Fulton gives Swansea win over Preston
- Published
Preston's Ben Pearson protests to referee James Linington over a penalty award to Swansea
Swansea City secured back-to-back Championship wins to maintain their impressive start under new boss Graham Potter in a tight contest with Preston.
The Swans deservedly led after 32 minutes when Jay Fulton headed home from Joel Asoro's teasing centre.
The hosts should already have been ahead, but Oliver McBurnie's tepid penalty was easily repelled by Declan Rudd, who saved low to his left.
Preston improved markedly in the second half, but could not score.
Callum Robinson fired just wide and Lukas Nmecha's effort was saved, leaving the Swans with a welcome boost after another turbulent week for the club.
Swansea led after a first half in which their supremacy with the ball meant they should have been ahead by more than Fulton's goal.
They might have been in front just 11 minutes in, when Alan Browne scythed down Barrie McKay - who continued to impress after his fine debut at Sheffield United last week - to present the Swans with a penalty.
However, Rudd was equal to McBurnie's weak effort as a Swansea squad depleted on transfer deadline day looked to mark Potter's first home game in charge with a win.
McBurnie could have extended their lead after Fulton's goal, but he shot tamely at Rudd from the edge of the area, before Asoro's fine run ended with his shot being deflected wide.
At the other end Kristoffer Nordfeldt gave the Swans a scare when he went off with a muscle injury, and he was replaced in goal by Erwin Mulder, who finally made his debut more than a year after signing with the club.
He was one of two Swansea debutants alongside Wales Under-21s captain Joe Roden, the main beneficiary of Swansea's central defensive purge on transfer deadline day, when Federico Fernandez and Jordi Amat joined Alfie Mawson and Kyle Bartley in leaving.
Graham Potter's Swansea came from behind to beat Sheffield United in their opening game of the season
Rodon was impressive and it was pleasing for home fans to see a player born and bred in the Swansea village of Llangyfelach, and who was a season ticket holder as a child, make such a positive impact after a week that saw the Swansea Supporters' Trust criticise the club's approach in the transfer market.
The visitors did improve markedly after the break and threatened through Nmecha, who twice headed wide from Andrew Hughes crosses, and Josh Harrop, whose fierce drive was beaten away by Mulder.
Mulder also denied Nmecha after his clever run beat the offside trap, but the Netherlands goalkeeper was again equal to the task as the Swans held on.
Swansea are now 18 games unbeaten against Preston, a run that extends back to 1961, but saw McBurnie miss late on when he could have made the win safe.
Swansea boss Graham Potter said: "If you can't grind out a result you are dead in any league.
"We have a philosophy of how we want to play, but in the second half they made it tough for us.
"We kept a clean sheet and I am really, really pleased."
Potter also says the Swans can still improve despite what was perceived as a disappointing transfer deadline day.
"We have to be careful in assessing deadlines day at the time. You can only assess it at the end of the season," he said.
"We have signed four players with a good profile who can improve.
"We also had to get the players out who did not want to be here, because otherwise it stops others developing.
"But there is still a loan window open and we will keep working."
Preston North End manager Alex Neil said:
"I said at half-time we can either sit in if you don't believe you're good enough to play against them, or we can go up against them and move the ball much better.
"I had about seven players on the ball under-perform for me in the first half.
"But to be fair to them, as they generally do, they rose to the challenge and their quality was miles improved."