LAST UPDATE | 17 Sep 2022
RYAN MANNING WAS on target and Michael Obafemi returned as Swansea scored three times after the break to defeat Hull 3-0 and claim only their third win of the Sky Bet Championship season.
Manning and Luke Cundle struck in quick succession after the hour-mark before Joel Piroe wrapped things up late on as Swansea, who started the day in the relegation zone, picked up the three points.
However, the win came at a cost for Wales manager Rob Page as he saw Joe Allen limp out of the game on the half-hour mark.
Wales are due to complete their World Cup preparations with Nations League clashes with Belgium and Poland next week and Allen is a key figure in Page’s plans.
Allen was hurt in a tackle in the centre circle and left the field to be replaced by Cundle. Up to that point the veteran midfielder had helped the hoe side dominate possession and create a number of chances.
Swansea’s stoppage-time defeat to Sheffield United in midweek had seen them sink to 21st in the table, while Hull fell to their third successive defeat when they went down 3-0 to Stoke.
Swans boss Russell Martin restored disgruntled striker Obafemi to his bench and saw target man Piroe, last season’s top scorer, hit the bar twice in a first half that was totally dominated by his team.
Hull, seeking to end a run of four defeats in their last five games, almost struck the first blow when Jean Michael Seri let fly with a long-range shot in the third minute that forced Steve Benda to dive full stretch to tip over the bar.
Two minutes later Piroe hit the bar for the first time and Ollie Cooper forced Nathan Baxter to save smartly in the Hull goal with a shot from eight yards.
Swansea continued to press forward and, in added time at the end of the first half, Baxter got his fingertips to a thunderous left-footed shot from Piroe that he somehow managed to turn onto the bar and away.
Hull started the second half more brightly and threatened through a strong run from Ozan Tufan and a shot from the edge of the area by Dimitrios Pelkas that went just over the bar.
Swansea hit the frame of the goal for the third time through loanee Cundle in the 52nd minute before the home side finally made their pressure tell when Manning volleyed home at the far post in the 61st minute.
Perhaps the perfect response to his omission from Stephen Kenny’s latest Ireland squad.
Swansea finally take the lead!
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) September 17, 2022
Ryan Manning sneaks in at the back post to put the ball in the net ⚽ pic.twitter.com/bCuRteU58l
Three minutes later a horrendous mix up between Baxter and Tobias Figueiredo six yards out from the Hull goal handed Cundle the simplest of chances to open his account for Swansea.
Cooper carried into the box, the ball went free and as Figueiredo went to clear his ankle was caught by his goalkeeper to leave Cundle with an open goal.
Figueiredo was also involved in the third goal after he gifted the ball to Piroe in his box to allow the Dutchman to tap home in the 84th minute to complete the rout.
Obafemi, at the centre of a back-and-forth between Kenny and Martin, was introduced late on.
Ireland U19 international Armstrong Oko-Flex was also a late substitute for the Swans.
Elsewhere, Dara O’Shea headed West Brom into an early lead at Norwich City, but the game ultimately finished 1-1.
Baggies boss Steve Bruce remains under pressure after a contentious Norwich equaliser cost his side just a second Championship win of the season.
The former Canaries defender had to endure jeers from his own supporters following defeat to Birmingham in midweek and he was forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at Carrow Road despite the visitors being the better side.
O’Shea’s header had set the Baggies on course for victory but a first Norwich goal for Sam Byram rescued a point for the below-par hosts, with West Brom furious the goal stood as they appealed in vain for handball against the full-back.
Norwich had won their last six league games heading into the meeting as they lived up to their billing as one of the promotion favourites.
However, Dean Smith’s side were ragged and sloppy for large parts of a game they were lucky to take anything from.
Jayson Molumby also played for the Baggies, coming close to scoring just before the hour-mark, while Andrew Omobamidele impressed once more for Norwich.
Several other Irish players featured throughout the division including James McClean and Will Keane for Wigan, while John Egan captained table-toppers Sheffield United to a 2-0 win at Irish-heavy Preston North End.
Troy Parrott, Alan Browne, Sean Maguire and Robbie Brady all featured for the Lilywhites, for whom Greg Cunningham was an unused sub.
And there was more Irish involvement in the evening kick-off, where Middlesbrough and Rotherham played out an uneventful 0-0 draw at the Riverside Stadium.
Chiedozie Ogbene played the full game and Georgie Kelly came off the bench for Rotherham. Darragh Lenin was absent for Middlesborough through injury.
The stalemate means Boro will go into the international break in the relegation zone after just two wins from their opening 10 games of the season whilst the newly-promoted Millers sit just outside the play-off places in eighth.
Championship results
Birmingham 0 Coventry 0
Burnley 2 Bristol City 1
Huddersfield 1 Cardiff 0
Luton 2 Blackburn 0
Millwall 2 Blackpool 1
Norwich 1 West Brom 1
Preston 0 Sheffield United 2
QPR 0 Stoke 0
Swansea 3 Reading 0
Watford 2 Sunderland 2
Wigan 0 Reading 1
Middlesbrough 0 Rotherham 0.
I say this without jest, but it must be difficult to be humble when you’re only a short time from having your statue placed in Lansdowne Rd.
Yes you were a team player Brian. And you always made us feel like we were on that team too. A gent. Enjoy your retirement.
He Sounds a bit needy to me ..
I want / i want .
Wouldn’t it actually be cool if Ireland won the Championship in Paris at the very stadium where he made his name? It really is one of those stories, that the book of Brian opened in Paris, so shall it close in Paris.
What a player! :’)
Love this script
He might not be sentimental but I am.
I hope every man, woman and child gives him a send off to remember on Saturday.
He deserves it.
I think I’m going to avoid all rugby media between now and the end of the 6N. All these “Bye Bye Bod” stories are making me sad… :(
It’ll be a bit sad before and after the match on Saturday but there will be zero sentiment during the game, especially from the legend himself. I’m sure he’ll give everything to the cause as he has done throughout his brilliant career. Right up there with the greats in rugby worldwide. Good luck in the future BOD
Got my tickets for Saturday bitter,sweet seeing his last game there, he has given me best sporting memories of my life. Hope we win and send him to Paris with a chance of the championship. Thanks BOD
A true Irish Legend. And he’s not even from Cork!! ;) Thanks for the memories Brian.
The greatest irish sports star of all time.
He was not such a team player when he stopped in the georgia world cup game to roar at stringer for a bad pass.
Still a great player though.
nobody saying the man is perfect ted. that was out of frustration, the team went in talking of winning the world cup and played rubbish the whole competition
In his whole time with Ireland that’s the best you can do ted?
Sad ted sad.
Don’t worry you won’t have to watch him much longer, two more games for Ireland and a few for Leinster that’s all.
I’ll tell you one thing ted he’ll pick up another medal at least before then so if I was you I’d find a desert island somewhere and get stranded until June because this will torment you. L
I wonder which part of Ireland ted hails from?petty little man
I couldn’t possibly guess even!
As i said bod is a great player. One of the best irish players of all time.
However he was guilty one of the least teamplayer (?) acts I have seen from any Irish player in an Irish jersey.
I just found it ironic that he used that description.
It was seven years ago. And over the course of the fifteen years he has saved ireland many times.
Ted do you think he should’ve clapped stringer on the back told him don’t worry about it it’s only a game.but try not to do it again old chap?
Possibly he could have tried to chase down the georgian before he scored he try.
He could even have been a team player and accepted that everyone makes mistakes and that his experienced team mate would have been far more pissed off with the mistake.
Bod has always given his all for Ireland. And I would defend him on his talent, his dedication, his daft ability to put his body on the line and just about every other aspect of his career.
But for me, his teamwork will always be tainted for roaring at and blaming a teammate while an opponent ran in a try.
Ted let it go buddy it was a long time ago
No idea whether he was a team player or not, kind of difficult to tell as a spectator. He went through a string of piss poor performances during the tubby Glenda years, was never ever pulled up by his teammates for the many flicks & kicks to nowhere (Schmidt only touched on that recently) but first onto his teammates if opposite occurs. someone with his gravitas & authority within the game can damage any team ethic, especially when off-form in his own right. Still the greatest of this generation, but clearly acutely aware of it too…
Pretty much exactly what he should’ve done
Without a doubt our greatest sportsman ever. Thanks for all the memories and best of luck for the future! (He might read this).
In the 13th minute #onemoreyear again!
Time to move on.
You will be remembered as a genius, tough shit!!!!
Looking forward to him excelling in his last 2 matches, hope he runs in a hat trick in Paris :)
A sporting legend and a gent….great combination! Enjoy your retirement it’s well deserved.
National Treasure
Terrible movie
And YOU WILL be
And thats all he was, no one man is bigger than the team
A national hero and treasure, there are not enough plaudits for you sir