Swansea boss Vitor Matos defends top scorer Zan Vipotnik in Hull loss

Swansea’s in-form striker Zan Vipotnik had on off day and spurned several chances as Swansea went down 2-1 at Hull.

The Swans have struggled on the road but deserved at least a point in East Yorkshire, where head coach Vitor Matos defended Championship top goalscorer Vipotnik.

“A game of two halves,” he said. “It’s about efficiency. Football is about that, about creating chances as well and scoring them.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t and that, I would say, can summarise a little bit the game.

“Vipotnik has given and gives so much to us that it’s about a moment. He didn’t score. He scored so many before, so there’s no one more unhappy than him on this moment.

“I think most important, and I said when he scores as well, is what he offers to us in terms of the team – how we press, how we push the team up, how we he puts his heart in everything he does.

“He missed these ones but for sure he will score more.”

Tigers’ manager Sergej Jakirovic wants Hull to keep playing without pressure after his promotion-chasing side rode their luck on their way to a hard-fought 2-1 Championship win against Swansea.

The Tigers were tipped by many to be in a relegation battle this term, yet sit fourth on 50 points after 28 games- just five points off the automatic promotion spots with a game in hand on second-placed Middlesbrough.

City racked up a third win in a week as Oli McBurnie’s spot-kick and a Regan Slater rocket either side of a pair of big Vipotnik misses for Swansea put the hosts in control at the break.

The tiring Tigers had to dig deep in the second half to stop the visitors adding to Liam Cullen’s header as they followed up last Saturday’s win at Southampton and the midweek victory at Preston.

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Asked if this was his best week since taking over at Hull in the summer, Jakirovic said: “Yeah, mathematically. Nine points.

“But it’s the Championship. We will try to push there. We are now there.

“Maybe you can dream about second place. If it’s your target second place, in my opinion you will finish in the top six. 100 per cent.

“But there is no pressure. We have to enjoy this moment and just continue like this.

“Of course, you cannot win every game. This is not possible. But we are there and we will try to reach those positions.”

Jakirovic knows it was one of those days when they were fortunate to avoid slipping up, leading him to jokingly thank his former player Vipotnik after the game for blowing a pair of chances for Swansea.

“He was my player in Maribor,” the Hull boss added. “He’s a fox in the box. I said to him ‘thank you’ because normally he would score two goals.

“I saw the ball in the net already because he’s really a fox in the box. A great finisher.”