Report | Swansea City 3 Sheffield Wednesday 0
Swansea City claimed their first Championship win of the season as goals from Jamal Lowe, Jerry Yates and Charlie Patino secured victory over Sheffield Wednesday at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Lowe had given the hosts the half-time lead from the penalty spot, after Josh Ginnelly had been fouled in the area.
Substitute Yates scored his third goal of the season just past the hour mark to double the advantage, before Patino finished off a sweeping attack to find the net for the first time in Swansea colours.
There was also a first clean sheet of the league season, and head coach Michael Duff will have plenty of positives to take from this showing, particularly the number of opportunities the Swans created from aggressive pressing work.
The only negative for the hosts were injuries that forced Nathan Wood and Ginnelly off during the first half.
Swansea had shown two changes from the midweek draw at Queens Park Rangers, with Patino and Kristian Pedersen coming in for Jay Fulton and Bashir Humphreys respectively.
Ginnelly and Lowe combined early, with the latter seeing his near-post effort blocked, while Anthony Musaba fluffed a chance for the visitors at the other end after being fed by Lee Gregory.
A last-ditch tackle from Bambo Diaby then denied Liam Cullen an effort on goal after slick work by Matt Grimes – in his 200th game as Swansea captain – Lowe and Jamie Paterson.
But there was a blow for the Swans when Nathan Wood was forced off with an injury, and Harry Darling replaced him.
One of the defender’s first acts was to block a Gregory shot, with Carl Rushworth then saving from the striker with the Swans furious that a challenge that left Patino in a heap had gone unpunished in the build-up.
But Pol Valentin’s clumsy challenge on Ginnelly in the Wednesday area was punished, with referee Anthony Backhouse pointing to the spot.
Lowe took the responsibility for the penalty, and sent Devis Vazquez the wrong way to find the corner of the net and give the Swans the lead.
Ginnelly was causing problems down the left but his afternoon was cut short just before the interval as he stayed down after a challenge on the left, with Yates taking his place.
The injuries ensured there were eight minutes of stoppage time at the end of the first half, with Gregory sending a threatening ball across goal after good work by Musaba just before the board went up.
Cullen briefly thought he had doubled Swansea’s lead after feeding Lowe and seeing his fellow forward’s effort saved, but the offside flag was soon up.
Nevertheless, the Swans led at the interval, and could have extended it had Paterson been able to take in a Grimes pass that would have sent him clear in space.
The hosts were working hard off the ball and forcing errors from the Owls, with one starting a move that ended with Cullen heading over from 12 yards out.
The Swans continued to press, with Patino firing over from distance after neat footwork, before Wednesday had an opening of their own as Callum Paterson and Musaba got in each other’s way attempting to meet a Josh Windass cross.
The Owls then spurned a gilt-edged chance to level as Diaby’s close-range effort from a flicked-on free-kick found the underside of the bar and bounced down and away from goal.
And Swansea would take full advantage to double their lead in the 64th minute.
More good pressing work won the ball high up the field, and Lowe squared the ball for Yates to steer a first-time shot into the far corner of the net.
From the restart Gregory saw his shot blocked by a superb challenge from Ben Cabango and Swansea immediately countered to put the game to bed.
Lowe superbly controlled a ball down the line to turn infield, and his pass sent Patino through to dink the ball over the advancing Vazquez and into the net.
Further chances came Swansea's way, Yates heading over, while Diaby made two important clearances to prevent balls into the area finding white shirts ready to pounce.
Darling also headed a Paterson free-kick back across goal, but the result had long been decided.
Swansea City: Carl Rushworth, Josh Key, Kristian Pedersen, Ben Cabango, Matt Grimes (captain), Jamal Lowe (Josh Tymon 74_, Josh Ginnelly (Jerry Yates 41), Jamie Paterson, Charlie Patino (Jay Fulton 74), Liam Cullen, Nathan Wood (Harry Darling 10).
Unused Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Mykola Kuharevich, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Harrison Ashby, Bashir Humphreys.
Sheffield Wednesday: Devis Vazquez, Bambo Diaby, Lee Gregory (Ashley Fletcher 75), Barry Bannan (captain), Pol Valentin (Michael Smith 75), Juan Delgado (Callum Paterson 55), Di'Shon Bernard, John Buckley (Josh Windass 55), Jeff Hendrick (George Byers 77), Akin Famewo, Anthony Musaba.
Unused Substitutes: Cameron Dawson, Liam Palmer, Dominic Iorfa, George Byers, Tyreeq Bakinson.
Referee: Anthony Backhouse
Attendance: 16,867