Report | Coventry City 1 Swansea City 0

Ephron Mason-Clark scored the only goal of the game just before half-time as Swansea City suffered a Boxing Day defeat to leaders Coventry City at the CBS Arena.

The Swans had much the better of the opening 35 minutes, but fell behind when the Sky Blues forward netted from a long throw with seconds remaining in the opening period.

The Swans had to withstand heavy pressure early in the second half but came through it and had chances to get a point with Melker Widell twice denied and Liam Cullen going close, while Zan Vipotnik had seen a big chance blocked in the opening half.

There will be plenty head coach Vitor Matos will be able to take from how his side performed for long spells against the runaway league leaders, but it was not enough to prevent them suffering a first away defeat at Coventry since 1981.

The Swans had shown two changes from the win over Wrexham as Cullen and Jisung Eom came into the team for Widell and Zeidane Inoussa respectively.

Adam Idah, the matchwinner from that Wrexham game, missed out through injury, with Bobby Wales among the Swansea substitutes.

The hosts, who had won seven on the bounce at home, started brightly with a swift move down their left that ended with Jake Bidwell sending a low ball across the six-yard box that another Sky Blue shirt ought to have been on hand to turn in.

Eom worked Rushworth with a low bouncing strike from the edge of the area and the visitors then crafted a big, big chance with fewer than 10 minutes gone.

Patient build-up ended with a lovely ball finding the run of Cullen, and he cushioned into the path of Vipotnik in the area. The Slovenian beat one man but then saw his shot blocked by Luke Woolfenden just as he seemed certain to find the net.

Swansea came forward again, Vipotnik nearly reached a Goncalo Franco through ball, before Eom saw a low cross blocked by Rushworth after another incisive attack.

Rushworth then did brilliantly to haul in a Franco cross when he had Swansea shirts waiting to turn the ball home had he made an error.

But Vigouroux topped that with a fantastic save seven minutes before the break, somehow managing to claw away a Simms header that was bouncing into the top corner, with an outstanding defensive block then preventing Mason-Clark’s follow-up finding the net.

It should have ensured the game was goalless at the interval, but the Swans conceded just seconds before the interval. A long throw into the box was flicked on and Mason-Clark pounced on the loose ball to spin and arrow a rising strike into the roof of the net.

Vigouroux held a low strike from Victor Torp early in the second half with Coventry following that up with a succession of corners as they looked to try and strike another heavy blow shortly after the restart.

Swansea were having to deal with heavy pressure and Matos sent on Widell and Inoussa in search of fresh legs and energy.

But the pressure continued to come, Vigouroux denying Tatsuhiro Sakamoto after a strong run from Mason-Clark.

Swansea managed to get through that period, and responded as the substitutes combined. Inoussa was slid on down the let of the area and his cutback found Widell arriving. He met the cross cleanly, but his firm strike was blocked.

Another chance arrived with 20 minutes to go. Ethan Galbraith’s fine run saw the Northern Ireland international link with Inoussa and then clip an inviting cross to the far post.

Cullen was arriving but could not keep his effort on target as he tried to cushion the cross into the net.

Another big opportunity soon fell Swansea’s way when Malick Yalcouye’s lovely pass found Widell’s run in behind, but the midfielder’s low shot was straight into the gloves of Rushworth as it ended in defeat.

Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux; Ethan Galbraith, Ben Cabango (captain), Cameron Burgess, Josh Tymon; Marko Stamenic, Goncalo Franco (Jay Fulton 75), Liam Cullen (Bobby Wales 80); Jisung Eom (Zeidane Inoussa 59), Ronald (Malick Yalcouye 75), Zan Vipotnik (Melker Widell 59).

Unused Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Josh Key, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Kaelan Casey. 

Coventry City: Carl Rushworth, Jack Rudoni (Josh Eccles 68), Matt Grimes (captain), Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Ellis Simms (Haji Wright 68), Ephron Mason-Clark (Miguel Angel Brau 90), Liam Kitching, Jake Bidwell, Luke Woolfenden, Milan van Ewijk (Kaine Kesler-Hayden 75), Victor Torp.

Unused Substitutes: Ben Wilson, Jamie Allen, Joel Latibeaudiere, Callum Perry, Kai Andrews.

Referee: Sam Allison

Attendance: 30,139