Swansea City head coach Luke Williams has urged his players to maintain belief after their spirited second-half comeback fell short in a 1-0 defeat to West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns.
Jayson Molumby’s goal in first-half stoppage time proved decisive, with Swansea struggling to find their rhythm in the opening 45 minutes. The Swans were largely on the backfoot during that period, with goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux making several key saves to keep them in the contest.
However, Williams saw a marked improvement after the interval, as Swansea pushed for an equaliser with greater energy and purpose. Žan Vipotnik, Gonçalo Franco, and Jisung Eom all had chances to level the score, but were unable to find the back of the net. Eom also had a strong penalty appeal waved away after a challenge from West Brom keeper Alex Palmer.
Despite the defeat, Williams found encouragement in the Swans’ second-half display against a side that reached the play-offs last season and are considered promotion contenders. He emphasised the need for his team to trust in their abilities and build on the positives as they move forward in the campaign.
“I thought we were outclassed in the first half completely,” said the Swans boss.
“We were probably the stronger side in the second half, but by then we are chasing the game, chasing the deficit, and we left ourselves with too much to do.
“We let ourselves down a bit in that first half. I thought the guys defended the box incredibly well when we were under a lot of pressure, until we conceded so close to half-time, which was disappointing.
“But, overall, I think we can be pleased with that second-half performance, even though we left it too late.
“We had chances, there was a penalty shout, but the big disappointment was that we played within ourselves in the first half.
“We did not have the correct energy but if the players can believe in themselves more in these types of atmospheres then it will release them more to come to places and get good results.
“We have to make that a reality though.”
Here is Luke Williams’ full post-match reaction after his Swansea side lose at West Bromwich Albion:
Feature Image Credit: Swansea City Football Club