Full TimeSecond Half ends, Swansea City 3, West Bromwich Albion 2.Post updateAttempt missed. John Swift (West Bromwich Albion) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Brandon Thomas-Asante with a cross.Post updateFoul by Kyle Bartley (West Bromwich Albion).Post updateJoel Piroe (Swansea City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.Post updateFoul by Kyle Bartley (West Bromwich Albion).Post updateJoel Piroe (Swansea City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
West Bromwich Albion missed out on the Championship play-offs as Joel Piroe’s stoppage-time free-kick saw Swansea City claim a thrilling 3-2 win on the final day of the regular season. Okay Yokuslu steered Albion in front only for on-loan Wolves midfielder Luke Cundle to guide in the first equaliser. Semi Ajayi’s drive revived the visitors’ play-off hopes before Olivier Ntcham’s classy leveller. Piroe’s 20th goal of the season sealed Swansea’s triumph. Defeat means West Brom finish ninth, three points short of sixth place, having won only three of their last 10 games of 2022-23.
Swansea, who extended their unbeaten run to nine matches, end the campaign 10th, behind Albion on goal difference. The Swans’ fine late season form had given them a slim play-off chance until a draw at Hull City nine days ago pushed them out of contention. West Brom sustained their top-six bid thanks to a win over Norwich City – their first in three matches – and seized the initiative at Swansea thanks to their early high press. The tactic almost paid dividends inside four minutes when Ryan Manning was dispossessed on the edge of his own area but Brandon Thomas-Asante sliced wide. Swansea player-of-the-year Manning then tried to find Ntcham, but the pass was picked off and this time Albion took advantage. John Swift might have shot himself, but opted instead to pull the ball back for Yokuslu to pass the ball low into the bottom corner.
But Swansea were not performing like a side with nothing to play for, and levelled when Piroe fed Jamie Paterson and his touch allowed Cundle to score his second goal in as many games from 12 yards. West Brom might have restored their lead after another Swansea error, as Karlan Grant cut out Ben Cabango’s pass, but saw his shot parried by Andy Fisher, with Nathan Wood completing the clearance in the nick of time. Fisher was in action again before half-time, diving low to smother Asante-Thomas’ shot from a tight angle after Albion broke from a corner.
Swansea were back on the front foot immediately after the break, with Paterson curling agonisingly wide before Piroe – uncharacteristically – missed the target with the goal at his mercy. Carlos Corberan’s team took advantage, Ajayi blasting them back in front when Swift’s corner was not cleared. Once more the lead did not last long, with Ntcham’s fabulous feint on the edge of the area buying him the space to rattle a shot beyond Alex Palmer and into the net. In a pulsating contest, West Brom had a golden opportunity to take the lead for a third time when Asante-Thomas crossed for Swift but he could only stab wide. They were made to pay when Manning was fouled on the edge of the area and Piroe drilled low into the bottom corner with almost the last kick of the game, although scores elsewhere meant Albion’s result did not matter in the play-off race.
Swansea head coach Russell Martin expressed his pride in his team’s performance: “It’s a really nice feeling. It was a really good game, two really good teams. They are coming here fighting to get into the play-offs. We are playing for nothing in terms of trying to get into the play-offs, but the lads played like they were playing for everything. That was the best bit for me, the mentality, the courage after a mistake for the first goal. I will be frustrated for a while to finish that close [to the play-offs]. But what I would say is that with everything that’s been thrown at us this season, the youth of the squad, January, I am so proud of the players and what they have done. I am so proud of the way the teams looks and the way we have grown.”
West Brom head coach Carlos Corberan expressed his disappointment: “I am very disappointed that we didn’t get something from the game, at least a point. I don’t think we deserved a defeat with all the things we have done well, especially in the second half. We should avoid a foul where we concede the free-kick but there was a foul on [Jayson] Molumby. The referee should stop the free-kick before the free-kick was taken. That increases the frustration.” He added: “Swansea are a very good team who play very good football. It is one of the best attacking teams. But maybe the draw was the right result. A point wouldn’t have changed anything [in the table] but it’s a game we didn’t want to lose.”