Luke Williams hails ‘intense’ Swansea after win over Watford

Luke Williams hailed Swansea’s intensity as they rose four places in the Championship table with a 1-0 home win over Watford that made it back to back triumphs in the space of three days.

Myles Peart-Harris’ first goal for the club made it back-to-back victories in the space of three days and ended a near five-hour wait for a home goal at the Swansea.Com Stadium.

“I’m pleased because we played well again. The players deserved to win,” said delighted Swansea boss Williams.

“For the first hour, we looked the only team capable of going to win the game. In the last half-hour Watford posed a lot more pressure and we had to dig in.

“We were very intense, with lots of concentration and we quickly destroyed the opposition attacks.”

Williams was pleased with the performance from the 22-year-old Brentford loanee Peart-Harris, who also hit the post in the first half before scoring his first goal for the club.

“He’s a young player who has had to adapt. Now he’s doing more than adapting, he’s looking very comfortable,” added Williams.

“Before with some opportunities, he perhaps lacked some self-belief that he would score. He ended up in the goal with the ball tonight and I love that.

“I feel like we’re becoming a team with an identity and we’re going in the right direction. Maybe we could have had a few more points, but we should be happy we are now two points off the play-offs.

“We have to maintain this now and we can look forward to a good season.”

Watford head coach Tom Cleverley had hoped to see his side make it three wins in a row after beating Blackburn and Sheffield Wednesday but a lacklustre first-half performance was backed up by a more aggressive second half, albeit with no shots on target.

“It’s two steps forward, then one step back. That’s been the story of our season – as well as flat first halves,” said Cleverley.

“It’s something we have to address urgently. Two forward and one step back will give an upwards trajectory, but it’s inconsistent and that’s frustrating.

“I’ll hold my hands up, we showed too much respect. The players have to take responsibility because we had no identity for an hour.

“Until the substitutions, we didn’t look like scoring. We didn’t have much personality and after last weekend, that surprised me.

“We played with fear and that’s my responsibility. We let Swansea have too much possession.

“I can have no complaints with the result this evening. We must as a team learn that you can’t feel your way into games.

“Today, it was too little too late. Against good outfits like Swansea, you give yourselves much too much to do.

“I will look at myself. I felt like I didn’t give us any tactical edge to go and win this game and I have to take responsibility.”