Swansea ease relegation fears as Plymouth remain in deep trouble

Phil Blanche, PA

Swansea eased their relegation concerns with a 3-0 win over Plymouth that added to those of the visitors.

Lewis O’Brien, Harry Darling and Josh Key scored first-half goals as Swansea moved above the Sky Bet Championship’s traditional 50-point safety mark.

Caretaker manager Alan Sheehan has now taken 14 points from eight league games since taking the reins following the departure of Luke Williams in February.

While Swansea, now 14th with 51 points, can surely look forward to another season of Championship football next season, Plymouth are fast running out of time to retain their second-tier status.

Adam Randell forced Swansea goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux to scramble across his line and push out a well-struck free-kick at 1-0, but this was a dismal Plymouth performance with so much at stake.

Argyle remain five points from Derby in 21st with five games to play and are further disadvantaged by their woeful goal difference of minus 39.

Miron Muslic’s side needed an 11-goal win to escape bottom spot at Luton’s expense but arrived in South Wales in decent form after taking seven points from four games.

But Swansea struck inside four minutes as Plymouth conceded their 79th league goal of the season, one more than League One Crawley to become statistically the worst defence in the top four tiers of English football.

Key won an initial duel near halfway and fed Ronald, who strode past Bali Mumba with comfort to deliver a fine cross.

O’Brien arrived unchecked eight yards out to register with a diving header, his first goal in English football since September 2022.

The midfielder had suddenly got a taste for scoring with a 25-yard shot blocked by Kornel Szucs, but Swansea doubled their lead after 22 minutes as Randell chopped down Eom Ji-sung to earn a yellow card.

Eom swung over the resulting free-kick and Darling was left unmarked to nod home his fourth goal of season from close range.

The third arrived after 35 minutes as Joe Allen, recalled to the starting line-up for the first time since January 18, intercepted Matthew Sorinola’s careless pass.

Goncalo Franco kept the move going and Key celebrated his first goal of the campaign as the ball sailed over the head of Conor Hazard in the Argyle sticks from 25 yards.

Franco’s outlandish volley was held just under the crossbar, Zan Vipotnik blazed over from point-blank territory, and Hazard clawed out Eom’s header.

Eom was released again as Plymouth waited in vain for an offside flag, but the South Korean’s finish lacked precision and Swansea had to settle for their joint-biggest victory of the season.