Report | Swansea City 1 Middlesbrough 0
Jisung Eom’s first Swansea City goal earned his side a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough as the Swans made it back-to-back home wins.
Eom gave the Swans the lead, with a fine curling effort from the edge of the box to open his account in SA1.
The win makes it three games unbeaten for the Swans as they climbed to 15th in the Championship table.
Caretaker head coach Alan Sheehan was forced into one change as Eom replaced Myles Peart-Harris following a back injury suffered in Tuesday’s goalless draw with Preston North End.
The first chance of the game fell to the Swans as the incoming Eom headed on target from Josh Key’s cross seven minutes in, forcing Mark Travers into a save at the bottom right corner.
Zan Vipotnik tested Travers again just five minutes with a volleyed effort from the edge of the box, but he couldn’t really trouble the Boro shot stopper as he gathered the shot with ease.
Middlesbrough responded with a chance of their own as former Swans forward Morgan Whittaker found space outside the box, his long range effort flying well over the bar.
But the Swans would capitalise on their early dominance, Harry Darling winning the ball back on the halfway line before Eom drove at the Boro box and curled a delightful shot post Travers for his first Swansea City goal.
Ben Cabango had the chance to double as he met Josh Tymon’s corner delivery, but his effort couldn’t find the target.
Vipotnik continued to be a threat for the Swans, finding space on the edge as he was picked out by Ronald, but the forward’s low strike was well dealt with by Traversbefore trying a bicycle kick just two minutes later that was deflected behind for a corner.
Boro started brightly after the break, substitiute Kelechi Iheanacho bursting into space before finding Tommy Conway who’s low effort flashed past Lawrence Vigouroux’s far post.
Eom almost turned provider with a dangerous free kick delivery, but the cross evaded Liam Cullen, Harry Darling and Zan Viptonik who were all outstretching for the ball across the six-yard box.
Darling required treatment following the effort and was replaced by Hannes Delcriox with 28 minutes remaining.
Lewis O’Brien’s inviting cross almost saw Dael Fry turn past his own goalkeeper soon after, turning the midfielder’s low cross just over his own cross bar.
Delcroix came close with his first touch after being introduced from the resulting corner, meeting Tymon’s delivery in the box with a volleyed effort that went beyond the post.
The Swans continued to pressure the Middlesbrough goal from there as Eom almost made it two just two minutes later, meeting Tymon’s delivery in the box but seeing his effort blocked.
Boro responded with a chance of their own, Delano Burgzorg bursting into the final third before laying off to Conway who forced a low save from Vigouroux.
The visitors continued to pile on pressure into the latter stages, with Conway and Iheanacho both seeing efforts blocked inside the box.
But the Swans held strong and secured all three points, making it back-to-back wins on home soil.
Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux; Josh Key, Ben Cabango (captain), Harry Darling (Hannes Delcriox 68’), Josh Tymon; Lewis O’Brien, Gonçalo Franco; Ronald, Liam Cullen (Jay Fulton 81’), Jisung Eom (Ollie Cooper 73’), Žan Vipotnik (Florian Bianchini 73’).
Substitutes: Jon McLaughlin, Joe Allen, Josh Ginnelly, Cyrus Christie, Kyle Naughton.
Middlesbrough: Mark Travers, Anfernee Dijksteel, Dael Fry (Jonny Howson 79’), Neto Borges, Ryan Giles (Samuel Iling-Junior 46’), Aidan Morris, Hayden Hackney (captain), Marcus Forss (Keleachi Iheanacho 46’), Morgan Whittaker (Delano Burgzorg 70’), Finn Azaz, Tommy Conway.
Substitutes: Thomas Glover, George McCormick, Daniel Barlaser, Law McCabe, Luke Woolston,.
Referee: Ruebyn Ricardo
Attendance: 13,986