Swansea City came from behind to sink Blackburn Rovers 2-1 at Ewood Park, a victory fashioned by Goncalo Franco’s spectacular volley and Liam Cullen’s composed second-half finish. Todd Cantwell had given Rovers a first-half lead, but Swansea struck either side of the interval before surviving a frantic finale and a furious Blackburn penalty appeal that left home players and staff raging at the match officials.
The result extended Blackburn’s miserable start to the campaign on home soil, with this fourth successive defeat at Ewood leaving Valerien Ismael’s side outside the Championship relegation zone on goal difference alone. For Swansea, a first win in four league games and a third Championship success of the season lifted Alan Sheehan’s team to seventh, just a point off the play-off places, and offered a timely boost after a run of contentious refereeing calls had gone against them.
Cantwell’s clever header and Franco’s stunning reply shape a tight first half
The opening exchanges were cagey, but Blackburn found encouragement down their right flank through Ryan Alebiosu. The full-back impressed early, first by shutting down the supply line to Zeidane Inoussa and then by helping fashion Rovers’ first real sight of goal. Released into space by Ryoya Morishita, Alebiosu saw the Japanese defender drive a low cross towards Andri Gudjohnsen, only for the Iceland forward, making his first start for the club, to fail to steer the ball on target.