By Paul Jones
Luke Williams has finally found some home comfort with Swansea City.
After four straight defeats in front of his own fans, the Swans head coach won his first league game at home – a 2-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers – to ease their relegation fears.
Williams had plundered two away wins in his eight matches in charge, but goals from Joe Allen and Jamie Paterson showed he can do it on his own manor.
Sammie Szmopdics – the Championship’s top marksman – scored his 25th of the season to bring Blackburn back into things, but no wins in five league games leaves them just a point above the relegation zone.
For Williams – who earned back-to-back wins after Swansea’s win last week at Sunderland – the significance of the victory was not just about the three points.
It was the ability of his team to dig in at home when under pressure – something they had not previously been able to sustain.
“There’s a whole 50% that’s not tangible, you can’t taste it but it’s there and it’s as important as anything else,” he added.
Luke Williams mówił wczoraj przed meczem, jak ważnym piłkarzem już jest dla niego Przemysław Płacheta.
Później ten gra naprawdę dobry mecz, a trener wypycha go do kibiców. Widać, że buduje Polaka menedżer Swansea i ta praca nie idzie na marne. pic.twitter.com/nmOfpE0QLK
— Krzysiek Bielecki (@KchampK) March 3, 2024
“Slowly we’re trying to make a feeling and I felt something from the connection between the players and the fans that I didn’t feel before. We have to build that.
“It was a really good feeling because they’ve been so great, the fans, and after games we’ve lost they’ve shown some love to us.
“That’s incredible but it’s better when you’re sharing celebrations together and that felt really specials.”
Former Wales star Allen swept the ball home for the opener before Paterson made it 2-0 after a mistake by Rovers’ Andrew Moran.
Szmodics volleyed home from a free kick midway through the second half but the Swans muscled up and held firm.
“We started on the front foot and were very strong,” said Williams.
“Back to back wins are brilliant because they start to build belief.
“I am really proud of how we withstood that comeback from them. But we need to improve how we attack a lead, rather than defend a lead.”
Blackburn boss John Eustace said: “I’m disappointed to have lost the game because I felt in the first half we started slowly and conceded two really poor goals.
“That hasn’t been like these boys since I’ve come in.
“But I thought we grew into the game and we still had three or four really good chances, where we should have scored.
“But we don’t give up and the fight is there for all to see. We have 11 big games coming up.”
Blackburn are now without a win in their last six matches in all competitions and although they are 17th in the table, they are only a point above the drop zone.
Swansea started positively and were rewarded when they went ahead in the seventh minute through Allen’s second goal of the season.
Winger Przemyslaw Placheta did the hard yards on the left and when his cross was not cleared properly, former Wales international Allen was able to drill his shot downwards and bounce it into the far corner.
But Rovers also added to their own troubles by giving the ball away and it was from such an error that they fell 2-0 behind after 19 minutes.
Andrew Moran lost possession under pressure from Swans skipper Matt Grimes with the ball falling into the path of Paterson.
He swept past McFadzen before firing low past Blackburn keeper Aynsley Pears from the edge of the box.
It needed two timely interventions from Swansea centre-back Ben Cabango to keep out Rovers striker Sam Gallagher as the visitors looked for a way back into the contest.
Cabango stepped up for a third time to block an effort from Sammie Szmodics, but moments later Rovers’ top scorer had pulled a goal back with his 25th of the season.
A free-kick on the right from John Buckley reached Szmodics and the striker who is eligible for the Republic of Ireland reacted sharply to sweep the ball home in the 67th minute.
Despite defending for most of the nine minutes of added time, Williams’ side kept Rovers at bay.