Will Sheehan find a bigger role for Cullen?

Goncalo Franco's spectacular goal made the bigger headlines as Swansea City claimed victory at Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday night.

But Liam Cullen provided the winner – and gave a reminder that he has plenty to offer in the process.

Only six weeks ago, Alan Sheehan gave his backing to Cullen, insisting Swansea would only sign a striker in the summer transfer window if they could find someone who was "better than what we have".

"When we talk about potential players coming in, the first person I think of is the nine that is playing in Liam Cullen, an absolute tireless worker for the team, somebody who's on my team sheet more than he's not," Swansea's head coach said on 21 August.

Cullen had started Swansea's opening two league games of the season, against Middlesbrough and Sheffield United, and then kept his place against Watford a couple of days later.

Since then, however, last season's 12-goal top scorer has been restricted to appearances from the bench.

Cullen's bit-part role has been the result of Zan Vipotnik's excellent goalscoring form and the deadline-day signing of Adam Idah.

With those two vying to be Swansea's centre-forward, Cullen's recent opportunities have come in a less advanced role.

It is the same sort of position in which he has been deployed – and has impressed – in Craig Bellamy's Wales side.

In the short-term at least, playing off either Vipotnik or Idah seems like Cullen's best hope of forcing his way into Sheehan's team.

The issue is that competition this season is fierce, with Sheehan already wrestling with the problem of having Ethan Galbraith, Marko Stamenic, Malick Yalcouye and Franco - not to mention the likes of Melker Widell and Jay Fulton - competing for places in what is usually a three-man central midfield.

Cullen is a bigger goalscoring threat than any of those players, as he proved at Ewood Park with the cool, precise finish which brought his first goal since May and earned Swansea a first win in four Championship matches.

The question now is whether Sheehan will find a way to give Cullen more minutes, or continue to use him sparingly from the bench.