A first half performance that any championship team would be happy with earned the Swans all three points in a game which took on another Jeckyl and Hyde feel. Two goals from Ronald secured the win in a first half that could have seen the away side score a whole load more.

The dominance we saw for the first forty five minutes was gratifying and displayed just what this Swansea side can achieve when their minds are on the game. The second half by comparison took on the feel of a tactical game gone wrong. The Swans decided to drop back and defend what they had which was never going to happen over a whole half of football. Having said that the defensive contribution couldn’t be faltered, it was just a shame that tactics employed in the first half were abandoned in the second. For a team to dominate so well and then find themselves hanging on for a a win surely must cause head coach Luke Williams some concern ? Yes, the home side put on the pressure and redeemed themselves for the second half, and the Swans battled bravely but it seemed so unnecessary.

Luke Williams was quick to praise his players and then immediately put Ronald in the shop window post match. "The first half in particular was strong. I think we were good value for the result. We have been seeing some really good performance markers in games but it's difficult when the result is negative. We felt we were improving bit by bit and today is a big step forward. Ronald deserved both the goals. He's deserved one or two more key actions in previous games. He was a huge threat. He's so quick and direct and I'm really happy for him. We need now to try and improve so that we can control longer periods of the game. The opposition was brilliant in the second half and put us under a lot of pressure but on the flip side I saw the team defending well."

Any win on the road is a perfect result of course, with Josh Tymon once again a huge influence going forwards, and to see him out muscle players and stamp his authority on the game was pleasing. His second half performance as well, he looked solid and reliable as Sunderland pushed forwards more and more after pulling one goal back. In the first half Ronald took some time to warm to his role and numerous chances fell to Swansea. Unfortunately they were not taken but when the Brazilian latched on to a Cullen header he put his side one up. More chances fell to the Swans with the woodwork being hit as Placheta aimed a header at Anthony Patterson in the Black Cats goal. Then an absolute dead cert was mistimed by the same player who blasted over.

The second Swans goal was neatly taken by Ronald who took a pass inside the hosts penalty area and calmly drilled in a second goal. Much credit has to be given to Joe Allen, first for intercepting a forward pass and then finding Ronald with a lovely chip over the Sunderland defensive line. Exquisite. And how the Swans would be relieved for that goal come the end of this game. It wasn’t all good for Ronald, his initial crossing was poor but he persisted and earned his reward. Really there was nothing to show from the Black Cats who were resoundly booed from the pitch at half time. Nothing went right for them due to the Swans persistence in the tackle and finding both Ronald (below) and Placheta easily to open up the Sunderland defence.

Despite the Swans dominance in the first half that disintegrated after five minutes of the second. Sunderland seemed to come alive pushing the visitors back and causing some frantic defending from Nathan Wood and Ben Cabango. The pace and fluidity of the home side earned them a goal going in to the final twelve minutes of the game. With the Swans asleep a quickly taken free kick was headed in to the Swans net by Luke O’Nien on seventy eight minutes. The pressing from Sunderland continued after that with the Black Cats keeper up for set pieces the Swans could only hang on with some brave defending. Then a keeper v keeper situation. Carl Rushworth saving from his opposite number Patterson right at the death. To an extent the Swans would have been devastated to only take a point from this game, but it was the first half that won it for them.

Interim Sunderland manager : "Mick Dodds, It didn't work, it doesn't take an expert to see that. One thing I demonstrated last time I was in this role and that'll I'll keep reiterating is that while I'm in this position I'll continue to make bold decisions. Sometimes that will be a positive, sometimes a negative. We've got to take that first forty fiveon the chin, me, the staff and the players. I wouldn't have sent the players out if I wasn't confident the message was really clear, so that's something as a collective we all have to take on the chin. I know I've been really bold in terms of my decisions and how I've tried to set up, I'm not going to take all the responsibility because it's a relationship between me and the players."

Head Coach, Swansea City, Luke Williams, "The first half in particular was strong. I think we were good value for the result. We have been seeing some really good performance markers in games but it's difficult when the result is negative. We felt we were improving bit by bit and today is a big step forward. Ronald deserved both the goals. He's deserved one or two more key actions in previous games. He was a huge threat. He's so quick and direct and I'm really happy for him. We need now to try and improve so that we can control longer periods of the game. The opposition was brilliant in the second half and put us under a lot of pressure but on the flip side I saw the team defending well."

Swans Indy : The Swans could have easily thrown this game away in the second half, there was some resilient defending but the goal tally should have been higher after an impressive first forty five. Luke Williams has stated on numerous occasions that he wants his side to go for more when ahead, well, his second half plan was flawed. His mindset was defensive in the main and once again we didn’t see Mykola coming on or starting. He proved last week he is a huge threat, but Williams persisted with Jerry Yates. We should all be happy of course with the win, and now the Swans face Blackburn Rovers in a weeks time at the Swansea.Com Stadium. A fixture where we all hope Williams picks up his first league win at home since taking over at Swansea City.

⚽️ Sunderland: Anthony Patterson, Jobe Bellingham, Luke O'Nien (captain), Nazariy Rusyn (Luis Hemir 72), Abdoullah Ba (Chris Rigg 72), Jenson Seelt, Dan Neil, Callum Styles (Romaine Mundle 60), Trai Hume, Leo Hjelde (Adil Aouchiche 85), Pierre Ekwah.

Unused Substitutes: Nathan Bishop, Timothee Pembele, Mason Burstow, Caden Kelly, Thomas Lavery.

⚽️ Swansea City: Carl Rushworth, 6 Ben Cabango, 6 Joe Allen 7 (Jay Fulton 63) 4, Matt Grimes (captain), 6 Jamie Paterson 6 (Jerry Yates 63), 4 Josh Tymon, 8 Przemyslaw Placheta,7 Liam Cullen 5 (Charlie Patino 78), 5 Nathan Wood, 6 Kyle Naughton 7 (Harry Darling 89), Ronald (Ollie Cooper 89).

Unused Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Mykola Kukharevych, Charles Sagoe Jr, Filip Lissah.

Referee: ⚽️ Keith Stroud, not as bonkers as normal, 6/10.

Attendance: 41,777

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Photographs licensed from Reuters

Swansea City Polls