Report | West Bromwich Albion 3 Swansea City 2

Swansea City suffered a first defeat of the season as a rousing late fightback came up short against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns.

The hosts had led at the break through Semi Ajayi’s close-range effort following a long throw into the Swansea box.

Another long throw led to an own goal from keeper Carl Rushworth as he attempted to keep out Darnell Furlong’s deflected effort, before John Swift netted the Baggies third from the penalty spot.

However, Harry Darling pulled one back for the Swans with a thumping header from a corner with 16 minutes to play, and there were were 10 minutes plus stoppage time to play when Nathan Wood found the net for the first time in a Swansea shirt, but they could not find a leveller.

The visitors did have other chances as Jerry Yates clattered the crossbar with a volleyed effort, while Wood headed wide in the first half and saw a chance to narrow the deficit to one goal saved from close range during the closing stages, while Ben Cabango could not convert arguably the best of them in stoppage time.

The Swans showed one change from the opening-weekend draw with Birmingham as Ollie Cooper came in for Jamie Paterson, while new signing Charlie Patino was among the substitutes.

The hosts started on the front foot, with the offside flag stopping Matt Phillips and Jed Wallace in their tracks as they looked to get in behind.

Conor Townsend sent a free-kick well over the bar for the hosts after Cooper had been penalised for handling a Wallace cross.

Wood and Matt Grimes made important blocks as Albion threatened on the break after nicking the ball in the middle of the park.

But they could not prevent the home side taking the lead when Ajayi lashed home after the Swans had been unable to clear a long throw and the ball for the defender just outside the six-yard box.

The Baggies were soon on the front foot again, Wallace bursting clear only for Wood to divert his cross into the hands of Rushworth.

But the Swans spurned a great chance to level in the 24th minute when an excellent set-piece delivery from Grimes found Wood’s head, but the defender nodded the ball into the ground and wide.

Josh Key then worked room down the left to send in an inviting cross, but no pink shirt was on hand to meet it.

At the other end it took fine sweeping work from Cabango to clear the danger after Wood had given the ball away in midfield and Wallace had again advanced down the right.

Aside from a half chance for Joel Piroe there was little other incident of note during the final stages of the opening half and the Swans turned around still a goal behind.

But Key immediately brought some energy as he beat his man on halfway and drove all the way to the penalty area before being dispossessed just as it opened up for him to shoot.

However, Albion went straight up the other end and another long throw ended with the ball being bundled in by Furlong via a deflection off a defender that Rushworth could not keep out as the ball came down off the woodwork and hit the keeper before rebounding into the net.

Duff turned to his bench seconds after Jerry Yates had rattled the bar as he met Key’s knockdown on the volley.

Patino came on for his debut and Liam Cullen was also on as Harrison Ashby and Cooper were withdrawn.

But they had no chance to make an impact before Darling gave away a penalty following a rash challenge on Townsend.

Swift made no mistake from the penalty spot and it left the Swans with a mountain to climb.

Yates and Cullen nearly combined to pull one back, but they did get one when Darling met a Grimes corner with a terrific header to beat Alex Palmer and find the corner of the net.

Swansea pressed again and came so close to getting a second as Darling nodded Patino’s cross back across goal to Wood, but Palmer made a tremendous save to deny the defender.

But there was no denying Wood when Darling was again left free and the ball was worked back in for the centre-half to prod in his first Swansea goal.

Swansea kept coming in search of an equaliser, Darling causing chaos at any set-piece delivered into the Albion area, and hopes were raised further when an additional nine minutes of stoppage time was signalled.

And Cabango came agonisingly close to a leveller as he nodded Patino's corner centimetres wide of the far post.

West Bromwich Albion: Alex Palmer, Darnell Furlong, Conor Townsend, Cedric Kipre, Semi Ajayi, Jed Wallace (captain) (Jeremy Sarmiento 78), Jayson Molumby, Matt Phillips (Alex Mowatt 69), Erik Pieters (Kyle Bartley 82), John Swift (Josh Maja 78), Okay Yokuslu (Nathaniel Chalobah 68).

Unused Substitutes: Josh Griffiths, Kyle Bartley, Jeremy Sarmiento, Taylor Gardner-Hickman, Tom Fellows, Ethan Ingram.

Swansea City: Carl Rushworth; Harry Darling, Ben Cabango, Nathan Wood; Harrison Ashby (Charlie Patino 61), Jay Fulton, Matt Grimes (captain), Ollie Cooper (Liam Cullen 61), Josh Key; Joel Piroe, Jerry Yates (Josh Ginnelly 89).

Unused Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Joe Allen, Jamie Paterson, Mykola Kuharevich, Kyle Naughton, Azeem Abdulai.

Referee: Samuel Barrott

Attendance: