Swansea suffer late heartbreak in defeat at West Brom

Jayson Molumby grabbed a dramatic winner as West Brom hit back from 2-0 down to beat Swansea 3-2 in their Sky Bet Championship clash at The Hawthorns.

Midfielder Molumby, back from suspension after a red card against Coventry last week, struck in the 85th minute after Norway striker Aune Heggebo had dragged the hosts level with a quickfire double in the 47th and 51st minutes.

Zan Vipotnik, who scored after just 11 seconds, and Ethan Galbraith had given the struggling Swans a shock 2-0 lead inside 11 minutes in a real game of two halves.

Swansea’s defeat was their fifth in a row and they have now taken just one point from their last 18.

Their poor form cost manager Alan Sheehan his job prior to the appointment of Vitor Matos for the 2-1 home defeat by Derby in midweek.

But the visitors rocked West Brom with two early goals, including one of the quickest goals ever scored at The Hawthorns.

Vipotnik lobbed Swansea ahead with the second-fastest goal ever in the Championship.

The Slovenian’s opener trails only Yakou Meïte’s strike after nine seconds for Reading in a 4-2 win at Blackburn in October 2020.

Vipotnik’s seventh league goal of the season came after he was sent clear by Goncalo Franco’s first-time pass following Nat Phillips’ clearing header.

Moments later Swansea wideman Zeidane Inoussa appeared to be brought down in the area, but referee Tom Nield was unmoved by the appeals.

Swansea made it 2-0 in the 11th minute when Galbraith rifled in a rising 25-yard drive that went through the hands of goalkeeper Josh Griffiths. It was the Northern Ireland midfielder’s second goal in as many games.

Awful

The goal prompted isolated angry shouts from Albion fans of “You’re not fit to wear the shirt” and “You’re getting sacked in the morning” aimed at head coach Ryan Mason.

Albion produced on-target efforts from Isaac Price, Mikey Johnston and Chris Mepham, but all were easy for goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux.

Winger Samuel Iling-Junior’s shot was deflected wide, but it was an awful first half-hour from the hosts.

Not surprisingly, Mason made four half-time changes, with Krystian Bielik, George Campbell, Josh Maja and Karlan Grant replacing Phillips, Alfie Gilchrist, Price and Iling-Junior.

Albion looked a completely different team after the break and responded with two goals in five minutes to turn the game on its head.

Turnaround

Heggebo’s shot beat Vigouroux at his near post after turning Cameron Burgess following Alex Mowatt’s short pass in the 47th minute.

The Norway striker then equalised with a shot into the ground from six yards out after Campbell had headed across Mowatt’s corner. It was the former Brann forward’s fifth goal in four games.

Callum Styles was wide with a low drive from distance before Johnston’s curling effort was superbly tipped away by Vigouroux as Albion went for the winner.

And Molumby found it with time running out after Grant crossed and Maja teed him up from six yards.