Report | Swansea City 1 Huddersfield Town 2
Swansea City’s unbeaten start to the Championship season came to an end as Huddersfield claimed the three points at the Liberty Stadium.
The Swans had started the afternoon the far sharper and brighter of the sides, but were punished for a defensive lapse when Harry Toffolo put the Terriers ahead.
Andre Ayew – on his 100th Swansea appearance – levelled from the spot before the break, but Josh Koroma struck a second-half winner.
Prior to Koroma's goal, Ayew and Lowe had been unable to convert good chances, while the Swans also spurned opportunities during an opening half when they had been firmly on top.
The hosts had shown three changes from the win over Millwall as Freddie Woodman, Kyle Naughton and Viktor Gyokeres came into the side, with new signing Kasey Palmer on the bench.
Swansea made a lively start, Lowe cutting in from the right to work Ben Hamer with just 35 seconds on the clock.
Marc Guehi was the next player to force a save from Hamer, being picked out by a lovely Lowe pass before curling a low strike that the keeper got down to parry.
Hamer was in action again in the 11th minute, just managing to beat Ayew to Naby Sarr’s under-hit back pass.
Korey Smith then slid Lowe in on goal, and Hamer denied the forward with a strong left-hand save before Ben Cabango made an outstanding challenge to prevent Koroma breaking into the Swansea area.
From the resulting corner the visitors took the lead with their first attack of note, as a short corner let Juninho Bacuna get away a shot that Toffolo deflected beyond Woodman and into the net.
Swansea sought an immediate response, and a superb Gyokeres cross was turned wide by Christopher Schindler as Lowe waited to tap in.
The Swans got the leveller after 32 minutes when Hamer fouled Smith after the midfielder had beaten him to Ayew’s cross.
And Ayew made no mistake from the spot as he sent the ball into the bottom right-hand corner for his second goal of the season.
It was no less than Swansea deserved and the sides were level at the break, but it was the Terriers who started the second half sharpest, with Isaac Mbenza firing narrowly wide of the far post from the edge of the area.
Mbenza was then so unlucky to see his next shot strike the inside of the post and rebound to safety, before Taffolo inexplicably fired wide after rolling Cabango in the box.
After that let-off, Swansea began to find their feet again, with Gyokeres working hard in the channels and looking to stretch the visiting defence.
Ayew headed wide when unmarked on the hour mark as Matt Grimes’ superb free-kick picked him out at the far post.
The Ghanaian was left with his head in his hands, and Lowe was no different just seconds later when he was denied by Hamer after seizing on a loose pass, and then skewed the rebound high and wide.
Deadline-day acquisition Palmer was soon introduced for his debut, but the home side fell behind for a second time in the 67th minute as Koroma was given time to pick up a loose ball and aim a shot into the bottom corner.
Swansea pressed for an equaliser, with Jordon Garrick and Liam Cullen introduced to try and get the vital goal, but it did not come for the hosts with Palmer firing wide in stoppage time after Hamer had failed to meet a corner cleanly.
Swansea City: Freddie Woodman; Kyle Naughton (Liam Cullen 81), Ben Cabango, Marc Guehi; Connor Roberts, Korey Smith, Matt Grimes (captain), Jake Bidwell; Andre Ayew, Viktor Gyokeres (Kasey Palmer 62), Jamal Lowe (Jordon Garrick 81)
Substitutes: Steven Benda, Jay Fulton, Yan Dhanda, Cameron Evans.
Huddersfield Town: Ben Hamer; Richard Stearman, Christopher Schindler (captain), Naby Sarr; Pipa, Juninho Bacuna (Lewis O’Brien 72), Jonathan Hogg, Carel Eiting (Demeaco Duhaney 85), Harry Toffolo; Isaac Mbenza (Fraizer Campbell 62), Josh Koroma.
Substitutes: Jacob Chapman, Adama Diakhaby, Alex Pritchard, Romoney Crichlow-Noble.
Referee: Tony Harrington
