29/03/2014 15:00 v Norwich City

The Swans claimed their first win in seven Premier League games as a Jonathan de Guzman brace inspired a 3-0 home victory over Norwich City.

The Dutchman took his tally to seven goals for the season in all competitions with two strikes in the first half as the Swans toasted a first victory over the Canaries in the Premier League.

The opener saw de Guzman fired low and hard into the net from 20 yards after Norwich failed to deal with a Jonjo Shelvey cross.

His second came via some breathtaking skill from Wilfried Bony, whose back-heeled pass sent de Guzman in on goal, and he beat keeper John Ruddy via the inside of the far post.

Norwich started the second half brightly, and it took an Ashley Williams clearance off his own line to deny Robert Snodgrass.

But the Swans stepped their game up from that point, and the game was made safe in the 75th minute.

Shelvey's pass fooled the Norwich back-line, and the onrushing Wayne Routledge fired home with his left foot for his sixth of the season.

This victory - a fifth home league win of the campaign - moved the Swans up to 13th and on to 33 points from 32 games and seven points clear of third-bottom Cardiff.

In a relatively quiet opening 20 minutes, the best chance arrived for Michu, who scuffed his left-foot shot wide after he was found 20 yards out by Angel Rangel.

John Ruddy then had to clear after Routledge's cross bounced off Ryan Bennett with the defender reacting quickest to the loose ball to pass back to his keeper.

Another Routledge cross caused havoc as Michu stretched out to get onto the end of it, but again the Spaniard couldn't find the target.

The winger was proving a constant menace to the visitors, and when he got onto the end of Michu's return pass, Routledge's shot was parried by Ruddy and the covering Wes Hoolahan just beat de Guzman to clear in time.

But with 30 minutes on the clock, the Swans got their lead.

It started with a neat chipped pass from de Guzman to Shelvey down the right. When his cross was nodded out by Sebastien Bassong before taking a deflection off the back of Jonny Howson, de Guzman fired low and hard into the bottom corner.

The Swans continued to dominate possession and territory, and Bony fired straight at Ruddy following some neat link-up play with Michu.

But Bony would play a key role in doubling the Swans' lead after 38 minutes.

When de Guzman fed Bony, the Ivorian's superb skill sent in the midfielder and he made no mistake in beating Ruddy with a left-foot finish that went in via the far post.

Norwich looked for a response, and Russell Martin was picked out at the back post but his volley was comfortably caught by Michel Vorm.

That was the end of the action for the first half, in what was a hugely encouraging performance from the home side.

Norwich made a double change at the break with Bradley Johnson and Jonas Gutierrez on for Howson and Hoolahan.

And immediately the visitors showed more intent, with Snodgrass's volley being cleared off the line by Williams after Alex Tettey's cross had been headed out by Chico Flores.

Snodgrass then crossed for Ricky van Wolfswinkel to head, but Vorm comfortably dealt with the effort. 

Then the Swans replied via Bony, who held off Tettey before shooting low but Ruddy got down low to save, and then Shelvey blasted inches wide after being teed up by de Guzman.

Bony again went for goal after de Guzman raced on after being sent through by Shelvey, but the striker blasted high and wide from 25 yards.

Norwich kept plugging away, and when Snodgrass' cross was diverted goalbound by Johan Elmander, Vorm reacted quickly by keeping the effort out with his chest before Routledge cleared the danger.

Bony probed again as he got onto the end of Rangel's low centre, but a superbly-timed challenge from Bennett diverted the danger.

Then the Swans made their first change as Pablo Hernandez replaced fellow countryman Michu after 73 minutes.

And two minutes later they got their third of the afternoon.

Bony's neat pass found Shelvey, and when he raced on and fed Routledge instead of going for goal, the winger's left-footed shot flew through the legs of Bassong and past Ruddy as it nestled into the bottom corner.

Another goal almost followed as Bony's trickery sent Routledge racing into the box down the left, and when his cross was volleyed by Martin Olsson into Bassong, the ball bounced just past the post and out for a corner.

It proved Bony's final act as he was replaced by Alvaro Vazquez for the remaining few minutes.

And that was the end of the action as the Swans celebrated three crucial points.

 

SWANS: Michel Vorm, Angel Rangel, Chico Flores, Ashley Williams (capt), Ben Davies, Leon Britton, Jonjo Shelvey, Michu (Pablo Hernandez, 73), Jonathan de Guzman (Nathan Dyer, 77), Wayne Routledge, Wilfried Bony (Alvaro Vazquez, 87).
SUBS: Gerhard Tremmel, Jordi Amat, Neil Taylor, Jose Canas.

NORWICH: John Ruddy, Russell Martin, Ryan Bennett, Sebastien Bassong (capt), Martin Olsson, Robert Snodgrass, Jonny Howson (Bradley Johnson, ht), Alex Tettey, Wes Hoolahan (Jonas Gutierrez, ht), Johan Elmander, Ricky van Wolfswinkel.
SUBS: Mark Bunn, Steven Whittaker, Gary Hooper, Luciano Becchio, Nathan Redmond.