20/10/2012 14:00 v Wigan Athletic

Pablo Hernandez scored his first Swansea City goal as the Swans edged past Wigan in a tense encounter at the Liberty.

The Spanish winger broke the deadlock after 65 minutes as a flurry of three goals arrived in the space of four minutes. Hernandez did well to turn in the box before drilling into the bottom corner to open his account following his £5.55 million move from Valencia.

Fellow countryman Michu, starting up front, headed in two minutes later from a Jonathan de Guzman corner.

But the drama didn't end there as Wigan struck back within two minutes as defender Emmerson Boyce flicked James McCarthy's effort past Michel Vorm.

That set up a tense finale, but despite sub Danny Graham missing the opportunity to settle the encounter when he was in on goal, the Swans held on to claim their third win of the season.

The Swans showed their intentions from the start, Ki Sung-Yueng dragging his effort wide while Jonathan de Guzman's 30-yard free-kick was well dealt with by Ali Al-Habsi.

Wigan hit back with a chance of their own, with Boyce nodding a cross back into the box to Shaun Maloney, but his low drive was gathered by Vorm.

Then, after Boyce failed to make clear contact with an attempted volley to clear danger in his own half, Wayne Routledge found Michu 25 yards out, but his first-time volley just flew over the crossbar.

Another striker from de Guzman, this time from 20 yards, curled inches wide before Michu headed over from Routledge's cross on the half-hour mark.

Wigan responded with a decent effort of their own, Maloney's through ball finding Jean Beausejour, but his powerful effort rose over the crossbar in what proved the last real action of the first half.

The Swans started the second half brightly, and Leon Britton went within inches of opening the scoring as he turned his marker before unleashing a 20-yard drive that flew past the post.

Wigan responded with Beausejour delivering a fine cross to Arouna Kone, who bundled his effort wide after pressure from Ashley Williams and Vorm.

Ki then drove his effort straight at Al-Habsi on the hour mark before the Latics stopper was at his best to deny the South Korean's powerful shot minutes later.

On 65 minutes, the deadlock was broken. Routledge and de Guzman then linked up, with the latter finding Hernandez just inside the box. The Spaniard turned his marker before firing into the corner with Al-Habsi wrong-footed.

Two minutes later, the lead was doubled. A pinpoint de Guzman corner was met by the head of Michu, who beat Al-Habsi from close range.

But the 2-0 lead was short-lived. Wigan struck back within three minutes as a cross was nodded down by Kone, and when McCarthy went for goal, his shot was flicked on by Boyce into the top corner.

Amazingly, Wigan then found the net again two minutes as Kone headed home Beausejour's powerful cross, only to be denied after being ruled offside.

The Swans needed to stem the flow of attacks, and they did that as Angel Rangel dispossessed Beausejour just outside the Swans box, and he set Ki on his way.

The midfielder then touched on to Michu, who played Nathan Dyer - on for Hernandez - down the right, and his shot was swatted away for a corner by Al-Habsi.

Franco Di Santo then scuffed his effort when well-placed after neat play by sub Ben Watson.

The Swans went close to sealing victory as Michu latched on to a loose pass from former Swan Jordi Gomez, but he couldn't keep his effort down as Al-Habsi watched it rise over the crossbar.

Another chance came deep in added time as Dyer set Danny Graham in on goal, but the striker didn't take the opportunity as he fired straight at Al-Habsi.

It was dramatic stuff, but it was enough as the Swans got the win they were eagerly after.
 

SWANS: Michel Vorm, Angel Rangel, Chico Flores, Ashley Williams (capt), Ben Davies, Leon Britton, Jonathan de Guzman (Danny Graham, 84), Ki Sung-Yueng, Wayne Routledge, Pablo Hernandez (Nathan Dyer, 73), Michu.
SUBS: Gerhard Tremmel, Garry Monk, Dwight Tiendalli, Luke Moore, Itay Shechter.

WIGAN: Ali Al-Habsi, Arouna Kone, James McCarthy (Mauro Boselli, 83), Gary Caldwell (capt), Franco Di Santo (Jordi Gomez, 83), Shaun Maloney, James McArthur, Emmerson Boyce, Ivan Ramis, Jean Beausejour, Maynor Figeroa (Ben Watson, 70).
SUBS: Mike Pollitt, David Jones, , Callum McManaman, Ryo Miyaichi.