Swansea moved to the top of the Sky Bet Championship after Stephen Eustaquio’s first goal for the club earned a 2-1 victory at Lincoln at the ProAmpac Stadium.
After an insipid first-half display, the Swans were able to turn the game on its head after the break and, barring a big win for West Brom over Wolves on Sunday, will head into the extended international break top of the pile.
They lead the division by two points, ahead of Middlesbrough, after ending the Imps’ five-match unbeaten run, despite them leading at half-time through Reeco Hackett’s penalty.
Swansea goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux was worked in only the second minute when he got down to save Hackett’s low shot after his defence had struggled to clear a corner.
His opposite number, George Wickens, was almost caught unaware when Swansea midfielder Elijah Just attempted to lob him from 45 yards, but he got back to prevent the ball sailing over him.
Hackett then had another opportunity for the Imps when he battled his way into a shooting position, but his strike went into the side-netting.
Vigouroux was fortunate he did not present the home side with the lead in the 22nd minute when he pushed the ball straight to Hackett just outside the area, with the Chile international very relieved to catch the attacker’s underhit lob.
Lincoln were then awarded a penalty in the 39th minute when Josh Tymon bundled into the back of Freddie Draper, and Hackett got the goal his first-half performance merited by confidently dispatching from 12 yards.
It was a lead the hosts deserved as they went into half-time, but having been subdued in the first 45 minutes, Swansea came out for the second half firing.
They were level within two minutes of the restart when Melker Widell worked his way to the byline down the right before pulling the ball back for Moussa Yeo to convert from close range.
The turnaround was rapidly completed in the 51st minute when Canada midfielder Eustaquio received the ball from Just before his shot from outside box took a big deflection beyond the helpless Wickens.
Having looked in control before the break, the Imps seemed to lack ideas as they looked to prevent a first league defeat in nearly a month.
The Swans, meanwhile, almost made the game safe when Widell bent an effort narrowly wide from just outside the area.
Widell then almost had a second assist of the afternoon when he moved the ball to the right for Ronald whose shot was beaten away by Wickens as the visitors’ second-half resurgence earned all three points.
The managers
Lincoln’s:
To follow…
Swansea’s Vitor Matos:
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