Report | Swansea City 3 Blackburn Rovers 0
Swansea City recorded a first home win of 2025 as goals from Žan Vipotnik, Myles Peart-Harris and Liam Cullen saw them dominate play-off hopefuls Blackburn Rovers at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Caretaker head coach Alan Sheehan had called for a reaction from his side following a poor run of form at the start of the new calendar year, and the players produced one.
They got their rewards when Vipotnik bundled home his fifth goal of the season before Peart-Harris’ solo goal gave them a two-goal advantage at the break.
Cullen than added a third with his 11th strike of the campaign as the Swans eased to a valuable three points.
While Sheehan and his players will know one performance will not make up for recent disappointments, they would have every right to be proud of a display that was high in energy with and without the ball, with the Swans notably causing their visitors countless problems with their pressing and play in transition.
The hosts had shown four changes from defeat at Stoke as Josh Key, Harry Darling, Peart-Harris and Vipotnik came in for Kyle Naughton, Hannes Delcroix, Jisung Eom and Ollie Cooper respectively.
Blackburn, meanwhile, made two alterations from their win over Plymouth as Ryan Hedges and Andreas Weimann replaced Amario Cozier-Duberry and Todd Cantwell.
And the visitors made the more incisive start, with Lawrence Vigouroux making an outstanding fingertip save to deny Weimann’s header, which was arrowing its way towards the top corner.
The Swans responded with a bright passage of play that saw Cullen feed Peart-Harris, who jinked away from his man before floating the ball just beyond the angle of post and crossbar.
Swansea carved out another opportunity in the 15th minute, Vipotnik getting into space down the left and pulling the ball back towards Cullen, who could not cleanly meet the pass.
The hosts pressed vigorously without the ball, and when white shirts swarmed Hedges on the edge of his own area it led to a Swansea free-kick in a threatening position, but Cullen’s effort was off target.
Those moments lifted the energy levels on and off the pitch, and Swansea then worked Key into the area, but he opted to look for a pass when the shot was on and Aynsley Pears in the Blackburn goal was grateful to be able to easily gather.
Swansea came forward again, Lewis O’Brien playing Josh Tymon in down the left, with the full-back’s low cross being hacked clear by the covering Dominic Hyam.
The next big chance went Blackburn’s way, with Vigouroux pushing away Weimann’s strike from a Callum Brittain pull-back.
However, the Swans were the ones to take the lead; Tymon delivered from the left and Vipotnik guided the ball home at the second attempt, with Pears unable to adjust his feet to keep out the low follow-up.
And Swansea doubled their lead seconds before half-time with Vipotnik involved again.
The Slovenian battled with Dion Sanderson for possession, and it allowed Peart-Harris to pounce on the loose ball and take off towards goal.
He was closed down by a covering defender, but calmly steered the ball into the net via the inside of the far post.
It should have been 3-0 within seconds of the restart, Swansea again pressed to win the ball high up the pitch with Cullen then feeding Vipotnik, but Pears was equal to his effort.
The keeper was soon in action again, parrying Franco’s effort after a lovely exchange of passes between the midfielder and Vipotnik in the area.
But he could not deny Cullen when Swansea again attacked with purpose in transition, and the Wales international swept home Peart-Harris’ pass just past the hour mark.
Franco flashed an effort wide, while Pears just about managed to divert Tymon’s awkward dipping strike away.
Still Swansea looked to add to their tally, with Dion Sanderson putting a Josh Ginnelly cross over his own bar with Ollie Cooper waiting to convert as the home side eased to victory in SA1.
Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux; Josh Key, Ben Cabango (captain), Harry Darling, Josh Tymon; Lewis O’Brien, Gonçalo Franco (Jay Fulton 86); Ronald (Jisung Eom 88), Liam Cullen (Ollie Cooper 81), Myles Peart-Harris (Josh Ginnelly 81); Žan Vipotnik (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
Attendance: 13,788