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Report: Szmodics scores on his debut in resounding Rovers win at Swansea

Ben Brereton celebrates his goal against Swansea City
Ben Brereton celebrates his goal against Swansea City

Sam Szmodics scored on his debut as Rovers put in the perfect away display to beat Swansea City 3-0.

Ben Brereton and captain Lewis Travis completed the scoring as Jon Dahl Tomasson became the first Rovers manager since Gary Bowyer to win his first two matches in charge.

Rovers spent much of the game without the ball but were resolute in their defending, restricting Swansea’s threat to ensure they made it back-to-back clean sheets.

They were thoroughly deserving of the victory, with Swansea booed off at the final whistle, as a jubilant away end celebrated a second successive three points.

Rovers were always expected to spend plenty of time out of possession and that how the pattern of the game quickly emerged.

They were having to be disciplined and organised as Swansea’s possession touched 70 per cent.

An early chance saw Sam Gallagher cut onto his left foot, only to shoot too close to Andy Fisher, as Rovers were content to play on the break.

Swansea were moving the ball around nicely, a dangerous Ryan Manning cross just evading his team-mates in the middle, before the hosts had their first attempt of the match 26 minutes.

It came from the left boot of star man Joel Piroe, his shot on the turn flashing wide of the post of Thomas Kaminski. Moments before Michael Obafemi looked to have taken the ball off the head of Piroe, who was better placed, in a let-off for Rovers.

Kyle Naughton thumped a shot wide of the target after being invited forward to shoot by Rovers who were defending very deep.

They were shielding the goal of Kaminski well however with the home fans beginning to get frustrated by their side as for all their possession they were struggling for a way through.

That frustration went up a notch as Rovers took the lead six minutes before the break through a debut goal for Sam Szmodics.

He had been starved off the ball but came up with a calm finish into the corner to put Rovers ahead.

The goal was created by Ryan Hedges, first robbing Jay Fulton of the ball to run clear on goal before cutting back onto his left foot rather than shooting on his right to tee up Szmodics.

Rovers took that lead into the break without having faced a shot on target.

Neither side were expected to change their approach for the second half, as both emerged unchanged.

Joel Latibeaudiere crept in at the far post to collect a left wing cross, but good defending from Harry Pickering stopped him from turning in the equaliser, as Rovers continued to play on the back foot.

For the first time there was a sense that there was a threat to Rovers from the hosts.

Kaminski’s first save saw him deny Piroe with his feet, while Scott Wharton stopped a certain tap-in for Obafemi with an excellent interception.

Just as that pressure was building however, Rovers doubled their lead. Hedges played an excellent cross-field pass which was chested forward by Brereton and then lifted over Fisher with the calmness of a player at the peak of his powers.

Rovers then made the change they had been preparing as Tayo Edun was sent on for Szmodics, with Pickering moving into a central defensive role as the visitors switched to a back three.

They were almost punished themselves for trying to play out from the back as Buckley lost the ball to Oliver Ntcham who sent the ball onto Piroe, but off balance, and on his weaker right foot, he shot straight at Kaminski.

Rovers were looking to keep the crowd quiet but required good covering from substitute Edun to keep their clean sheet intact. Jamie Paterson cut inside Brittain before hitting an effort goalwards that the covering Edun hooked away.

Tomasson freshened things up in attack with the additions of Jack Vale and Tyrhys Dolan for the closing stages, as Hedges and Gallagher were the two to be replaced.

Six minutes before the end Rovers wrapped up the perfect away day.

Substitute Dolan led the break before sliding in the overlapping Travis who thumped a shot beyond the reach of Andy Fisher who was beaten by the power of the strike.

Kaminski made two comfortable saves before the end to deny Harry Darling and hold on to a deserved clean sheet.

Swansea: Fisher, Manning, Fulton (Paterson, 52), Darling, Grimes, Obafemi, Ntcham (Congreve, 77), Piroe, Latibeaudiere (Sorinola, 70), Wood, Naughton

Subs: Benda, Cabango, Cullen, Cooper

Rovers: Thomas Kaminski, Callum Brittain, Daniel Ayala, Scott Wharton, Harry Pickering, Lewis Travis, John Buckley (Morton, 89), Ryan Hedges (Dolan, 79), Sam Szmodics (Edun, 59), Ben Brereton, Sam Gallagher (Vale, 79)

Subs: Aynsley Pears, Ash Phillips, Bradley Dack