Swansea City 0-3 Blackburn Rovers: Jon Dahl Tomasson's men stroll to Swansea win

Sammie Smzodics, who scored seven times for Peterborough last season, rolls in his first Blackburn goalImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Sammie Smzodics, who scored seven times for Peterborough last season, rolls in his first Blackburn goal

Blackburn Rovers made it six points from six in the Championship this season as they cruised to victory at Swansea City.

Sammie Szmodics swept Blackburn in front 39 minutes into his debut having joined from Peterborough this week.

Ben Brereton Diaz then claimed his first of the season with a classy finish just before the hour.

Swansea already looked beaten by the time Lewis Travis' drive rounded off a fine day for Rovers late on.

New Blackburn boss Jon Dahl Tomasson has enjoyed a perfect first week in the Championship, but Swansea head coach Russell Martin is left with work to do after an uninspiring performance from his team.

Swansea, who looked short of attacking threat, have only one point from their first two games of the new campaign.

This was a meeting of one team who evidently remain a work in progress after a year under Martin and another who are getting used to life after Tony Mowbray.

The Tomasson era began with opening-day victory - and a clean sheet - against Queens Park Rangers.

There was more good news for Blackburn in a tepid first half at the Swansea.com Stadium, where the hosts controlled the ball but Rovers took charge of the scoreboard.

Swansea only once looked like scoring, when Michael Obafemi stretched to head Ryan Manning's cross up in the air when Joel Latibeaudiere looked better placed at the far post.

Joel Piroe latched onto the loose ball but could only flash a shot narrowly wide.

Rovers rarely threatened either, but went ahead when Jay Fulton was dispossessed by Ryan Hedges deep in Swansea territory.

Hedges showed good composure, stepping inside Fulton's attempted recovery challenge and teeing up Szmodics to stroke Rovers into the lead from 15 yards.

Swansea almost levelled early in the second half, when Latibeaudiere centred for Piroe but his volley was parried by Thomas Kaminski.

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Ben Brereton Diaz celebrates after doubling Blackburn's lead with a classy finish

Just as the home side found some momentum for the first time, Blackburn doubled their lead.

Swansea academy product Hedges claimed another assist for Rovers as he picked out Brereton Diaz, whose first touch took him beyond home debutant Nathan Wood.

The Chile international, scorer of 22 Blackburn goals last season, coolly lifted his shot over the advancing Andy Fisher.

Swansea tried to respond, with Piroe denied by Kaminski at the near post before Jamie Paterson's cross-shot was cleared from under the bar by Tayo Edun.

But any slim chance of a home revival was stamped out by a sharp Blackburn counter, with Tyrhys Dolan teeing up skipper Travis to drill in his second goal of the season.

Swansea head coach Russell Martin:

"We were punished for mistakes and small details, moments not quite good enough. We had so much control, we make a mistake in the first half.

"Yes, we want it to be quicker, but we're playing against a team that have put loads of men behind the ball. We have to do a bit of work on that.

"We make a mistake, we follow it up with another mistake. I said a couple of weeks ago about how we react to mistakes will define what we do, and it defined it today.

"There was so much good stuff still, I'll get criticised for that, and we have so many young men who need to learn quickly. We have to make more of the dominance of the ball."

Blackburn head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson:

"The performance tactically was high class. We worked on this game the whole week.

"We controlled the game out of possession against a very good team on the ball. I think we looked very dangerous in the transition and when Swansea attacked we looked solid.

"The boys worked extremely hard and followed the plan they like they should do.

"They are great boys. They are buying into things and also hopefully with this win, they believe even more in the things [we are doing]."

Sorry, we can't display this part of the article any more.

Related internet links

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.