The Championship’s top scorer would be no match for the sorry Owls who would be never in the match and now move that much closer to relegation. The Serbian’s bullet free kick the pick of the Sunday lunchtime feast of goals that would leave a more than satisfied home faithful purring with their side’s attacking intent.
Coming off the back of an impressive 2-0 victory over play-off chasing Watford last time out, the Swans would come into the game full of confidence, knowing a win against the league’s basement side would ignite their top six hopes.
With results going the home side’s way on Saturday, extending an unbeaten home record to seven games would put Vitor Matos’ side just five points off the play-off placings.
The Portuguese head coach would warn his side against complacency coming into the contest, with “nothing likely to come easy” against an Owls side without a win in 24 attempts.
The Swans would show three changes with on-loan winger Gustavo Nunes handed a first start. Ethan Galbraith and Liam Cullen both were recalled with Joel Ward and Eom Ji-Sung amongst a substitute bench including new signing Leo Walta.
Wednesday, meanwhile, without a goal in eight matches since a 2-2 Boxing Day draw at home to Hull, would show two changes as they would attempt to replicate their 1-0 win in South Wales in the previous campaign and gain a first victory on the road since September. On loan forward Joel Ndala would make his debut whilst wing back Tayo Adramola would be brought into the starting X1
It would be the home side who would start the brightest, pressing their opposition off the ball and neat and tidy in possession. Both Nunes and Marko Stamenic sending long-range efforts at Owls goalkeeper Murphy Cooper that would easily be deal with.
The Swans would patiently probe their opposition and would get their rewards with a move of supreme quality and confidence. Ronald and Cullen exchanging passes in the midfield, before spreading the ball out left to Josh Tymon. The Swans wing back would taking one touch before firing a sumptuous ball across the face of goal where Franco would gleefully hammer home from six yards.
The Swans would push for a second as Wednesday would be forced further and further back into their own half. Ronald’s low drive inches away crashing into the side netting, before Galbraith defense splitting pass would feed Cullen. The Swans number 20’s shot though high, wide and not so handsome.
Swansea would be close once more on the stroke of half-time as another fine move on the left seeing Cullen picked out by Tymon once again. The wales international’s deft chip, however, over an onrushing Cooper and agonisingly bouncing off the top of the crossbar to safety.
There would be more one way traffic after the break with Swansea top scorer Vipotnik heading a pinpoint corner wide, whilse Nunes would see his effort blocked after Tymon’s neat cutback.
The Swansea though would put the game to bed midway through the second-half through the Championship’s leading marksman. The Slovenian delivering a powerful free kick like a bullet into the top-corner from the edge of the penalty area past a helpless Cooper for goal 16 of the season.
With the Owls defense at six’s and sevens it wouldn’t take long for the Swans number nine to find his second and the Swans third of the afternoon. Galbraith the chief creator picking out Ronald to play a simple ball to the feet of Vipotnik who with one touch set himself to arrow a finish into the bottom corner.
There would still be time for a fourth as substitute Yalcouye would put gloss on the performance beating two players before finishing with a neat close-range strike as stoppage-time loomed.
It would be the final notable moment from a game where Swansea would be dominant throughout, and as Wednesday’s destiny of relegation moves closer, Matos’ side will now only looking one way up the table.
Swansea City XI
Lawrence Vigouroux, Ethan Galbraith, Josh Tymon, Ben Cabango (captain), Cameron Burgess, Marko Stamenic (Jay Fulton 55), Goncalo Franco (Leo Walta 72), Liam Cullen (Malick Yalcouye, Ronald (Josh Key 82), Gustavo Nunes (Eom Ji-Sung 72), Zan Vipotnic.
Sheffield Wednesday XI
Murphy Cooper, Gabriel Otegbayo, Liam Cooper, Liam Palmer (captain), Jaden Heskey, Tayo Adaramola (Reece Johnson 70), Reece Johnson, Charlie McNeil (Ike Ugbo 70), Joel Ndala, Jerry Yates (Bruno Fernades 90), Jamal Lowe (Marvelous Nakamba 61).
[Lead image: Swansea City FC]
