Swansea City vs Hull City. Sky Bet Championship.
Swansea.com StadiumAttendance15,207.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Swansea and Hull City; Ryan Manning, Luke Cundle and Joel Piroe on target for Swansea as Tobias Figueiredo errors contribute to Hull defeat
Saturday 17 September 2022 17:07, UK
Swansea finally put their profligacy behind them to earn a 3-0 win over Hull, but they owed plenty to a pair of Tobias Figueiredo howlers for the magnitude of their victory.
The hosts, who came into the match with the second-worst shot conversion in the division, could have led as early as the fourth minute when Joel Piroe hit the bar - and they struck the woodwork twice more before finally finding a breakthrough.
That came through Ryan Manning, who volleyed home Matthew Sorinola's cross to give them a deserved lead, before Figueiredo fell over on the ball inside his own box and handed Luke Cundle an open goal to register his first strike in professional football.
The centre-back's difficult afternoon only got worse from there, when he played what should have been a routine pass out of defence straight to Piroe, who did not pass up the chance to hammer home a third and secure the Swans' win.
Ahead of the 3pm kick-offs, Swansea move up to 13th on the back of their third win of the season, while Hull remain 18th but could be leapfrogged by four teams below them by the end of the weekend.
It took less than five minutes for normal service to resume at the Swansea.com Stadium, with Piroe firing against the bar from the edge of the area from Manning's low cross.
Piroe then powered another effort wide of the near post after a fine ball forward from Joe Allen, before smacking the woodwork again - via a fingertip touch from the recalled Nathan Baxter - in first-half added time.
By that point, Hull were yet to have a shot on target, but the visitors at least showed a statement of intent in the opening seconds of the second half as Ozan Tufan and then Dimitros Pelkas both went close.
It did not last. Soon Swansea were back in the ascendency - and finally found themselves ahead. Sorinola held up the ball in the area before his clipped cross to the back post was volleyed home on the slide by Manning.
Three minutes later Swansea's lead was doubled thanks to Figueiredo's first mistake, although he was not helped by Baxter's decision to dive at his feet for the loose ball, which allowed Cundle to tap in from close range.
He had no excuse for the hosts' third, however, telegraphing a pass straight at Piroe, who recovered from a heavy first touch to put his own misses behind him and cement Swansea's victory.
Swansea's Russell Martin: "The players were outstanding with their attitude and desire to run for each other. We should have scored more goals and that's something we need to do. We need to capitalize when we are on top. We played with conviction and we've now taken seven points from the last four games.
"I was proud of the way the players dealt with the disappointment of the loss to Sheffield and they used that to give themselves energy. Now the challenge is to keep on building and this result means we can now enjoy the international break."
Hull's Shota Arveladze: "I haven't spoken to the owner. The boys are very, very down. We are on a bad run and we aren't in form. We need a good day to come back. I feel under pressure. I will talk to myself about the situation, but on this form it is no surprise at all.
"It is about what we can change. Whatever course is taken it is going to be what is best for the club that matters."
Swansea travel to the Midlands to face West Brom on Saturday, October 1; kick-off at 3pm, while Hull are back on Sky Sports in their next game, when they host Luton on Friday, September 30; kick-off at 8pm.
