Report | Swansea City 3 Blackburn Rovers 1
Zan Vipotnik netted a brace as Swansea City continued their fine run of form at the Swansea.com Stadium with a comfortable victory over Blackburn Rovers.
The Slovenian took his goal tally for the season to 15 with an instinctive close-range finish and a sharp header from a set-piece.
Those goals came either side of a Blackburn equaliser through their new signing Mathias Jorgensen, and a Connor O’Riordan own goal that had restored Swansea’s lead.
Victory made it 16 points from the last 18 available on home turf as Vitor Matos saw his side score three goals in a Championship game for the first time this campaign.
It was no more than the Swans deserved, although the head coach would not have been impressed at how his side allowed Blackburn to be on level terms at half-time by taking their foot off the gas after a dominant opening half-hour.
The Swans had made just one change from the weekend draw with Birmingham City; Marko Stamenic coming into the side at the expense of Jay Fulton.
Matos had called for his side to play with the same energy and intensity that had characterised much of their performance against Birmingham, and they showed early intent with Ethan Galbraith firing over from the edge of the box after the hosts had pinned the visitors deep in their own territory.
Ronald had the first shot on target after an excellent move where Swansea beat the press deep in their own area and Vipotnik freed the Brazilian winger in acres of space, before his angled drive was beaten away by Balazs Toth.
While Swansea did not display the fluency they would have liked, they were the more proactive side and they got their reward in the 21st minute, and it was that man Vipotnik again.
Josh Tymon swung in a deep cross following a corner on the Swansea right and, when defender O’Riordan elected to head clear as keeper Toth came for the ball, his clearance went straight to Vipotnik, who calmly volleyed in his 14th goal of the season with a minimum of fuss.
The Swans went in search of a quick second, with O’Riordan making a better fist of clearing when Toth parried a Tymon cross a few moments later.
Vipotnik then headed over from a Tymon cross after further Swansea pressure but the home side were then guilty of letting their levels drop after a comfortable half-hour and they were punished.
Brandon Powell was able to get into space down the left and his low cross was on the money for Mathias Jorgensen to score his first goal for his new club following his arrival from Bodo/Glimt.
Pears nearly made an almighty hash of attempting to save a daisy cutter, before Cameron Burgess made a superb covering block to deny Yuki Ohashi had raced clear of the Swansea defence.
Jisung Eom headed over at the end of one promising attack before Burgess saw his firm drive blocked away with the final action of the half as the scores were level at the interval.
But they regained the lead four minutes into the second period. Vipotnik switched play to Eom on the left, he drove at his man and saw his low cross flick up off Moussa Baradji and strike O’Riordan to roll into the Blackburn net.
Ronald sent a low drive wide after being fed by Galbraith before the Swans further extended their lead as Vipotnik struck for the second time.
Tymon’s delivery from a corner – won by a lung-bursting forward run from Ronald – was met by Vipotnik and his near-post header had too much on it for Toth.
Swansea should have added to their tally when Ronald broke again and looked to square for substitute Ollie Cooper, but the final ball just had too much on it for the Wales international to reach.
Jorgensen then created an opportunity to pull a goal back for Rovers after lovely footwork in the box, but he sent his lofted effort wide of the near post.
That proved their last real chance of launching a late comeback as Swansea claimed another three points on home turf.
Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux; Ethan Galbraith (Joel Ward 66), Ben Cabango (captain), Cameron Burgess, Josh Tymon; Marko Stamenic (Jay Fulton 56), Goncalo Franco (Malick Yalcouye 79), Melker Widell (Ollie Cooper 66); Ronald, Jisung Eom (Liam Cullen 56), Zan Vipotnik.
Unused Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Josh Key, Bobby Wales, Sam Parker.
Blackburn Rovers: Balazs Toth, Taylor Gardner-Hickman, Sondre Tronstad, Sean McLoughlin (captain), Yuki Ohashi, Moussa Baradji, Connor O'Riordan, Mathias Jorgensen, Tom Atcheson, Brandon Powell (Dion De Neve 73), Aodhan Doherty (Adam Forshaw 73).
Unused Substitutes: Nicholas Michalski, Harry Pickering, Yuri Ribeiro, Axel Henriksson, Eiran Cashin, George Pratt, Nathan Diamini.
Referee: Anthony Backhouse
Attendance: 13,897