Swansea City 2-1 Millwall: Swans remain unbeaten after hard-fought win

Swansea saw an early penalty appeal rejected when Ben Cabango went down under Alex Pearce's challenge

Swansea City's impressive start to the season continued as goals from Jake Bidwell and Ben Cabango saw them beat Millwall 2-1 at the Liberty Stadium.

Steve Cooper's side made it 10 points from their first four league games of 2020-21 as they scrapped their way to victory in a hard-fought game.

Swansea went ahead right at the start of the second half as Bidwell steered home his first goal for the club at the far post.

Millwall swiftly responded, with Tom Bradshaw levelling just five minutes later as he fired in his first league goal since January.

But the Lions saw their unbeaten start to the league campaign come to an end thanks to Cabango's close-range strike.

This was a meeting of two sides who have been hard to break down in the early stages of the season - and defences were on top in a first half that was short on chances.

Swansea's passing game was not sharp enough to cause any significant problems for Millwall, who looked most troubled when they had the ball and the home side pressed high up the pitch.

After Cabango's early penalty appeal was turned down, Swansea were reduced to trying shots from distance, Matt Grimes firing straight at Bartosz Bialkowski and Andre Ayew slicing over.

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Millwall's only chance of any note before the break came when Mason Bennett met Scott Malone's left-wing cross with a header which was blocked by Marc Guehi.

Swansea did improve as half-time approached, with Morgan Gibbs-White and Ayew combining to tee up a Jamal Lowe volley which ricocheted to safety off Alex Pearce.

Next, Ayew crossed from the right for Bidwell, but the wing-back could only head wide of the far post.

The goal the game needed arrived seconds after the restart, as Gibbs-White burst down the right and crossed to the far post.

Bidwell, making his 45th Swansea appearance, did well to wrap his leg around Mahlon Romeo and poke a shot beyond Bialkowski and inside the far post.

The lead was soon wiped out, however, as Swansea conceded for the first the first time in the Championship this season.

The goal was soft when it came, with Bradshaw getting in too easily and then drilling a low shot which beat 21-year-old Steven Benda, who was making his debut in the Swansea goal in the absence of the unwell Freddie Woodman.

Next came a flashpoint, as Ayew went down screaming and clutching his face after an off-the-ball coming together with Jake Cooper and prompting an angry response from Millwall's players.

When the game eventually restarted - after no action from the officials - it was Swansea who seized the initiative for a second time.

Their second goal was not a thing of beauty.

Gibbs-White's chipped free-kick was only half cleared and Lowe volleyed into a crowd to start a mighty scramble.

Bidwell looked like claiming his second but saw a backheel saved by Bialkowski, but centre-back Cabango was on hand to stab home at the second attempt.

The battle continued to the end, with Pearce forcing Benda to help a shot over the bar before Jake Cooper's stoppage-time header was pushed to safety by Swansea's rookie keeper.

Swansea head coach Steve Cooper:

"We knew it was going to be a tough game and it proved to be that way, but I thought we were good for the win.

"First half we dominated the game with possession at the top end of the pitch, but I would like us to have created more opportunities.

"Second half we had a great start and got ourselves in front but I thought we gave away a goal, not just the shot, but how we let them get into that position.

"But fair play to the boys, they regrouped and looked a threat again. We got it through a set-play which is good, Cabango has scraped one in. I thought the best team won."

Millwall manager Gary Rowett:

"First half Swansea were the better side and we were a little bit too far off them at times. I was a little disappointed with the performance in the first half.

"To come in at 0-0 I was relatively pleased with the scoreline but not with the performance.

"It was a really poor goal to give away - I have to say our normal resolute defensive nature was not there. Then for 25 minutes we were excellent. We scored a worthy goal and had some other good moments, but their second goal was disappointing again.

"That was unlike us, but I think we just about did enough to get a point."