SWANS: Ronald punishes the club he nearly joined as late winner keeps Swansea top at Millwall

Of all the people to break Millwall’s hearts, it had to be Ronald.

The Brazilian, whose move to the Den collapsed on transfer deadline day, came off the bench to side-foot home a 90th-minute winner and keep Swansea City top of the Championship.

Vitor Matos has said the winger never changed through all that uncertainty. On a bruising night in south London, he picked the perfect moment to show it.

The 1-0 win takes the Swans six points clear of third, and keeps them two points ahead of Middlesbrough, who edged Stoke 3-2.

Seelt handed first start as Matos rings the changes

Matos made four changes from the 2-1 win over Norwich, with on-loan Sunderland man Jenson Seelt making his first start.

Marko Stamenic, Elijah Just and Zan Vipotnik also came into the side.

Filip Lissah’s last-ditch block as Millwall turn up the heat

Captain Ben Cabango had said the Swans knew what to expect at the Den, and Millwall came flying out of the blocks.

Mark Sykes got in behind Josh Tymon and picked out Kyrell Lisbie for what looked a certain tap-in, until Filip Lissah stretched out a toe to deny him.

It set the tone for a half of Swansea backs-to-the-wall defending. Lisbie, Sykes and Jenson Metcalfe all had their moments, and each time the league leaders found a way to stop them.

Inches away: Osei-Tutu beats Opoku to the rebound off the post

Whatever Matos said at half-time worked, because the Swans came out a different side.

They came within inches of the lead when a goalmouth scramble saw the ball bounce off the post and roll along the line, only for Jordi Osei-Tutu to beat Opoku to the rebound and hack it clear.

Vipotnik and Moussa Yeo both went close from short range too, but the goal would not come.

Ross Stewart makes his mark at both ends

Ross Stewart, sent on with Gonçalo Franco and Melker Widell just after the hour, made his presence felt straight away, and not where you might expect.

When a high ball was nodded down for Sykes a few yards out, it was the striker who threw himself in to clear the danger.

Moments later he was at the other end, seeing a low shot cleared off the line before Millwall scrambled another goalmouth melee to safety.

Vigouroux and Crama keep it goalless, then Ronald strikes

Millwall still had their chances. Lawrence Vigouroux denied Lyndon Dykes at close range after Tristan Crama kept a deep cross alive, and Crama’s header from the corner skimmed the roof of the net.

They would pay for it. With the game seemingly heading for a goalless draw, Opoku whipped a cross to the back post, and there was Ronald, six minutes after coming on, to side-foot it home.

The away end erupted, and so did the Swansea bench.

Matos had warned before the game that Millwall were a team that never gives up. This time, it was his side who refused to.

Defeat leaves Alex Neil’s Millwall down in 10th, but the Swans fly on at the top.

Swansea City team at Millwall

Swansea City: Vigouroux; Lissah, Cabango (capt), Seelt (Welsh 77), Tymon; Fulton (Franco 65), Stamenic, Just (Widell 65); Yeo (Ronald 84), Opoku, Vipotnik (Stewart 65).