Bristol City fought back for a deserved 2-1 Championship victory in the Swansea sunshine.
Liam Cullen’s first goal of the season gave Michael Duff hope that he would be celebrating his first league win as Swansea manager. But Bristol City created a host of chances and had three goals disallowed before being ultimately rewarded by second-half strikes from Mark Sykes and Sam Bell.
Swansea struck after 10 minutes as Charlie Patino split the Robins’ defence with a delightful threaded pass and Cullen finished left-footed with some aplomb. The goal failed to settle Swansea, who have won just once this season in the Carabao Cup, as Bristol City dominated first-half proceedings from that point.
Jason Knight curled over, Sykes had a shot blocked and Nahki Wells sidefooted straight at Carl Rushworth in the home goal after his exchange with Bell had cut Swansea open. The Robins’ chances kept coming as Matt Grimes cleared Knight’s effort off the line, Wells fired over from 20 yards after dispossessing Nathan Wood, and Bell’s goal celebrations were curtailed by an eagle-eyed assistant referee.
Patino skewed wide as Swansea enjoyed brief respite, but there was a controversial end to the first half as Kyle Naughton sliced down Wells with the striker en route to goal. Ben Cabango was just about covering Naughton so referee Oliver Langford deemed the offence worthy of a yellow card rather than red. Bristol City had the ball in the net for a third time from the resulting free-kick, but Knight was guilty of a push and the visitors’ growing frustration was evident as Kal Naismith was booked for dissent.
Duff changed the Swansea system at half-time and went from five to four at the back, but the Robins were level within three minutes. Joe Williams pounced on a home mistake to find Sykes and he galloped clear before cutting inside Wood and burying his shot beyond Rushworth.
Cullen had an instant opportunity to restore Swansea’s lead but his shot lacked the accuracy to beat visiting goalkeeper Max O’Leary. Sykes then turned provider for Bristol City’s 59th-minute lead, muscling his way through some half-hearted tackling to deliver a cross Bell converted ruthlessly at the far post.
Swansea were inches away from an equaliser when Cabango headed against a post, but that would have been rough justice on visitors who have taken eight points from their opening five games.
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Southampton’s unbeaten start to the Championship season came crashing to an end as Russell Martin’s side were blown away 5-0 by brilliant Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
Jack Clarke scored the opening goal after just 52 seconds before Pierre Ekwah added a deflected second six minutes later. The outstanding Ekwah scored his second and Sunderland’s third on the stroke of half-time. Bradley Dack added a fourth early in the second half before 16-year-old substitute Chris Rigg rounded off a perfect afternoon with his first league goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
On-loan striker Jay Stansfield’s second-half goal rescued a point for Birmingham against Millwall to maintain the club’s unbeaten start to the league season. Stansfield grabbed his second in two league games after Kevin Nisbet had given the Lions an early lead with a free-kick. Birmingham’s Scott Hogan could have equalised deep into first-half stoppage time but his penalty was saved.