On This Day | Barnsley beaten

Swansea City maintained their place in the Championship’s top six with victory over Barnsley at the Liberty on April 17, 2010.

Goals from Ashley Williams, Shefki Kuqi and Darren Pratley helped Paulo Sousa’s men claim only their second win in nine games.

With just one victory from their previous eight matches, Sousa made six changes to the side that were beaten by Bristol City last time out.

One of them, Kuqi, squandered a great opportunity to break the deadlock inside four minutes; somehow shooting wide of an open goal from four yards out.

Nevertheless, the Swans did take the lead in the 23rd minute as Luke Steele parried Cedric van der Gun’s header straight to Williams, who nodded in his fifth goal of the season.

The hosts doubled their advantage just five minutes later with Kuqi also taking his tally for the campaign to five; scrambling the ball home from a Mark Gower cross.

Barnsley responded to reduce the deficit in the 35th minute as Darren Moore headed in after the Swans failed to deal with Iain Hume’s corner.

The visitors wasted a couple of decent opportunities to equalise with Hugo Colace shooting straight at Dorus de Vries, while Hume also saw a chance go begging.

And the Swans finally put the result beyond doubt 18 minutes from time. Substitute Andrea Orlandi embarked on a brilliant solo run in the box before cutting the ball back for top scorer Pratley, who fired into the roof of the net for his seventh of the season.