Swansea City vs West Bromwich Albion. Sky Bet Championship.
Swansea.com StadiumAttendance20,294.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Swansea and West Brom at the Swansea.com Stadium as the Baggies fell to a defeat on a day that also saw them miss out on the play-offs.
Monday 8 May 2023 18:56, UK
West Brom missed out on the Sky Bet Championship play-offs after losing 3-2 at Swansea.
Albion started the final day in eighth, needing to win to keep their promotion bid alive, and hopes of extending their season were raised after Okay Yokuslu and Semi Ajayi twice gave them the lead in South Wales.
But Luke Cundle and Olivier Ntcham equalised and, with results elsewhere going against them, Joel Piroe sealed their misery in stoppage time with a brilliant free-kick.
In the event, West Brom spent just four minutes of the final day in the play-off places - the time between a Blackburn equaliser at Millwall and Cundle's leveller - and Coventry and Sunderland joined Luton and Middlesbrough in the play-off positions.
Albion - second bottom of the Championship when Carlos Corberan succeeded Steve Bruce in October - finished the season ninth, with Swansea just below them on goal difference after taking 21 points from their final nine games.
There is plenty for Russell Martin to build on and the Swansea boss will hope fresh investment at the club will allow him to strengthen this summer.
West Brom were almost ahead inside four minutes when Ryan Manning, possibly fouled, lost possession on the edge of the Swansea box.
Jed Wallace sent an inviting cross to the far post where Brandon Thomas-Asante skewed wide.
Jamie Paterson was off-target at the other end before Albion took a 13th-minute lead after Ajayi put Ntcham under pressure.
Swansea calls for a free-kick again went unheeded and John Swift intelligently picked out the unmarked Yokuslu to drive home his fourth goal of the season.
Albion fans were celebrating once more when a Blackburn equaliser at Millwall put them into the top six.
But delight was cut short as the advancing Piroe played the ball into Paterson and his cute lay-off allowed Cundle to finish in style.
The fact that midfielder Cundle, on loan from their local rivals Wolves, was the player to equalise simply added to their misery.
West Brom replied immediately with Karlan Grant testing Andy Fisher low down and the Swansea goalkeeper was also equal to Thomas-Asante's angled attempt.
Swansea started the second half on the front foot and Paterson curled wide before Piroe fired wide with the goal at his mercy.
Albion had renewed hope after 54 minutes when Conor Townsend caused confusion from a Swift corner and Ajayi ended some ping-pong in the Swansea penalty area with a superbly controlled half-volley.
But Swansea came roaring back and were level again after 66 minutes.
Ntcham found a yard by letting the ball run across his path and smashed an unerring low shot past the helpless Alex Palmer.
Swift wasted a clear opening to restore Albion's lead and, with their task increasingly beyond them, Piroe curled home his 20th goal of the season with virtually the last kick.
Swansea's Russell Martin:
"He (new chairman Andy Coleman) said he likes what we're doing. There's maybe other priorities at the moment but we'll see. He's said the ownership group have expressed an interest in trying to extend my contract.
"We've got guys out of contract, so that's got to be a real priority. Whatever comes first, I don't know. We'll just have to wait and see."
West Brom's Carlos Corberan:
"The target we had was difficult, to change the momentum of the season. It was very uncomfortable. We moved fast, we focused on the possibilities and I feel very proud. It's a pity we didn't achieve the play-off positions, but the team has put in a lot of effort. We arrived to the last moment of the competition and the players did not stop to believe, to try and make their best.
"I do not know the limitations or the situation (of the club), but from tomorrow I will guarantee to work as in football there is no time to waste. As fast as we know our possibilities and resources the better for us to play the team that West Bromwich needs to have."
