Curtis hails Swans spirit

Alan Curtis hailed his side's "superb" show of spirit as they battled to a crucial 1-0 victory over Watford.

Skipper Ashley Williams' 28th-minute header was enough to separate the two sides under the floodlights of the Liberty Stadium and earn the Swans a vital three points.

Williams rose high in the box to meet Ki Sung-Yueng's cross and break the deadlock shortly before the half-hour mark.

The home side were made to show their resilience in the second period as Watford's Miguel Britos and Jose Manuel Jurado both had chances to equalise, while Swans substitute Bafe Gomis hit the post late.

The victory moves Swansea out of the relegation zone, and Curtis expects the "massive" three points to give his side a boost ahead of coming fixtures.

"It is a massive win," said Curtis. "I thought we were excellent in the first half, especially. 

"The players showed the quality they have, but I also thought the spirit they showed was superb. 

"We got a bit edgy in the second half, perhaps because of the situation we are in, but I thought we deserved the win over the 90 minutes.

"If we could have got that second goal, it would've eased the tension, but the three points takes us out of the bottom three, and psychologically it gives us a big lift. 

"I thought The crowd played a huge part in the win too, especially when Ash was heading every ball and we were winning tackles.

"We have two tough games coming up, but certainly this victory will give everyone a lift." 

Swansea's new head coach Francesco Guidolin will also be buoyed after watching the Swans win on his first visit to the Liberty.

And Curtis believes the appointment of the experienced Italian can only benefit the club.

He added: "I've always been happy if the club thought it was necessary to bring someone in. 

"I think our performances have been good, but we haven't had the results the performances have warranted.

"We're bringing in an experienced coach, who can hopefully help us turn those positive performances into results."

Meanwhile, Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores admitted his side has to "accept" defeat on a disappointing night for his side.

"We were not happy with the first half," said Flores. "We had to create more balance in the second half, and we put in a good performance. 

"We created attempts and were close to scoring, but we need to accept the result. 

"The last match was tough for us and we have to remember the players are human beings."