Better late than never, right? Well, it took until the 85th minute of Pepe Mel’s eighth game in charge of West Bromwich Albion for his side to finally secure a win, but the Baggies won’t much care. Those three points put them three points into safety, and they’ve still got a game in hand. Swansea, on the other hand, are now just four points clear of the drop.
The fans were still settling into their seats at the Liberty Stadium when Swansea took an early lead. Roland Lamah, getting his first Premier League start since November, put the Swans ahead, cutting in from the left to latch on to a pass from Wilfried Bony.
West Brom managed their first effort on goal after fifteen minutes, but Michel Vorm had no trouble dealing with a low shot from Victor Anichebe. Minutes later, it was Swansea that nearly doubled their lead, but Ben Foster was there to stop Bony’s close-range shot.
The Baggies got into the swing of things in the second half, and it didn’t take long for them to draw level. James Morrison set up Stéphane Sessègnon, who hit a lovely low shot from about 25 yards out. It sailed past Vorm to land just inside the post.
Swansea had a decent shout for a handball when Gareth McAuley appeared to handle inside the area, but referee Martin Atkinson wasn’t about to give it. That decision might keep Gary Monk up pacing the halls on Saturday night.
Because although both sides were pushing for the win for the final thirty minutes, it was West Brom that ultimately took those three precious points.Youssouf Mulumbu grabbed the ball and slipped through the Swans defenders, before sliding it through Jordi Amat’s legs to land in the corner of the net. Perhaps Amat was blocking Vorm’s sightline, because the Swansea keeper didn’t even move.
Swansea City: Vorm, Rangel, Amat, Williams, Davies, Britton (Emnes 87), Canas (Michu 62), de Guzman, Routledge, Lamah (Hernandez 77), Bony.
Goals: Lamah 2'
West Bromwich Albion: Foster, Dawson, McAuley, Olsson, Reid, Morrison, Mulumbu, Dorrans (Gera 75), Ridgewell, Sessegnon (Thievy 79), Anichebe (O’Neill 89)
Goals: Sessègnon 52', Mulumbu 85'