West Bromwich Albion 3-2 Swansea City: Baggies survive Swans fightback to claim first win
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West Brom's Semi Ajayi drives in the opening goal having also scored against Swansea in the final game of last season
West Bromwich Albion claimed a first win of the season as they held on for a 3-2 victory in a remarkable game against Swansea City.
Semi Ajayi blasted the Baggies into a first-half lead after Swansea failed to deal with a long throw.
Swansea goalkeeper Carl Rushworth then turned the ball into his own net when another Albion set-piece was not cleared after the break, before John Swift's penalty looked to have settled the contest.
But, having produced an abject performance until the final quarter, Swansea then rallied when Harry Darling headed home before Nathan Wood bundled in his first senior goal to set up a grandstand finish.
Ben Cabango came close to scoring a dramatic leveller, but Albion overcame the nerves during nine minutes of stoppage time to secure their first points in 2023-24.
It was Swansea's first league defeat since mid-March, and the first under Michael Duff as head coach.
Albion began the season with defeat at Blackburn, when head coach Carlos Corberan was sent to the stand at Ewood Park because of his frustration over refereeing decisions.
The Spaniard was back on the touchline to see his team take control against a Swansea side who were disappointing until their late rally.
Set-pieces were the only sign of any threat - and it was a Darnell Furlong long throw which led to the opening goal.
Ajayi flicked on initially, then Swift and Conor Townsend won duels before the ball dropped back to Ajayi.
The centre-back finished like a forward, crashing the ball beyond the helpless Rushworth from point-blank range.
Swansea creaked again when they failed to deal with a short corner, and were grateful to see Okay Yokuslu's shot deflect to safety.
England Under-21 defender Nathan Wood celebrates the first senior goal of his career
The Welsh side's sorry afternoon continued after the break, when Furlong met Swift's corner with a near-post shot which deflected on to the crossbar and then hit Rushworth before trickling over the line.
Swansea created a rare chance when Joel Piroe's cross was helped back across the face by Josh Key, but Jerry Yates' first-time volley only rattled the bar.
West Brom responded almost immediately as Darling chopped down Townsend and Swift rolled the resulting spot-kick low into the bottom corner.
Swansea looked beaten, but suddenly found some belief on 74 minutes when Darling headed home from debutant Charlie Patino's corner.
Albion then introduced new signing Josh Maja for his debut on 78 minutes but, just two minutes later, Swansea made it 3-2.
Former Middlesbrough defender Wood scored yet another set-piece goal, nudging Darling's header over the line from a couple of yards out.
In this battle of set-pieces, Swansea might have completed what had looked a very unlikely comeback when Cabango escaped his marker to meet another corner from the impressive Patino, but his header flashed just wide of the post.
West Bromwich Albion head coach Carlos Corberan:
"We won suffering, without managing the game in the way we need to.
"The best thing of course was the result and the worst thing was that we suffered more than we have to in one part of the game.
"When they changed the shape, they didn't create chances but they started to create set-pieces. We conceded two goals and a lot of chances that put the result at risk.
"We started to decrease our level and we started to be the more fragile team. It's something important to correct."
Swansea City head coach Michael Duff:
"Frustrating. We waited to be 3-0 down before we started playing with any purpose. We were too slow, too passive first half. We didn't play with any intensity.
"The ball comes in our box, they head it and we don't, and we go 3-0 down. We need to eradicate that soft underbelly from set-plays.
"All of a sudden it kicks us into life, we are heading everything because we are angry. We start moving the ball a bit quicker and then look like a good team.
"That's the frustration. If I thought we were useless and deserved to get beaten 3-0 or 4-0 I would say so, but the first half-hour and the last half-hour, it's night and day."