Swansea City

Substitute Jordan James drilled home from 25 yards in the fifth minute of added time when Blues were struggling to create chances after plenty of opportunities in the first half.

Mowbray thought a point was the least the team deserved in his first game in charge after they dominated for the first hour.

“I thought we could have had scored five goals with the chances we had in the first half,” said Mowbray, who has replaced Wayne Rooney.

“There were chances right in front of the goals where we had shots blocked and then (Siriki) Dembele ran through at the start of the second half – I didn’t see Swansea having those chances.

“I was frustrated that we didn’t win the game, so it was very nice that Luke Williams (Swansea head coach) said we deserved something from it.

“Hopefully, somewhere down the line those chances will go in and we will win 5-2.”

Mowbray admitted it is early days in his reign and accepts there is lots to do.

He added: “There’s a long way to go and it’s a gradual thing because I’ve had three and a half days on the training pitches.

“We have to play forward more – I don’t like teams that ‘horse-shoe’ it around the back and pass it back to the goalkeeper.

“But we kept going to the end and any team that can recover from going goals down is an important trait.

“The players have looked me in the eye and they have bought into what I’m trying to do.”

Swansea took a 36th-minute lead when unmarked defender Harry Darling powered home a bullet header from Josh Tymon’s corner.

That lead lasted just two minutes as Siriki Dembele equalised with a fine solo goal, sprinting away from his marker before curling a low right-footed shot into the far bottom corner of the net.

Darling’s looping header hit the bar before Jamal Lowe got ahead of Dion Sanderson to poke home Tymon’s cross in the 59th minute.

Birmingham looked beaten after tailing off in the last half hour, but James changed all that with a superb strike.

Despite the late setback, Swansea head coach Luke Williams believed the draw was a fair result.

“It was disappointing because there was such little time (after Birmingham’s late equaliser) but if you take the game overall, Birmingham deserved at least a point,” he said.

“We didn’t create enough clear-cut chances to have won – maybe three good chances – but you can’t win a game like that if the other team create three good chances.

“I think we expected a really energetic performance from Birmingham because Tony Mowbray will make sure that happens.

“But we caused ourselves problems because with a team really fired up to press you and be aggressive, we couldn’t afford to play sloppily, especially near your own goal.

“But I think we made the classic mistake of trying to defend the lead out (for the late equaliser).”

Wales international Brooks scored one goal and provided two assists as the Cherries racked up their biggest FA Cup win against a Football League side since beating Bristol Rovers 6-1 in the 1927-28 season.

Both teams made five changes from their weekend line-ups but that did not stop Bournemouth making light work of their Championship visitors to move into the last 16 for only the third time since 1989.

Andoni Iraola’s Premier League side stormed into a 3-0 lead with less than a quarter of an hour gone as Swansea’s defence completely capitulated on the south coast.

The Cherries took the lead in the seventh minute when defender Lloyd Kelly came up from the back to find himself unmarked to hook Brooks’ free-kick into the roof of the net.

Three minutes later Brooks broke free down the right before pulling the ball back for Alex Scott to make it 2-0.

Kyle Naughton hit the post for the visitors before Luis Sinisterra scored Bournemouth’s third goal with a confident finish into the far corner after Swansea goalkeeper Andrew Fisher had passed the ball straight to Scott.

The irrepressible Brooks had to wait until 10 minutes before half-time to get the goal he fully deserved after keeping himself onside to latch onto Dominic Solanke’s slide-rule pass before side-footing past the helpless Fisher.

Top-scorer Solanke, who had already fired wide from another Brooks free-kick, grabbed the home side’s fifth a minute before half-time after more dreadful defending from the visitors.

Sinisterra played in a teasing low cross from the left wing and Solanke was left with the freedom of the penalty area to side-foot his 14th goal of the season from 10 yards out.

Liam Cullen was unlucky not to reduce the deficit in first-half stoppage-time as his shot was acrobatically tipped over the bar by Bournemouth’s stand-in goalkeeper Mark Travers.

It was the first time the Cherries had been 5-0 up at the interval since beating non-league Margate 11-0 in an FA Cup first round tie in 1971.

Iraola rested Solanke for the second half but his replacement Kieffer Moore could have made it 6-0 within seconds of coming on after narrowly failing to get on the end of James Hill’s floated cross.

Moore came close again 15 minutes from time when his effort from midway inside the Swansea penalty area was deflected behind for a corner, while Milos Kerkez also slotted wide as the hosts failed to add to their tally.

The only negative for Bournemouth, already missing several key defenders, was losing defender James Hill to injury after he landed awkwardly midway through the second half.

Morris is currently managing partner of QED Investors, a fintech venture capital platform, and also co-founded Capital One Financial Services.

As well as making an investment, Morris will also join the board of directors and the club confirmed that these have both been approved by the EFL with all regulatory checks completed.

The Swans went unbeaten in their final nine Sky Bet Championship games last season to secure a 10th-place finish in the table.

Swansea chairman Andy Coleman told the club website: “I’m really pleased that Nigel is now on board and everyone is excited about the future for a club that has so much potential.

“Nigel has great credentials and a wealth of business acumen that will be invaluable to the club going forward as we work together to achieve success both on and off the pitch.

“We will continue to ensure that the club remains financially stable and positioned for long-term success and this investment helps improve the club’s financial position.

“I’ve spoken with Nigel on many occasions and we are fully aligned in our vision of a shared commitment of helping to deliver success for the football club.”

Morris told the club website: “I’m delighted to have invested in Swansea City. The club has superb facilities and is front and centre of the community.

“The supporters are the most important part of any club, and I have been taken aback by the passion and integrity shown by the many people I have already met on a number of recent visits to matches.

“I hope I can play a part in Swansea’s future success and I am very much looking forward to working closely with Andy and club executives to embrace short and long-term objectives.

“I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank both Jason and Steve for their support in this process.”

Carvalhal made a name for himself in the English game by leading Sheffield Wednesday to the Championship play-off final in 2016, where they were beaten by Hull City.

Wednesday were then beaten in the semi-finals after finishing fourth under Carvalhal in 2016-17. That remains their highest second-tier finish since 1990-91, when they were promoted in third.

However, Carvalhal left the Owls for Swansea City in December 2017, only winning eight of 25 games in south Wales and overseeing their relegation from the Premier League the following May.

Carvalhal has since enjoyed something of a renaissance with the likes of Rio Ave and Braga, before moving to Spain to keep Celta Vigo up with a final-day victory over Barcelona last season. 

The Portuguese coach is proud of his achievements since leaving English football, claiming his stint at Swansea provoked a change in his approach to the game.

"After England, we were at Sheffield Wednesday for two and half years and half a year at Swansea, then we stopped for one season," Carvalhal told Stats Perform at the Thinking Football Summit.

"We decided to stop and reflect on the things that we did and the things that we wanted to do in the future. We changed almost everything. In this moment, we saw football in a different way. 

"We are not basing it on the system [anymore], we are basing it on spaces and creating spaces. It's the way that we look at football, completely differently, like a chess player looking at the table.

"The results were fantastic, I can tell you. 

"We took a big risk to go to Rio Ave. Rio Ave is a medium club in Portugal. We were in the Premier League, and nobody from the Premier League goes to Rio Ave. But we decided to go there because it's a calm club, there were some good players, we could put our ideas on the pitch. 

"The reality was that we achieved Europa League [qualification]. Braga the same, we continued improving, in Celta Vigo we improved and we have stopped now to refresh a little again.

"I know €14 million was raised in Rio Ave with the players that we developed, which is very good for the club. Almost €100 million at Braga, and now in Celta Vigo with Gabri Veiga and Javi Galan probably about €50 million. So we are improving players.

"It's something that of course we are very proud of and something that we want to do in the future in the next challenge."

Carvalhal oversaw Rio Ave's best points return in their Primeira Liga history in 2019-20 (55 points), before leading Braga to their third – and most recent – Taca de Portugal one year later.

The 57-year-old has been out of work since leaving Celta in June, but he is ready to get back into the game and believes taking regular breaks is crucial to stay fresh.

"The gaps, I need to rest for my mental health, which I care about. Usually, you never see me have problems with other coaches, with referees and so on, because of these kinds of things.

"I decided [to move] because we did very well [at Braga]. We did the best the club has done in its history. In two seasons, we won the cup and we reached three finals. 

"We achieved the quarter-final of the Europa League, 17 players from the academy played in the first team. At Celta Vigo, we arrived at the club in a very difficult position. We finished in 13th. 

"There's a lot of pressure. So I spoke with my staff, I said I need to stop for three or four months and after, we go back to the market. So at this moment, we are on the market again. 

"We are not under pressure, it's not about money. We can't say that we don't ever go for the money because we never know what will happen tomorrow, but I would prefer to go because of passion and football. Let's see what happens."

The former Swansea player came off the bench for the second half and scored in the 89th minute, sparking delight in the visitors' ranks. 

Spanish midfielder Hernandez found the bottom left corner after Luke Ayling cut the ball back, just as Leeds looked like being frustrated. 

Now they sit three points clear of second-placed West Brom and six ahead of in-form Brentford, who occupy third spot, and only three rounds of games remain. 

Leeds have been absent from the top flight of English football since their relegation in 2004, which came just three years after a run to the Champions League semi-finals. 

Veteran manager Marcelo Bielsa was persuaded to stay for this season, having gone agonisingly close last term to the elusive promotion. 

Now, though, Leeds look ready to end their long wait, with games against Barnsley, Derby County and Charlton Athletic to come and a maximum of four points required. 

The latest step on the road back to the elite came a day after the death was announced of one of their greatest players, England World Cup winner Jack Charlton, who spent his entire club career with Leeds. 

Stoke City and Birmingham City have played Premier League football more recently than Leeds, but this season has been one of battling the threat of dropping into the third tier for both. 

Stoke earned a 2-0 win over Birmingham on Sunday to join the Blues on 49 points, with both sides now four points clear of the relegation zone. 

Beaten 5-0 by Leeds in their previous outing on Thursday, Stoke bounced back thanks to goals from Danny Batth and captain Sam Clucas.

Yet the top two in England's second tier look increasingly likely to be the pair promoted to the Premier League, with third-placed Fulham suffering a damaging home defeat against Brentford.

In the first matches following the league's three-month coronavirus suspension, a new hero emerged for mid-table Derby County as 18-year-old Louie Sibley scored a hat-trick in their win at Millwall.

And Rhian Brewster, a striker on loan from Liverpool, gave Swansea City's play-off hopes a boost by netting twice at Middlesbrough, as well as making a powerful political statement.

POINT A MIXED BLESSING FOR BAGGIES

With Leeds in action at Cardiff City on Sunday, West Brom had an opportunity to go two points clear of Marcelo Bielsa's team as the league resumed.

Bilic's players dominated the derby clash and had a host of chances but could not find a breakthrough, and a stalemate at the Hawthorns potentially plays into the hands of Leeds.

The top two are now level on points, with West Brom top on goal difference, but Leeds will have the chance to go three clear before the next round of games.

BEES STING NEIGHBOURS

Said Benrahma and Emiliano Marcondes scored late for Brentford in a 2-0 win at promotion rivals Fulham, a result that leaves West Brom and Leeds seven points clear with eight games remaining for the play-off pack.

Nottingham Forest were heading for victory at Sheffield Wednesday after Joe Lolley gave the visitors a 69th-minute lead, only for Connor Wickham to grab a stoppage-time leveller for the Owls.

Forest sit fifth, four points clear of a Preston North End side who were held 1-1 at Luton Town, Callum McManaman firing a late equaliser for the hosts, who nevertheless fell to the foot of the table.

KING LOUIE

Blackburn Rovers beat Bristol City 3-1 in a battle between teams fighting with Preston for sixth place, but the individual performance of the day came from Sibley, whose heroics guided Derby to their 3-2 win at Millwall.

"I'm absolutely buzzing," Sibley told Rams TV. "To get that hat-trick was just unbelievable. When the third goal went in, I couldn't stop smiling."

Brewster was not far behind, his double steering Swansea to a 3-0 victory at lowly Middlesbrough.

Brewster held up a shirt that read "our colour is not a crime" after his first goal, expressing support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

TIGERS ON THE SLIDE

Wigan Athletic were 2-0 winners at fellow strugglers Huddersfield Town, while Hull City slipped into the bottom three after losing 1-0 at home against Charlton Athletic.

Barnsley climbed off the bottom by winning 1-0 at QPR, and Stoke City drew 1-1 at Reading.

The Terriers looked on course for back-to-back wins for the first time under Darren Moore after defender Ben Cabango turned into his own net from Jaheim Headley’s cross in the third minute.

The Swans dominated after that early setback and created numerous openings – with Jay Fulton, Yannick Bolasie, Harry Darling and Cabango among those to have chances.

And Arsenal loanee Patino slotted home in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage-time to nick the Swans a point in dramatic fashion.

The Terriers made a dream start as Headley capitalised on Matt Grimes’ error before charging up the left flank and his somewhat speculative cross was turned into his own net by Cabango.

It swiftly set the tone for the remainder of the contest as Swansea dominated possession, although Cabango and Jamie Paterson were both unable to hit the target as Chris Maxwell was untested.

Liam Walsh – on his first start of the season – drilled straight at goalkeeper Maxwell from 25 yards out to register the game’s first shot on target in the 33rd minute, such had been the lack of attacking quality on show.

Huddersfield desperately struggled to get out of their own half and – when they were presented with a decent opening – Sorba Thomas’s free-kick was comfortably gathered by Carl Rushworth.

Fulton’s shot was well smothered by Maxwell after slick play between Walsh and Paterson, but the Terriers almost doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time completely against the run of play when Headley crossed to Danny Ward, although the striker – on his 250th outing for the club – headed straight at Rushworth.

Michael Duff made a triple change at the break, with Bolasie replacing Liam Cullen to make his home debut, while Jerry Yates and Darling came on for Bashir Humphreys and Kyle Naughton respectively.

The hosts instantly carried a greater threat, with Yates unable to get a shot away after intercepting Yuta Nakayama’s loose pass.

Bolasie then took down Grimes’ crossfield pass on his chest before unleashing a volley over as Swansea continued to boss proceedings.

Duff could have been forgiven for fearing the worst when Matty Pearson was fortunate not to turn Jamal Lowe’s cross into his own goal, and Bolasie’s drilled effort was then deflected wide.

Darling headed over before his swerving strike was kept out by the legs of Maxwell as Huddersfield’s rearguard was tested to the limit.

Grimes and Patino had tame efforts either side of substitute Delano Burgzorg’s chance in the final stages.

But Swansea broke Huddersfield hearts in added time as Patino coolly slotted the ball beyond Maxwell to make it 1-1.

Swansea could have won it a minute later, although Darling header over as the points were shared, with Duff’s side now winless in five games.

Wales international Brooks made the most of a rare start this season by scoring one goal and making two more as the Cherries cruised into round five on Thursday night.

Iraola said: “The wing position is where we have more options and they are all playing really well.

“Sometimes it is difficult to leave players out. David played really well tonight.

“We were really clinical and started very strongly. It was strange to score five goals in the first half.

“We did not want to start slowly as we have in other cup games this season and were really impressive.

“Our number one priority was to be in the next round. We needed a very good performance after Sunday’s game against Liverpool, where we didn’t finish well.

“We have done our job and we are in the last 16 so let’s see what we get in the draw.”

The Cherries took the lead in the seventh minute when defender Lloyd Kelly came up from the back and found himself unmarked to hook Brooks’ free-kick into the roof of the net.

Three minutes later Brooks broke free down the right before pulling the ball back for Alex Scott to make it 2-0.

Kyle Naughton hit the post for the visitors before Luis Sinisterra scored Bournemouth’s third goal with a confident finish into the far corner, after Swansea goalkeeper Andrew Fisher had passed the ball straight to Scott.

Brooks had to wait until 10 minutes before half-time to get the goal he fully deserved after keeping himself onside to latch onto Dominic Solanke’s slide-rule pass before side-footing past the helpless Fisher.

Top scorer Solanke, who had already fired wide from another Brooks free-kick, grabbed the home side’s fifth a minute before half-time after more dreadful defending from the visitors.

Sinisterra played in a teasing low cross from the left wing and Solanke was left with the freedom of the penalty area to side-foot his 14th goal of the season from 10 yards out.

Swansea manager Luke Williams said: “It was a horrible night for us.

“I apologised to the players because I tried to set the team up to give a problem to the opposition. It is a cup game and we have to try to find a way to win.

“But I put the balance wrong, with too many players in advanced positions and then in the turnover there is not enough bodies to stem the flow of the attack, and the opposition were very good.

“In the second half we had more bodies back, but then it was very difficult for us to get near their goal. We tried to limit the damage because the scoreline was too heavy.”

Latte Lath, a summer signing from Atalanta, moved into double figures for league goals this season with strikes either side of half-time as Boro extended their unbeaten run to seven games.

Michael Carrick’s side have now kept five clean sheets in their last six games and head for rivals Hull on Wednesday night six points adrift of the play-off places.

Swansea are 15th in the Championship after a third successive game without a win. Last month’s 2-0 South Wales derby success against Cardiff is the only win in the last six for Luke Williams’ side.

They did have a couple of opportunities to get themselves in front early on at the Riverside, both falling to Jerry Yates.

The striker’s touch let him down when he was unmarked in the box and picked out by Ronald Pereira Martins, allowing Jonny Howson to sweep up and clear. And inside quarter of an hour, Martins again teed up Yates but the 27-year-old was not able to direct his header on goal.

Finn Azaz and Isaiah Jones both had openings for Boro but flashed efforts wide from inside the box.

Latte Lath was Boro’s liveliest player in the first half and he tested Carl Rushworth with a low early strike and called the keeper into action again with a strike from the edge of the box.

The Ivorian broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time. He was first to pounce on a loose ball after Rushworth parried a Jones cross, but there was still plenty of work to be done. Despite the fact six Swansea defenders blocked the route to goal, the striker still managed to squeeze his shot in at the front post.

Swansea were almost gifted a leveller within two minutes of the restart. Dan Barlaser wanted too much time on the edge of his own box and as visiting attackers flocked around him, panicked and made a mess of an attempted backpass to Seny Dieng that flashed just past the post.

Barlaser again played Boro into trouble with a loose pass that was intercepted by Jamal Lowe. The forward charged towards the box and took aim for the far corner but Dieng was equal to it.

Swansea probed but struggled to create any clear cut chances and Latte Lath wrapped up the points 11 minutes from time when he cut on to his right foot and clinically found the top corner.

Matt Grimes fired the hosts into a 20th-minute lead with a sublime volley, but Jannik Vestergaard fortuitously bundled into the net on the stroke of half-time to level proceedings with what was his first goal for the Foxes.

Second-half efforts from Abdul Fatawu and substitute Kelechi Iheanacho earned the visitors their 11th win from 12 Championship matches this season.
“I’m very happy because even at 1-0 down, the team continued in the same way. No panic,” said Italian boss Maresca.

“This for us is the most important thing. In the first half we were in control. We conceded some transitions, but even with that I think we were in control. We created chances.

“We deserved [to get to] 1-1. In the second half we continued to play the same way.

“The good feeling is that when we were 1-0 down, I can see for the players on the pitch that it doesn’t matter – continue, continue, continue. They can see that continuing that way, something is going to happen.”

Michael Duff was heavily criticised in the opening stages of the season as Swansea’s seven-game winless run ensured they made their worst start to a league campaign in 32 years.

But having won four consecutive matches prior to their defeat against the Championship leaders, Duff felt his side’s showing against the Foxes proved Swansea are a side on the up.

“I think we fell the wrong side of big moments in the game,” said Duff. “But the general performance I was pleased with. I thought the structure of the team looked good, the energy looked good and some of the quality was good.

“Ultimately, the supporters aren’t stupid and they clapped them off the pitch having got beat.

“The last time we got beat (at home) was against Bristol City and quite rightly the players got booed, because we looked nothing like we did today.

“If you are going to get beat, that’s the way to get beat. The lads gave me everything today. I think that performance would probably 90% of the time have beaten most teams in this league.

“So there were loads of positives. The attendance, the noise in the stadium – they came with the players. Other than the result, there were a lot more positives than negatives.”

Wales international Brooks scored one goal and provided two assists as the Cherries racked up their biggest FA Cup win against a Football League side since beating Bristol Rovers 6-1 in the 1927-28 season.

Both teams made five changes from their weekend line-ups but that did not stop Bournemouth making light work of their Championship visitors to move into the last 16 for only the third time since 1989.

Andoni Iraola’s Premier League side stormed into a 3-0 lead with less than a quarter of an hour gone as Swansea’s defence completely capitulated on the south coast.

The Cherries took the lead in the seventh minute when defender Lloyd Kelly came up from the back to find himself unmarked to hook Brooks’ free-kick into the roof of the net.

Three minutes later Brooks broke free down the right before pulling the ball back for Alex Scott to make it 2-0.

Kyle Naughton hit the post for the visitors before Luis Sinisterra scored Bournemouth’s third goal with a confident finish into the far corner after Swansea goalkeeper Andrew Fisher had passed the ball straight to Scott.

The irrepressible Brooks had to wait until 10 minutes before half-time to get the goal he fully deserved after keeping himself onside to latch onto Dominic Solanke’s slide-rule pass before side-footing past the helpless Fisher.

Top-scorer Solanke, who had already fired wide from another Brooks free-kick, grabbed the home side’s fifth a minute before half-time after more dreadful defending from the visitors.

Sinisterra played in a teasing low cross from the left wing and Solanke was left with the freedom of the penalty area to side-foot his 14th goal of the season from 10 yards out.

Liam Cullen was unlucky not to reduce the deficit in first-half stoppage-time as his shot was acrobatically tipped over the bar by Bournemouth’s stand-in goalkeeper Mark Travers.

It was the first time the Cherries had been 5-0 up at the interval since beating non-league Margate 11-0 in an FA Cup first round tie in 1971.

Iraola rested Solanke for the second half but his replacement Kieffer Moore could have made it 6-0 within seconds of coming on after narrowly failing to get on the end of James Hill’s floated cross.

Moore came close again 15 minutes from time when his effort from midway inside the Swansea penalty area was deflected behind for a corner, while Milos Kerkez also slotted wide as the hosts failed to add to their tally.

The only negative for Bournemouth, already missing several key defenders, was losing defender James Hill to injury after he landed awkwardly midway through the second half.

The Crystal Palace centre-back, 23, has seven senior caps and has featured in three of the previous four games ahead of the final Euro 2024 qualification double-header against Malta and North Macedonia.

Having come through the ranks at Chelsea, where he credits Claude Makelele as a mentor, Guehi never made a Premier League appearance for the Blues but is now a fixture in the division in south London.

Guehi was also capped at every England age group from Under-16s upwards until making his senior debut last year.

Asked how he has dealt with every step up in his career, Guehi replied: “The trait is, that in my life everything has been quite steady. Growing up I was never pushed on too soon, or left behind.

“It was always quite steady and my career has been exactly the same. In the academy, going out on loan, steadily playing game after game and gaining confidence. Getting the move to Palace and finding my feet in the Premier League and now coming here with England.

“So when you talk about those steps and progression, everything for me has been quite natural. I just see things how they are and take things how they come.

“When I said about the steadiness, along that pathway there is those setbacks. I think it’s your job as an individual to just learn from those as quickly as possible. And not allow them to drag you from behind.

“There’s been many setbacks and always will be. It’s about learning from them and using those moments to prove yourself.”

The main setback for Guehi was during his time on loan at Swansea, a move which coincided with the start of the coronavirus pandemic that shut down football for over three months during the 2019/20 season.

Guehi was away from home and had fallen out of favour in the Swansea team, not featuring in the final four matchday squads before football was halted – although he returned to get back into the side before spending another campaign on loan at the Liberty Stadium.

“Not many people know, it was tough for me at Swansea,” he said.

“I have not spoken about it, everyone thinks it was plain sailing, great. I played the first four games and then I didn’t play up until after lockdown. Being away from home, in Swansea, different country, on your own, there’s going to be challenges, going to be tough.

“Those moments were difficult, you take those moments, learn from them, try to move on and put them right. I was just out of favour. Not anything in particular. I came from Chelsea, came with a lot of confidence, and my confidence almost gets knocked.

“Thankfully, I did get back home, just in time before (lockdown), it was so strange to say it, for so many people around the world it was horrible, for my family, and so many people around.

“For me, it was probably the best moment, I could get away from football, be with my family, and just focus on myself. How can I now if football does come back – thankfully football did come back – if we do get back to playing, how can I get back in this team?

“I genuinely enjoyed Swansea. It was good. Swansea was a great place for me to play. I had a great view from an apartment looking out onto the beach although it was not sunny but it was still a decent view.”

Guehi, who plays drums at his church when time allows and whose father is a pastor, has used setbacks such as his experiences in south Wales, to build a stronger mentality.

“It is like building calluses but in your mind,” he added.

“Going through those moments does help you in everyday life, everyday situations. You might have a bad game but you remember what you’ve gone through before, and you almost put that to bed and go I just need to prove myself the next game. Moving steadily.”

Sheehan was taking charge of the Welsh club following Michael Duff’s dismissal earlier this week.

And they got off to a winning start thanks to goals from Charlie Patino and ex-Rotherham player Jerry Yates.

The Millers were down to 10 men with just 17 minutes played when Daniel Ayala was shown a second yellow card for needlessly hauling down Yannick Bolasie, but managed to get back level through Sam Nombe before Yates won it.

Sheehan said: “I’m so proud of the players, staff and the whole football club. The support I’ve had from everybody has made that possible.

“We have stood up to a physical team. I think if we had been more clinical it could have been easier. We needed that second goal.

“They score from a long throw. They’re a big physical team and we had to football our way out of it.

“We got the win. It has been a very difficult week and an emotional week. The overall feeling is pride.

“We always look for perfection but we will take progress.

“We went with an attacking team because we wanted to come here and win the game.

“It felt good (to be in the dugout). To come away and get three points in the Championship is never easy.”

Rotherham are believed to be close to appointing Leam Richardson as their new boss following the dismissal of Matt Taylor last month.

Wayne Carlisle was in the dugout for his fourth game in temporary charge. Defeat saw them drop to the bottom of the Championship.

Carlisle said: “Some of the big decisions, that is where the game hinges and it turns, went against us. But I can’t fault the lads’ effort.

“Later in the game we started pushing them back and putting them under pressure.

“I thought we started really brightly. But if we go in at 0-0 at half-time we would have been able to restructure. Two big decisions have cost us.”

Carlisle was upset by the second yellow for Ayala and felt it was a handball for the opening goal.

He added: “I think a certain amount of discretion should be exercised. It looks like it is a handball.

“You can say it’s Rotherham and these things go against us but we need to change that mentality.

“I have really enjoyed being sat at the front of it but I’ve had great support from the staff and the players. It’s because I’ve had good people around me.

“The players are bitterly disappointed but come Monday morning they will have picked themselves up. You can’t be too down about just one result.”

Defender Daniel Ayala was sent off for the Millers after 17 minutes and that changed the complexion of the game, with Swansea eventually taking full advantage to secure all three points.

The game saw two interim bosses in charge, with Rotherham believed to be closing in on the appointment of Leam Richardson.

Wayne Carlisle took charge of his fourth Rotherham game following the dismissal of Matt Taylor, while Alan Sheehan was in the dugout for the Swans after the sacking of Michael Duff.

Christ Tiehi was first to force a save in the match as he latched onto a long throw and connected with a strong half-volley which goalkeeper Carl Rushworth was able to gather.

Rotherham were dealt a blow in the 17th minute when Ayala was shown a second yellow card for blatantly fouling Charlie Patino.

Swansea looked to make the most of the extra man and Yannick Bolasie came close to putting them ahead as he met Jay Fulton’s cross to the back post.

Keeper Viktor Johansson had to deny Jamal Lowe with a strong save after the striker had closed down Cohen Bramall’s attempted clearance.

Swansea continued to threaten before the break and Harry Darling should have done better as he rose highest at a corner only to head straight at Johansson.

The Sweden international was called into action again as he had to palm away Fulton’s vicious shot from distance.

Johansson then clawed out Lowe’s header superbly, but he could do nothing to prevent the opener a minute into added time when a cross from Jamie Paterson was deflected in by Patino.

Rotherham’s protests over a handball were ignored by referee Josh Smith.

The Welsh side looked to put the game to bed early in the second half and it was a stinging effort from Darling which first troubled Johansson.

Instead it was the Millers who levelled after 64 minutes, with Sam Nombe tucking home after Hakeem Odoffin had gone up for a flick on.

Darling again threatened at the other end as he headed on target from Matt Grimes’ corner.

Swansea went back ahead in the 73rd minute with Yates able to lash home after Lee Peltier failed to get enough on Josh Key’s centre.

Rushworth was called into action in stoppage time as he pushed Georgie Kelly’s header over the crossbar.

The Tigers had gone into the game in the top six, but it was the visitors who eased their relegation fears by claiming all three points.

Swansea went ahead after 10 minutes as Liam Cullen got on the end of a corner from the left to steer a low shot into the bottom-left corner and the home side struggled to create clear scoring chances in response.

Josh Tymon created the first opening for the visitors after seven minutes but his driven cross from the left was too quick for any of his team-mates to connect with in the Hull box.

With 10 minutes gone, Swansea forced the first corner which Tymon swung in low from the left and Cullen ran in unmarked to steer a left-foot shot inside the near post.

Hull tried to respond, and Anass Zaroury swung in a cross from the left but it was too far in front of Regan Slater’s run to threaten the Swansea goal.

The Swans should have had a second after 22 minutes when the ball came in from the right, but Przemyslaw Placheta headed back across the area when he should have aimed for an open goal.

Hull were getting punished for mistakes and only a tackle in his own area by Slater halted another attack before Ronald fired over following a free-kick.

Ozan Turfan headed straight at Carl Rushworth when the ball dropped to him in the area with Hull’s best chance on the half-hour.

A surging run by Jaden Philogene was halted by Ben Cabango’s foul but the fact the Tigers wasted the free-kick was indicative of a lacklustre first-half display and they trailed at the break.

A raking pass down the middle from Alfie Jones found Turfan just offside as he ran towards the Swansea goal in the opening minutes of the second half.

Billy Sharp replaced Lewie Coyle after 54 minutes and nearly made an instant impact as he reached Turfan’s through ball before Rushworth, but Nathan Wood got back to clear his prodded shot just short of goal.

Cullen nearly had his second when Hull failed to clear a cross but steered his shot just wide of a post.

Tymon fired in a cross from the left which Ryan Allsop beat away at his near post for a corner, but Swansea could not repeat their first-half goal as Jamie Paterson fired his volley off target.

Philogene forced Rushworth to save with his knees at the near post as the home side looked for a late equaliser.

Allsop beat away a rising shot from Tymon and then gathered the loose ball as Swansea pushed for a second goal, but they had already done enough to claim the points.

The tall defender’s glancing header from a Joe Williams chip into a crowded penalty area ended a run of four successive defeats for Bristol City and created a nine-point gap between themselves and the Championship relegation zone.

For opponents Swansea, that gap is only five points and they will need to add a cutting edge in the final third of the pitch to avoid dropping into trouble after dominating possession in the first half.

Robins head coach Manning hugged members of his coaching staff at the final whistle, clearly relieved after his team had been booed off at the interval.

He said: “We had to stop our poor run and we were never going to do that with flowing attractive football.

“I was pleased enough with our patience after a cagey first half and from then on it was a really solid team performance.”

“Rob Dickie is a huge player for us in both boxes. He is like a magnet for the ball when crosses come in.

“Being massive helps, but he also has the ability to hold off his marker and take up dangerous positions in front of goal.

“The message to the players before the game was to live in the present and not worry about past results or the future.

“But of course four successive defeats leave a mark and it was important to get a result to boost confidence again.

“I’m pleased with the clean sheet, particularly after a game at Ipswich in midweek in which we did most things right only to concede twice in the closing stages.”

Przemyslaw Placheta wasted Swansea’s best chance on 57 minutes, shooting badly wide at the far post from a Ronald cross.

Head coach Luke Williams insisted he was not looking at the bottom positions in the table.

“I didn’t see a team out there who are drifting or in any way dropping into trouble,” he said.

“I saw a side who controlled the game for much of the time and if the players can add better decision-making and greater coolness in front of goal we can finish the season really strongly.

“We paid for switching off at a set-piece and it was one of a few key moments in the game that cost us.

“Placheta needed to show more composure with his chance and get the shot on target. If we had scored then, I’m sure the least we would have come away with was a point.

“We dominated possession because Bristol City dropped deep when we had the ball. That made them difficult to unlock at the back and we needed to be better with our final ball.”

Second-half strikes from Jaden Philogene and Tyler Morton cancelled out first-half efforts from Jamie Paterson and Jerry Yates as the Tigers fought back to clinch a point in south Wales.

And Rosenior says his side never felt out of the game, despite conceding twice in the opening 45 minutes.

“The first 15 minutes we started really well and they score with their first shot,” he said.

“When that happens, it rocks you a bit, especially when you’re that much in control.

“The second goal, Ryan (Allsop) has been magnificent, he is a massive part of our game, but he’s disappointed not to hold that one.

“To see the character, team spirit, resilience and quality the players played with after that, it gave the players confidence at half-time.

“It sums up where we are that we’re 2-0 down away from home and we’re disappointed not to win the game.”

Hull started on the front foot, and Swansea lost Harrison Ashby to injury in the 10th minute.

But Michael Duff’s men went ahead after a neat flick from Ollie Cooper found Paterson who cut inside Sean McLoughlin before drilling a low shot beyond Allsop in the 17th minute.

Just six minutes later, Hull goalkeeper Allsop spilled Paterson’s drive which allowed Yates to prod home.

The Tigers pulled a goal back through Philogene, whose rifled effort flew past Carl Rushworth three minutes after the restart.

Morton then volleyed home on 68 minutes to set up a tense finish, although neither side could find a late winner as the points were shared.

And Swans boss Duff bemoaned his side’s inability to manage the second half.

“Frustration is the word,” said the former Burnley defender.

“There was lots of good stuff in the first half, some good quality football, possession with purpose.

“We played through them and hurt them, I thought we were good value for the 2-0 lead.

“The second half, they score from the first attack which sucked the energy out of the team.

“Then we got stuck between a rock and a hard place, whether we get on the front foot as we did in the first half or we try to protect. In the end, we did neither.”

Meanwhile, Duff says he is hopeful of signing free agent Yannick Bolasie on a short-term deal.

The former Everton and Crystal Palace winger, 34, has trained with the club this week and could join ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Leeds.

“Yannick’s been in the building for a week. Hopefully that’ll get done,” said Duff.

“He hasn’t got the pace and power he once had, but you don’t get bought for £25m (by Everton) if you don’t know how to handle a football.

“It’ll be a two-month deal and we’ll see how it goes from there.”

Williams had made five changes from Saturday’s 3-1 Sky Bet Championship defeat by Southampton, but soon found their game plan torn apart as the Premier League side raced into a 3-0 lead inside the opening 15 minutes.

Lloyd Kelly gave the hosts an early lead when he volleyed in David Brooks’ free-kick at the far post, with Alex Scott soon adding another in the 10th minute.

Swansea goalkeeper goalkeeper Andy Fisher was punished when his loose pass was latched onto by Scott, who set up Luis Sinisterra to slot in Bournemouth’s third goal with just 14 minutes played.

After Kyle Naughton’s effort hit the post at the other end, Swansea fell further behind when Wales midfielder Brooks broke away onto Dominic Solanke’s through-ball in the 34th minute.

Solanke made it 5-0 just before half-time when he slotted in a low cross from Sinisterra.

Swansea stemmed the flow during the second half, but Bournemouth still created chances, with substitutes Kieffer Moore and Milos Kerkez both going close late on.

Williams offered no excuses. He said on S4C: “It was a horrible night for us.

“I apologised to the players because I tried to set the team up to give a problem to the opposition. It is a cup game and we have to try to find a way to win.

“But I put the balance wrong, with too many players in advanced positions and then in the turnover there is not enough bodies to stem the flow of the attack, and the opposition were very good.

“In the second half we had more bodies back, but then it was very difficult for us to get near their goal. We tried to limit the damage because the scoreline was too heavy.”

The sides had already met once earlier this season in the Carabao Cup, when Bournemouth edged through 3-2 at the Swansea.com Stadium with a late goal from Ryan Christie.

Williams admitted some of his players had looked “nervous” as they were taken apart during a blistering opening spell from the Cherries.

“I don’t want to single anybody out or talk about individual errors,” he said.

“We are playing against an outstanding team, who we are probably going to lose against because there is a big gap in the quality of the two teams at this moment in time.

“But tactics aside, making very easy openings (for Bournemouth) by making mistakes, that was disappointing – but I needed to help the team quicker and find a way to give them more bodies behind the ball to defend.”

Brooks captained Bournemouth, and was named player of the match having provided two assist as well as his goal.

“I’m trying to do the best I can when I get the minutes and the opportunities,” the Wales midfielder said.

“We have got a great group of players and today was one of the chances I get to show what I am capable of, and hopefully I’ve done that.

“I want to be as fit as possible for the (Euro 2024 play-offs with Wales in March) so am trying to get as much football as possible.

“These are the games where I can show what I can do to bump up the minutes ahead of the qualifiers.”

Substitute Samuel Silvera smashed home a 77th-minute free-kick from just a few yards out, breaching Swansea’s wall of defenders on the goal-line.

“It’s a strange one. I’ve not seen it for a long time,” said Middlesbrough manager Carrick, who recalled his former Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo once scoring in similar circumstances at Old Trafford.

“It certainly doesn’t mean it’s a guaranteed goal because it’s not easy to find a way through.

“It was quite interesting to what the lads came up with because it’s not something you see often and therefore we haven’t planned for it. I’ll hold my hands up to that.

“But two of the younger boys (Silvera and Morgan Rogers) have been smart enough and said, ‘This is my moment, I know what I’m going to do’. That pleases me even more.”

Carrick insisted it was “definitely a back pass” and said he appealed for the free-kick on the touchline, adding that Boro deserved to end their three-game losing streak.

Sam Greenwood, on loan from Leeds, fired the visitors in front two minutes before the break, with Jamal Lowe heading Swansea level near the hour mark.

Carrick said: “I’m delighted with the boys for their effort and the spirit to get through a game like that where it didn’t come easily for us.

“It wasn’t a naturally free-flowing performance. We’ve had them recently and not won, so to do so this time feels good.

“There was a feeling before the game actually with the boys about finding a way to win and having that winning feeling. Sometimes you have those games where you have to find a way.”

Swansea caretaker manager Alan Sheehan felt it was a “brave call” by referee Matthew Donohue to punish Rushworth 13 minutes from time.

“It was a crazy decision, whether it’s right or wrong it’s a big call,” Sheehan said.

“Is it an interception or a back pass? Carl Rushworth is one of the best keepers in the league with the ball at his feet, so for him to think he can pick it up tells me enough.”

This was Sheehan’s third game in charge and Swansea hope to appoint a permanent successor to Michael Duff before Friday’s home game against Preston, with Tottenham coach Chris Davies their preferred candidate.

“I’m more proud now than I was against Stoke (1-1 draw on Tuesday),” Sheehan said. “This was a step in the right direction, maybe two steps.”

A 30th-minute red card for midfielder Charlie Patino forced the Swans to launch a grim defensive operation.

And despite a second-half Sunderland onslaught, the hosts kept the ball out of their net to earn a gritty point.

It might even have been more had striker Jamal Lowe not seen his penalty saved on the stroke of half-time.

Duff said: “I thought we were magnificent. I think anything that could have gone against us went against us.

“But we played 75 minutes with 10 men against one of the best teams in the league.

“Until the red card we weren’t good enough with the ball, but I want to talk about the spirit, people putting their bodies on the line and giving everything for the shirt.

“And we had the best chance of the game! But that went against us.

“We have talked about togetherness a lot, in the last few weeks, and that proves it.

“They are together.

“We have had a difficult start, so much change in the football club, but the one constant has been the togetherness.

“Supporters want to see that commitment. Any supporter will forgive mistakes if they see players give absolutely everything for the shirt.”

Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray criticised his team’s wastefulness.

It was one-way traffic after Patino left the fray, but the visitors could not find the net despite a glut of territory and possession.

Mowbray said: “We have to score, it’s no good looking at possession stats.

“We have inexperienced strikers and invariably goals are coming from others.

“It was just a frustrating day, we looked like we didn’t know how to score.

“You have to manage the game at the top end of the field.

“Credit to them, they worked hard and defended well, they blocked it and got their bodies in the way.

“But I’m disappointed we couldn’t put the ball in the net.”

Meanwhile, Duff refused to criticise Patino, saying: “We all go through it, it’s part of his learning.

“I don’t think either was a yellow card, but we’ll go through it with him.

“It’s now an opportunity for someone else to come into the team and if they step up he might lose his place.

“But he has been good with us, he has kept his ego in check and doesn’t get ahead of himself.

“If someone writes something nice about him, he doesn’t think he’s made it.

“He will feel like he has let the team down, but he hasn’t. He just made a couple of mistakes.”