Report | Portsmouth 1 Swansea City 2

Wonderful strikes from Ethan Galbraith and Josh Key saw Swansea City secure a much-needed win on their travels as they held off a late fightback from Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

Vitor Matos’ side had much the better of the first hour on the south coast, keeping the home side at arm’s length and looking a threat with the ball.

They got their rewards when Galbraith dispatched a drive into the far corner at the end of a move that had started with a fantastic raking pass from Lawrence Vigouroux.

Key then doubled the lead before the break with a strike that floated over the head of the keeper from 25 yards.

Jacob Brown’s close-range finish gave Pompey a route back into the game, but the visitors were able to see out the final quarter of the game and emerge with the three points.

The Swans had made one change from the win over Stoke City as Jay Fulton came in for Marko Stamenic.

The visitors entered the evening desperate to improve an away record that had seen them suffer nine defeats in their last 11 games on their travels.

They created the first clear chance, Josh Key driving forward down the right and cutting into the area to find Vipotnik, who uncharacteristically fired over the bar.

The Slovenian then met a fantastic Josh Tymon delivery but planted a firm header over the bar.

But the home side went even closer when a set move from a throw-in gave Brown a clear sight of goal from the edge of the area. An unsighted Vigouroux palmed the ball onto the post and gratefully regathered as the ball came straight back to him.

The Swans made the most of the let off and took the lead with a wonderful goal from Galbraith.

The visitors worked their way upfield through a brilliant pass from Vigouroux to Jisung Eom and, after Tymon had seen a shot blocked, the full-back laid off to Galbraith for the Northern Ireland international to open his body and arrow a shot into the far corner of the net.

Tymon then had a strike directed into the keeper’s gloves with the Swans in control and the home support’s frustration growing by the minute.

And the Swans doubled their lead six minutes before the break when Ronald retrieved a pass from Vipotnik on the right and drove infield. The Brazilian laid the ball off for Key, who took aim from 25 yards and sent a looping strike over Nicolas Schmid and into the net.

It ensured the away side held a deserved two-goal lead at the interval but the second half started with a similar pattern to much of the first, with Swansea seemingly winning the race for every loose ball and being able to control the game as a result.

Eom steered wide when he ought to have done better from another sublime Tymon cross, with the offside flag sparing the South Korean’s blushes.

Galbraith fancied a crack at emulating Liam Cullen’s long-range heroics from the weekend as he spotted Schmid loitering off his line, but the keeper recovered in time to catch the ambitious effort.

The midfielder was then left frustrated when Swansea forced yet another error from the hosts and Vipotnik quickly sent him through on goal, but he dragged his left-footed effort wide.

Conor Chaplin put the ball in the net for the hosts, but any celebrations were shortlived with the ball having gone out of play before Gustavo Caballero had cut it back in the direction of the substitute.

Portsmouth had a better spell around the hour mark, and they made it count by getting one back through Brown as he arrived to meet an excellent cross from Caballero and guide it beyond Vigouroux.

All of a sudden the feeling of the contest and within the stadium completely changed and it took some scrambling defence to clear a succession of high balls into the Swansea box.

It set up a nervy final 20 minutes which had looked far from likely just 10 minutes earlier as Pompey piled on the pressure.

But the Swans stubbornly stood their ground to claim the win with Vigouroux saving from Colby Bishop early in the five minutes of stoppage time.

Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux; Josh Key (Joel Ward 70), Ben Cabango (captain), Cameron Burgess, Josh Tymon; Jay Fulton, Goncalo Franco (Marko Stamenic 70), Ethan Galbraith (Melker Widell 59); Ronald, Jisung Eom (Malick Yalcouye 83), Zan Vipotnik (Liam Cullen 59).

Unused Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Gustavo Nunes, Leo Walta, Ollie Cooper. 

Portsmouth: Nicolas Schmid, Terry Devlin, Madiodio Dia (John Swift 84), Connor Ogilvie, Zak Swanson, Marlon Pack (captain), Ebou Adams (Harvey Blair 88), Gustavo Caballero, Jacob Brown (Adrian Segecic 76), Millenic Alli (Conor Chaplin 46), Colby Bishop.

Unused Substitutes: Josef Bursik, Jordan Williams, Hayden Matthews, Ibane Bowat, Luke Le Roux.

Referee: Gavin Ward

Attendance: 18,508 (536 away)