been working hard.

"Now I have to start working hard again.

"Roger has been playing well and he's in there at the moment.

"When I came here it was all about playing regular football.

"I am learning the game. The minute a footballer stops learning then there's something wrong.

"Roger will say that he's still learning every day.

"All I have to is keep working hard and hopefully I will get my chance and take it."

Andy Robinson's spectacular strike brought little Christmas cheer as mad Friday became sad Friday for Swansea City last night. When Robinson, using his weaker left foot, rifled a stunning 20-yard drive into Andy Warrington's net with 16 minutes remaining at Belle Vue, Brian Flynn's side fancied their chances of earning a creditable point on a ground where Doncaster Rovers have swept aside almost all that has been put in front of them this season.

But for all their willingness and determination, Swansea could not overhaul the two-goal advantage the home side had secured inside the opening quarter of the contest.

And as they aimed to launch one last bid for an equaliser, Roger Freestone underhit a free-kick, allowing Gregg Blundell to race on to John Doolan's knock-down and seal Rovers' place on top of Division Three this morning.

As all but 100 of the 6,556 crowd celebrated, Swansea were left coming to terms with their worst week of the season on the long drive home for Christmas.

A key component of Flynn's recipe for success is never to lose two games on the trot.

It is a philosophy he drums into his players, particularly in the wake of a defeat. Until now it had worked.

But after the embarrassment of losing to eight-man Southend last weekend, Doncaster away always looked a stiff test of that record. And so it proved.

''Not losing two games in a row is a club rule,'' said Robinson.

''Now it has happened, it's all a question of how we bounce back.''

Worryingly for the Swans, things will not get any easier once they have digested their turkey.

Boxing Day sees them travel to Torquay, a side who could move above them in the Third Division table this afternoon, before mouthwatering home clashes with high-flying Yeovil and yesterday's leaders Oxford United sandwich the FA Cup third-round meeting with Macclesfield.

''We have failed at Doncaster, and now we've lost two in a row we simply can't lose three,'' Robinson added.

''Starting with this one, the five games we got given over the Christmas period could not have been much harder.

''And the pressure is building on us now. We had a great start to the season so the fans have become expectant and we don't want to let them down.

''We now have to go to Torquay and get something.''

The statistics say they might struggle, for Lee Trundle and Roberto Martinez, arguably their two most influential performers, are set for a place in the stands at Plainmoor.

Trundle, serving the final leg of his three-match ban, definitely misses out, while club skipper Martinez is highly unlikely to have recovered from his ongoing knee trouble in time.

Without both of those two, Swansea have not won a game this season.

Last night was the seventh time they have been shorn of their talismanic top scorer, and the sixth time in that sequence they have not taken maximum points.

The one time they did succeed? At Rochdale in October - the sole occasion when Martinez has started a game since his knee went in late August.

Swansea minus the Spaniard and the Scouser, it seems, are an altogether less effective team, as was proved once again in frosty South Yorkshire.

And that is despite the best efforts of Robinson, who, having started this campaign as a fringe player, gave a reminder that he is now far more important than that.

But for a flying stop from Warrington, he might have put Swansea ahead inside 60 seconds last night.

It was not the only time in an entertaining first half that the visitors went close.

Lenny Johnrose scuffed wide from a Kieron Durkan corner, then Kevin Nugent saw centre-back Dave Morley head off the line after lobbing the Rovers goalkeeper.

Robinson, more than once, and James Thomas also had Warrington scrambling, but Swansea's reward for creating a string of shooting opportunities was zero on the board at the turnaround.

Indeed, they were 2-0 down. Rovers, boasting one of the finest midfields in Division Three, went ahead 10 minutes in when two of their creators combined.

JJ Melligan, the on-loan Wolves man who has tormented Swansea before during two temporary spells at Kidderminster, crossed for Michael McIndoe and his goalward header hit Alan Tate's arm.

There was no intent from the borrowed Manchester United defender - he did not have the reaction time to handle deliberately - but often in such situations penalties are given.

McIndoe, last season's Conference player of the year when at Yeovil and a member of the Scotland Future squad, made no mistake from the spot.

Ten minutes later Melligan crossed from the right and Paul Green, another impressive midfield man, nipped in at the near post to double the lead.

The second period was lacking in goalmouth action by comparison until Robinson capitalised on good work from Richard Duffy and substitute Brad Maylett to revive Swansea hopes.

But it was Doncaster who always looked the most likely late on, and Blundell's injury-time strike merely sealed their opponents' fate.

''I thought we were the better team at times before the break and we were definitely in control in the second half,'' reckoned Robinson.

''But we gave stupid goals away and the errors have proved costly again.

''We have got to start pushing back up the table over Christmas, the lads know that. You can't make the mistakes we're making at the moment and expect to be in the top six.''

With Flynn's Christmas ruined, Swansea must aim for a happy New Year if they are really to celebrate next spring.

Doncaster 3-1 Swansea

BEFORE this top six Division Three clash boss Brian Flynn had demanded a huge improvement on Swansea City's abysmal performance against Southend last weekend.

As it was, Flynn probably had to give his players another ear-bashing after they failed to act on his words and slumped to a second successive defeat for the first time this season.

To their credit, there was no lack of invention going forward but ultimately it was more kamikaze defending that cost Swansea this match and possibly their place in the top seven if results go against them this afternoon.

And ironically it was former Swans captain Dave Penney celebrating after his men recorded a win that took them to the top of Division Three for the first time in 10 years.

Swansea fell behind after 10 minutes when Alan Tate was penalised for handball and Michael McIndoe scored from the spot.

Doncaster doubled their lead 10 minutes later when Paul Green profited from lax Swansea defending to fire past Roger Freestone.

Andy Robinson pulled a goal back with a superb 74th-minute strike but Gregg Blundell sealed three points for the home side in the 90th minute.

This was the first meeting between the two sides since they fought out a scoreless draw at the Vetch in April 1998 - six months after Swansea had claimed a 3-0 win on their last trip to Belle Vue.

That was the season Rovers lost their place in the Football League which, after five years exiled in the Conference, they claimed back last season via the play-offs.

And under Penney, who spent four successful years at the Vetch before his departure for Cardiff in 1997, Rovers' return to the Third Division has been nothing short of sensational.

Worryingly for Swansea, the men from south Yorkshire went into last night's tie second in the table having lost just one previous home encounter.

The home side included former Cardiff striker Leo Fortune-West in their starting line-up, while Flynn was forced to make one change to the side left red-faced by eight-man Southend, Jon Coates replacing the injured Leon Britton in midfield.

Swansea made a promising start and with just 55 seconds on the clock the lively Robinson stung the fingertips of goalkeeper Andy Warrington with a fierce 30-yard drive.

Going 1-0 down after 10 minutes was therefore a touch harsh on the Swans.

John Melligan's cross from the right was met with a header from Michael McIndoe but Tate's arm intervened.

McIndoe dispatched the spot-kick with ease, sliding low to Freestone's right.

Doncaster looked dangerous with every forward move and 10 minutes of sustained pressure paid off with a second goal.

On-loan Wolves midfielder Melligan supplied another pinpoint cross and this time Green took advantage of Swansea's failure to clear by glancing the ball past Freestone.

Swansea then created a succession of good chances and certainly made Warrington work hard.

Kevin Nugent saw a scooped effort cleared off the line before Warrington scrambled Robinson's superb left-foot volley out for a corner.

In the 34th minute James Thomas had a low left-foot shot saved by the keeper and then Warrington kept out another decent effort from the industrious Robinson.

The second half was a drab affair and it began with the out-of-sorts Tate almost contributing to a third Doncaster goal when he gave possession away to Gregg Blundell.

Izzy Iriekpen came to his rescue by clearing the resulting danger.

With few chances being created by either side, Flynn introduced Brad Maylett and Karl Connolly and swapped Tate for O'Leary.

But it was the man who had threatened to cause damage from the start who claimed the Swansea goal, Robinson collecting a Richard Duffy square ball and evading a lunge from Dave Morley to drive a brilliant left-foot shot past Warrington from 20 yards.

With nine minutes to go Freestone made a superb fingertip save to prevent Morley scoring with a header.

But Swansea's misery was compounded in the 90th minute when John Doolan intercepted Freestone's poor kick out and threaded through for Blundell to score.

BRIAN FLYNN believes the rare tongue-lashing he gave his Swansea City players following their shambolic defeat against Southend will reap dividends when they square up to Doncaster tonight.

The Swans boss spelt out why he had to read his team the riot act after their humiliating 3-2 surrender to opponents who had three men sent off in one of the most bizarre matches seen at the Vetch in recent years.

Not normally one to blast his players in public, Flynn slammed his players amateurish defending which enabled Southend to score even after being reduced to eight men.

But Flynn is adamant the criticism he dished out will pay off when the Swans face one of their toughest challenges of the season away to second-placed Rovers.

"There are no two ways about it - it is vital that we improve on the performance we put in against Southend," said Flynn.

"What happened last weekend was not good enough and I made my feelings clear to the players.

"You have to be honest with them and sometimes harsh words are spoken.

"And I had to use a few harsh words after the Southend game because I knew that we were capable of doing so much better - individually and collectively.

"It was important we understood as a group what had gone wrong and focused our thoughts on putting it right.

"And I'm confident the players will respond in a much more positive manner against Doncaster.

"We've had a good week in training and I don't think there will be a hangover from the Southend game."

Flynn went on, "We've had a fair bit of criticism for losing to an eight-man team, but only in the last five minutes did Southend have two sent off.

"The thing that upset me most was conceding a third goal when we had three extra men on the pitch.

"When everything is said and done, it was one of those bizarre games you see from time to time.

"We've got to put it behind us. Learn from what happened and move on."

The Swans head for Belle Vue desperate to record their first win in four league outings to avoid the prospect of dropping out of the top six.

But Flynn's men will have their work cut out since Doncaster have lost just once at home this season.

Having returned to the Football League via the Conference play-offs last season, Rovers have taken Division Three by storm and will replace Oxford at the top of the table if they collect a point tonight.

"They're flying at the moment and, like a lot of teams who come up from the Conference, are a good bet to shoot straight up to Division Two", said Flynn, who captained Doncaster during the 1985-86 season, before returning for another brief spell in 87-88.

"They've kept the nucleus of players they had last year and signed one or two - and they're on a roll.

"It's going to be tough, but though we'll give Doncaster the respect they deserve, we won't be fearful of them.

"Our focus is on ourselves and how we can achieve the result we need to keep us in the top six over the weekend.

"After the Torquay match on Boxing Day we'll be halfway through the season and we'll want to be within touching distance of the leading clubs."

Rovers will include former Cardiff striker Leo-Fortune West, while Flynn is expected to name an unchanged Swansea line-up.