Swansea down Hull with second-half goals but Joe Allen injury a worry for Wales

Posted Saturday, September 17, 2022 by PA

Swansea scored three times after the break to defeat Hull 3-0 and claim only their third win of the Sky Bet Championship season.

Ryan 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 Michael 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.

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.