Report | Swansea City 3 Charlton Athletic 1
Adam Idah’s emphatic brace and a wonderful free-kick from Leo Walta ensured Swansea City deservedly ended the 2025-26 campaign with victory over Charlton Athletic at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Substitute Idah had given the Swans the lead when he firmly fired home Josh Key’s pull-back with 15 minutes to go, with the hosts having dominated the vast majority of proceedings.
Charlton almost immediately responded when Miles Leaburn headed home from a corner, but the hosts responded as Josh Tymon’s pull-back was once again met by a powerful finish from Republic of Ireland international Idah.
And Walta rounded off the win with a stunning set-piece strike that was some way to claim his first goal in Swansea colours.
Ronald, Cameron Burgess, Walta and Zan Vipotnik had all gone close earlier in the piece for the Swans, while Tymon and Ronald had also had the ball in the back of the net only to be denied by the offside flag.
The full-time whistle also saw Vipotnik confirmed as the Championship’s golden boot winner after a sensational season, while it also gave head of goalkeeping Martyn Margetson and coach Joe Allen a winning send off in SA1.
For Vitor Matos the way in which his side dominated this game with the ball will offer further encouragement ahead of next season, and this win once again underlined the outstanding home form Swansea have shown under his stewardship.
There was also the welcome sight of Thomas Woodward becoming the latest youngster off the academy production line to make a senior debut after his second-half introduction.
The Swans had made four changes from the draw at Norwich as Andy Fisher, Josh Key, Liam Cullen and Melker Widell came back into the side, while youngsters Dan Watts and Woodward were among the Swansea substitutes.
Matos had challenged his side to produce a “full on” performance on the final day, and they started with plenty of intent with Cullen nearly sliding Ronald in on goal after good pressing had won the ball high up the pitch for the hosts.
They thought they had taken the lead when some lovely link play allowed Josh Tymon to finish calmly with his right foot, but the offside flag was quickly up.
Vipotnik was the next to go close, a tremendous diagonal switch from Cameron Burgess picked out Key, who rolled the ball into the path of the arriving Slovenian, but Thomas Kaminsi got a good hand to his strike.
The Swans were firmly in control of proceedings, although Fisher did make his first save of the contest just before the half-hour mark when Jayden Fevrier’s shot spooned up into his grasp.
The game rather ran out of momentum at that point, with the visitors happy to sit off and the home side finding it difficult to break down a compact low block.
Despite Cullen and Goncalo Franco having shots blocked it was goalless at the interval.
Leo Walta then rather surprised Kaminski with an awkward swerving strike from distance that the Belgian just about parried.
Ronald then arrowed a half-volley into the net but again the offside flag cut short any celebrations.
Walta was proving lively, having replaced the injured Widell during the opening half, and his lovely cross was met by Burgess, but his header was straight at the keeper.
Another Swansea attack was halted by a poor challenge on Franco as he looked to tee up a white shirt on the edge of the box, but the referee chose not to punish the tackle.
Tymon’s strike from distance was gathered in by Kaminski as the final 20 minutes arrived, before an excellent challenge from Jay Fulton led to Idah teeing up Ronald, but the Brazilian’s strike from the right side of the area flew high and wide of the target.
But Swansea’s frustrations were ended when a lovely flowing attack involving Walta, Tymon, Franco, Fulton and Key ended with the latter’s astute cutback being driven home emphatically by Idah.
The lead did not last long as Leaburn met a corner with a thumping header as Charlton were finally sparked into life.
But Swansea hit back quickly themselves, a sharp counter-attack ending with Tymon claiming a 10th league assist of the season and Idah’s thumping finish finding the net with the aid of a small deflection.
Walta then put the cherry on the cake with a moment of magic as his free-kick opening his Swansea City account.
Swansea City: Andy Fisher; Josh Key (Joel Ward 77), Ben Cabango (captain), Cameron Burgess, Josh Tymon; Marko Stamenic (Jay Fulton 46), Goncalo Franco, Liam Cullen (Adam Idah 65); Ronald, Melker Widell (Leo Walta 35), Zan Vipotnik (Thomas Woodward 77).
Unused Substitutes: Paul Farman, Malick Yalcouye, Gustavo Nunes, Dan Watts.
Charlton Athletic: Thomas Kaminski, Macaulay Gillesphey, Lloyd Jones, Conor Coventry, Conor Coady (captain) (Sonny Carey 60), Luke Chambers, Reece Burke (Miles Leaburn 60), Harvey Knibbs (Luke Berry 75), Harry Clarke, Jayden Fevrier (Joe Rankin-Costello 60), Lyndon Dykes (Charlie Kelman 77).
Unused Substitutes: Will Mannion, Kayne Ramsay, Keenan Gough, Ibrahim Fullah.
Referee: Will Finnie
Attendance: 19,245