It was Swansea City’s day today, the shackles were off with the team slightly tweaked, and at last we saw what summer signing Vipotnik is all about. His changing of position with Liam Cullen aided a more fluent and thoughtful Swansea attack and couple that with Myles Peart-Harris at last stepping up all the ingredients were there for a win. And win the Swans did.

The end of the game saw a delighted Swansea City side celebrating in front of the home supporters for the first time since last year. It also displayed that when players operate closer together and back each other up in the tackle that strange things can happen. Here is how it all went.

Straight from the start the crowd got behind the Swans but it was Blackburn who had a header well saved by Vigouroux in the home goal. The Swans did press and a nice move involving Franco and Cullen ended up with Myles Peart-Harris whose shot/cross was neither here nor there. Lewis O’Brien was next but his cross was headed away. The Swans were showing more urgency but the Blackburn midfield looked stronger. At this points at least.

On seven minutes Blackburn earned a corner from a Josh Tymon block on the Swans left. Harry Darling cleared. On thirteen minutes a low cross from Vipotnik was completely missed by Liam Cullen in front of goal. A sign of the times. That was a real opportunity. That move though would signal an afternoon of many chances. Blackburn had a similar opportunity moments later but their cross in from the Swans left came to nothing. Nobody was there. Vipotnik was working hard and earned the Swans a free kick in a very dangerous area just outside of the away sides eighteen yard line. Liam Cullen’s free kick was poor and sailed high and wide.

Really the Swans should be one up.

What can be said is the Swans were playing higher up the park which enabled more ball into Ronald. On twenty three minutes a corner was poorly taken but the Swans retained possession, too much caution again led to the home side losing the ball. Then a wonderful chance after good work from Josh Key p, but his last touch to Cullen was poor, he really should have taken the shot on. Territory was now with the Swans, again a sweeping move was met by Tymon but a delicious cross was cleared somehow by the Rovers defence.

It was much better than we have seen for some two months including the Boxing Day 3-0 win against QPR. We were on the thirty minute mark with the Swans on their uppers but passes were falling short from Key and Franco or just misdirected. Crosses kept coming from the Swans but were being easily dealt with by the away side. When Rovers did get forwards it was down their right and their crossing was more precise. A very harsh free kick went against Cullen on the edge of the Swans area on thirty seven minutes, that was blocked. O’Brien was spraying the ball around comfortably which resulted in a free kick for the Swans after Ronald was fouled. From that free kick Vipotnik scrambled a well deserved goal home. Tymon’s cross was right on the money for Vipotnik. He seemed to be playing behind Cullen and was having an excellent game. Busy, workmanlike and energetic. His desire to score got him that goal.

Blackburn responded with three corners over a few minutes. All were well defended the last taken easily by Vigouroux. Blackburn did look to be getting the run of the fouls from referee Ward. The hard work by Vipotnik who was being hauled back on the halfway line would immediately pay off as his efforts despite being held led to a pass to Peart-Harris. For the first time this season we saw desire and strength, Myles outmuscled and managed himself into a scoring position. His hard work was rewarded as he slid his shot across Rovers keeper Pears into the away net. This was nothing more than the Swans deserved for their first forty five minutes of effort.

But was Vipotnik’s more withdrawn position, a strategic piece of genius from Alan Sheehan ? Again we saw the Swans with less possession but more impact in midfield. O’Brien and Franco squeezing the centre of the park.

The second half started quietly with Blackburn trying to turn their possession into something more positive. With no changes Sheehan was clearly happy with that first half. A stupid foul by Forshaw out on the Swans left gave opportunity to extend the lead. The ball was cleared but no Swans player was across the ball. The defender kicking away from the floor. Rovers were readying themselves to make three changes on fifty five minutes. The three came on signalling a more rapid look to the Rovers attack. On fifty six minutes a Ronald cross was cleared but the Swans were well in this game. Vipotnik again the danger man.

Swansea City just seemed a team, even in this second half that wouldn’t be deprived of a win. On sixty two minutes that was emphasised by another lovely move by the home side. The pass in from Tymon was inch perfect and Cullen at last ended his dry spell of goals. He slotted his shot home and surely now the game was a done deal ? Blackburn tried to get back into the game as their supporters left the stadium. Rovers did press on but a superb ball into Tymon was crossed into the opponents area and somehow Vipotnik missed an easy tap in. It could have been from my position the defender just nipped the ball away but the Swans were impressive. More chances followed.

A triple change for the Swans saw Josh Ginnelly for Peart-Harris, Ollie Cooper for Cullen and Bianchini for Vipotnik. Ginnelly made an immediate impact crossing in from the Swans right which was nearly deflected into the Rovers bench. Despite the chances, and the Swans had many as we entered the final ten minutes there still seemed to be one more chance for the home side. We were seeing the Swans win more ball, that as a result of more effort. That always rewards a team. Ronald had a break but was denied just as Jay Fulton was about to come on. Franco left the field. Winding up the player who pushed him to the ground earlier. Then on eighty seven minutes Eom came on for Ronald.

It wasn’t a complete performance of course, but the reigns were off for this game, Sheehan clearly seeing what has been wrong for two months and putting it right. The first win of this year couldn’t have been more welcome. Swansea City don’t play now until next week, their rescheduled away game at Preston on March 4th, therein follows a home game against Middlesbrough. We mustn’t take things for granted as we did after the Bristol City away win, but the strategy today was way above what Luke Williams was capable of. The players had freedom and really wanted to play for the interim manager, the cheers at the end such a heart warming thing to hear. Travis was the funniest Rovers player of the day. After Franco had run him ragged and wound him up on numerous occasions he departed the field of play. Now Travis started on Bianchini who just smiled and outmuscled him. Travis was having a real heads gone half.

Blackburn came for the win, they didn’t even come close and Swansea City are in sixteenth place in the table on forty points. The Sheehan effect is with us again, and with three points earned today from thirty nine to play for, he really couldn’t have had a better start.

⚽️ Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux 6 Josh Key 6 Ben 7: (captain), Harry Darling,7 Josh Tymon 8:Lewis O’Brien:7 Gonçalo Franco 7 (Jay Fulton 86); Ronald 6 (Jisung Eom 88), Liam Cullen 6 (Ollie Cooper 81), Myles Peart-Harris 7 (Josh Ginnelly 81); Žan Vipotnik *9 (Florian Bianchini 81).

Unused Substitutes: Jon McLaughlin, Cyrus Christie, Kyle Naughton, Hannes Delcroix.

⚽️ Blackburn Rovers: Aynsley Pears, Callum Brittain, Yuri Ribeiro, Dominic Hyam, Makhtar Gueye (Cauley Woodrow 88), Tyrhys Dolan (Joe Rankin-Costello 79), Andreas Weimann (Emmanuel Dennis 57), Ryan Hedges (Augustus Kargbo 57), Lewis Travis (captain), Adam Forshaw (John Buckley 57), Dion Sanderson.

Unused Substitutes: Balázs Tóth, Hayden Carter, Yuki Ohashi, Amario Cozier-Duberry.

Referee: Gavin Ward : Seemed to have it in for Cullen, but overall kept the game flowing 6/10.

Attendance: 13,788 : Highly dubious again.
Away : Est 485

Artwork by Swansea Independent: Photographs Swansea City AFC

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