Swansea City exercised their superiority at the stadium of light this afternoon and despite a nasty challenge and a red card the swans may well have taken the three points in any event. And we have to look at academy products, the hard working Liam Cullen and Ollie Cooper for their magnificent contribution against a solid Sunderland side.

A cynical foul by Luke O’Nien on Ollie Cooper saw the first half turn on its head at the stadium of light. Up until the sending off Sunderland looked the better side but never really carved out any opportunities for themselves despite their supporters claiming everything even when it was obvious even by their partisan standards they were wrong. Ben Cabango was also yellow carded for his involvement in the push me pull he that followed the foul. Referee Keith Stroud made some odd decisions, the sending off was right but a throw out from black cats keeper Patterson was intercepted by Fulton but for some reason the referee decided it was an infringement.

A decent free kick from Joel Piroe was parried away as was a shot from Harry Darling but the best effort came from a move which saw Ryan Manning put a dangerous ball in to the home sides box. The swans failed to convert a likely tap in and earlier a Matt Grimes effort looked as if it had gone in but hit the side netting. Sunderland fought a rear guard action whilst the swans played chess football in front of them. What was missing, as it has been throughout the season was some pace and more tempo in the away sides passing.

Over play was again the enemy for the swans, they really should have capitalised on Sunderland’s fragile play and diving at any opportunity, but frustratingly they failed to do so in the first half.

The second half saw Harry Darling in a more advanced position with Matt Grimes also with space to venture further forward. Evidence of this came from the early knockings of the half, a ball in to the black cats area was collected by the keeper with no swans players getting across him. Manning was next with a flash shot which beat the keeper and the far post. The home sides fervent support continued to look for anything to pressurise the referee when he turned down an obvious dive in the swans area.

Having said the the six hundred and fifty plus travelling Jacks could be heard throughout the game.

Then we saw the Sunderland defence stretched. A lovely ball in saw Manning square the ball for Piroe who tapped it home. His fourth goal in four games. The swans now found themselves a goal up away from home for the first time in the league in a long time and now found themselves able to press on. A challenge from Piroe saw him given a yellow card as the pattern of the game reminded the same. Sunderland pressed on earning a free kick which was poorly given away by Cabango. The result was an offside flag.

Spurred on Sunderland did equalise on sixty three minutes, the swans becoming lazy in their passing and far too slow in their decision making. As ever, the mundane possession of the away side killing any chance of going on and winning the game convincingly as it entered the final third. Ross Stewart luckily got the run of the ball and Jack Clarke crossed for Stewart to set up Neil to hit home an easy equaliser. Swansea City’s over play probed again but they seemed unable to get players forward. Possession was constantly given away as the home crowd bawled their displeasure at the referee again and again.

Maybe it was the mesmerising passing from the swans but Ryan Manning again found himself clear on the Sunderland right and fired in a cross which ricocheted in the box off Liam Cullen for the swans to take the lead yet again. The game became and end to end encounter, Cooper fluffing his lines in front of goal, he really should have just hit the ball on receiving it.

The swans brought on Olivier Ntcham for Joe Allen on seventy five minutes with Sunderland pressing the swans defence. Cooper struck a blistering shot on seventy seven minutes to put Swansea 3-1 ahead. A lovely breakaway saw Cooper free and his shot flew on to the back of the net. Then it was Ntcham’s turn with a brightly struck shot but it whistled past the home sides post. The travelling Jacks sang hymns and arias loudly and proudly but a final ten minutes would prove to be tense. Mowbray brought on four subs in a final throw of the dice, fresh legs to concern the swans defence. Swansea brought on Matt Sorinola for Liam Cullen at the same time.

It was never meant to be for Sunderland they rarely threatened after Swansea went 3-1 up and tonight we see the swans in eleventh place just three points off the play offs. Next weekend’s game against Queens Park Rangers is huge. Swansea City have now sold 1,800 tickets for the encounter at Loftus Road with a week to go.

Sunderland: Patterson; Hume, Ballard, O'Nien, Gooch, Evans (C) (Michut 83), Neil, Roberts (Batth 21), Amad (Ba 83), Clarke (Bennette 83), Stewart (Dajaku 83).

Subs not used: Bass, Wright.

Goal: Neil 65

Yellow card: 🟨 Hume 90+1

Red card: 🟥 O'Nien 18

Swansea City: Benda; 6 Latibeaudiere, 6 Cabango, 6 Darling, 7 Manning; 8 Allen 7 (Ntcham 76); 6 Fulton, 6 Grimes (C); 7 Cooper 8 (Cundle 86); 6 Piroe, 7 Cullen 7 (Sorinola 83). 5

Subs not used: Fisher, Naughton, Wood, Congreve.

Goals: Piroe 50, Cullen 70, Cooper 78

Yellow cards: 🟨 Cabango 19, Piroe 53, Latibeaudiere 62, Sorinola 88

Referee: Keith Stroud

Attendance: 40,001

684 away.

Photographs licensed from Reuters

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