Emmanuel Latte Lath’s first-half penalty proved decisive as Swansea City began their Championship campaign with a narrow 1-0 defeat at Middlesbrough. The striker coolly converted from the spot after Isaiah Jones was brought down in the box by Azeem Abdulai, handing the home side the lead just before the interval at the Riverside Stadium.
Swansea struggled to find their rhythm in the first half, with Middlesbrough’s high tempo and pressing causing problems for Luke Williams’ side. Jones, a constant threat down the right flank, earned the penalty when he was fouled by Azeem Abdulai after a darting run into the area. Lath stepped up and made no mistake, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to put Boro ahead.
Middlesbrough had opportunities to extend their lead, with Jones in particular coming close on a couple of occasions, but they couldn’t add to their tally. Swansea, however, came out with renewed purpose after the break. The visitors dominated possession and controlled much of the second-half proceedings, showing more urgency and cohesion in their play.
Despite their improved performance, the Swans struggled to create clear-cut chances, with the Boro defence standing firm under pressure. It wasn’t until the closing stages of the match that Swansea really threatened to equalise, but a late flurry of opportunities went begging as they couldn’t find the back of the net.
Head coach Luke Williams was left frustrated by his side’s sluggish start, admitting that the first-half display ultimately cost them the game. While there were positives to take from their second-half response, the lack of cutting edge in the final third was a concern as Swansea left the Riverside Stadium empty-handed.
As Swansea looks ahead to the rest of the season, Williams will be hoping his team can build on the improvements shown after the interval, while addressing the issues that led to their defeat on the opening day.
Next up for the Swans is the visit of Gillingham to the Swansea.com stadium on Tuesday evening for a EFL Cup First Round game.
Team Lineups
Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux; Josh Key (Kyle Naughton 63), Harry Darling, Ben Cabango, Josh Tymon; Matt Grimes (captain), Jay Fulton (Žan Vipotnik 63), Gonçalo Franco (Ollie Cooper 77); Azeem Abdulai (Ronald 46), Liam Cullen, Jisung Eom (Josh Thomas 90).
Unused Substitutes: Nathan Broome, Kristian Pedersen, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Dan Watts.
Middlesbrough: Seny Dieng, Rav van den Berg, Matt Clarke, Hayden Hackney, Riley McGree (Jonny Howson 90), Emmanuel Latte Lath (Josh Coburn 86), Isaiah Jones, Luke Ayling (captain), Aidan Morris Finn Azaz (Delano Burgzorg 81), Lukas Engel.
Unused Substitutes: Tom Glover, Dan Barlaser, Alex Gilbert, Anfernee Dijksteel, Micah Hamilton, George McCormick.
Referee: Sam Allison
Attendance: 26,610 including over 500 Swansea fans.
Match Highlights
Watch extended highlights of the Swans opening day defeat at Middlesbrough.
Feature Image Credit: Swansea City Football Club