Swansea City all-but secured their Sky Bet Championship status as Andy Rinomhota’s own-goal earned them a 1-0 win over relegated Rotherham.

Luke Williams’ side dominated throughout and saw Liam Cullen, Jamie Paterson and Ronald all have chances to bulge the net.

But midfielder Rinomhota turned into his own net from a corner in the 74th minute to hand Swansea all three points.

Victory leaves Swansea eight points clear of the relegation zone with three matches left to play, while Rotherham remain bottom and without an away league triumph this season.

Buoyed by their emphatic 3-0 win over Stoke three days earlier, the Swans were on the front foot from the outset in south Wales.

The first chance fell to the hosts as Paterson pounced on Sebastian Revan’s heavy touch before threading through to Cullen, whose low driven effort was kept out by Viktor Johansson.

It set the tone for what was to come as Leam Richardson’s side desperately struggled to get hold of possession.

Rotherham’s only effort of note saw former Swan Sam Clucas – who was regularly jeered by the home supporters – scuff a volley wide on 19 minutes.

The Millers looked every bit a side without an away league win in 34 matches, but, despite dominating possession, Swansea struggled to test Johansson after Cullen’s early effort.

While their control was evident, Jay Fulton’s unorthodox header from a short free-kick routine typified Swansea’s lack of cutting edge in the final third.

But they appeared destined to go ahead three minutes before half-time when Paterson robbed Cameron Humphreys of the ball just inside Rotherham’s half before charging down on goal, although his tame effort was comfortably saved by Johansson.

Brazilian winger Ronald then stung the palms of Johansson with a thumping strike from the edge of the box as the contest remained level at the break.

There was precious little for either side to shout about after the restart as the pattern of the contest remained the same.

Shortly after Harry Darling’s driven strike was blocked, Ronald’s half-volley was comfortably gathered by Johansson.

Josh Tymon then picked out Cullen whose header looped wide as Williams sent on Jamal Lowe with 25 minutes left on the clock.

Rinomhota blazed well over from distance following a rare foray forwards from the visitors, who sent on Tom Eaves while Liam Walsh and Aimar Govea entered the fray for Swansea.

But the decisive moment came in the 74th minute as substitute Walsh’s corner was headed into his own net by Rinomhota.

Rotherham’s best chance came with the final play of the game as Arvin Appiah crossed to Eaves, whose header flashed wide at the death.

It ensured hosts claimed back-to-back wins for the second time under Williams, with Rotherham losing for the third game running after failing to register a single shot on target at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Swansea eased any lingering relegation concerns by beating Stoke 3-0 to leave the Potters hovering perilously above the Championship drop zone.

Liam Cullen poked Jamie Paterson’s cross beyond Daniel Iversen to put Swansea ahead in the 19th minute before Matt Grimes doubled the hosts’ lead after 53 minutes with a penalty after Luke McNally tripped Ollie Cooper.

Josh Key capped off a fine victory for Luke Williams’ men with his second goal of the campaign after 73 minutes as Swansea claimed a first win in four, ending Stoke’s three-game unbeaten run and leaving them three points above the bottom three.

The Swans started on the front foot as former Stoke defender Josh Tymon teed up Jay Fulton who drilled well wide.

The hosts should have gone ahead in the 13th minute as Paterson left Ki-Jana Hoever spinning before picking out Fulton who could only rifle against the post from 10 yards.

But Swansea did take the lead soon after following a quickly taken free-kick.

Captain Grimes fed Paterson who had acres of space to cross to Cullen who poked home his seventh of the season from close range.

Cullen had a chance to double his side’s lead moments later when Grimes intercepted Michael Rose’s wayward clearance, although the Welshman could only volley over from the edge of the 18-yard box.

Stoke struggled to threaten in the torrid south Wales rain, with Wouter Burger heading wide from Million Manhoef’s corner just before the half-hour mark.

The Potters thought they had equalised in bizarre fashion just seconds later though when Rose chipped into the Swansea box.

Goalkeeper Carl Rushworth gathered the ball before losing control after an unintentional collision with Niall Ennis who duly poked into the net, although the goal was swiftly disallowed by referee Keith Stroud.

After a slow start, Steven Schumacher’s men found a foothold in the contest, with Manhoef flashing an effort wide.

And they spurned a fine chance to level proceedings in the dying seconds of the first half when Ennis played Manhoef through on goal, although Harry Darling recovered to force the Dutchman to fire wide from an acute angle.

They were ruthlessly punished for not taking their chances as Swansea doubled their lead with a penalty after the break.

McNally tripped Cooper on the edge of the area, and Grimes stepped up to rifle into the roof of the net from the spot.

Cullen almost got his second of the night from a well-worked corner routine minutes later, although his deflected effort trickled inches wide.

But Swansea got their third late on as Jamal Lowe danced up the left wing, teeing up Key whose first touch took him beyond Rose before unleashing a fierce effort into the net.

Luke Williams has challenged Swansea to build on their 2-1 victory over Blackburn.

Williams finally earned his first home league victory at the fifth attempt thanks to first-half goals from Joe Allen and Jamie Paterson.

The Sky Bet Championship’s top scorer Sammie Szmodics pulled a goal back for Blackburn just past the hour mark, but Rovers were unable to make their second-half dominance pay.

It meant back-to-back Championship wins for the Swans for the first time since October and Williams wants more.

“We started on the front foot and were very strong,” said Williams. “Back-to-back wins are brilliant because they start to build belief.

“I am really proud of how we withstood that comeback from them in the latter stages of the game because the opposition had nothing to lose, threw everything forward at us and we stood up to a lot.

“But we need to improve how we attack a lead, rather than defend a lead. That’s the bit we need to improve – to see a game out more comfortably. It was more anxious than I would have liked.

“But I felt something from the connection between the players and the fans that I hadn’t felt before. We have to build on it.

“It was a really good feeling. The fans have been great. After we have lost, they have shown us some love, but it always feels much better when you win.”

Blackburn are now without a win in their last six matches in all competitions and although they are 17th in the table, they are only a point above the drop zone.

Rovers manager John Eustace said: “I’m disappointed to have lost the game because I felt in the first half we started slowly and conceded two really poor goals.

“That hasn’t been like these boys since I’ve come in, but I thought we grew into the game and we still had three or four really good chances where we should have scored. We need to be more clinical.

“The character in the group is fantastic. We kept going and we scored a good goal to get back into it. But, unfortunately, we couldn’t quite get the equaliser.

“I thought we deserved a point at the end of the day. The way we started we were a bit sluggish. It could possibly have been because of the midweek game (against Newcastle in the FA Cup), but we have to be more clinical.

“We don’t give up and the fight is there for all to see. We have 11 big games coming up.”

Luke Williams finally earned his first league home victory as Swansea head coach at the fifth attempt with a 2-1 win against Blackburn.

Williams’ previous four Sky Bet Championship matches in front of Swansea fans had all ended in defeat, but first-half goals from Joe Allen and Jamie Paterson enabled him to break that sequence.

The Championship’s top scorer Sammie Szmodics pulled a goal back for Blackburn just past the hour mark, but Rovers were unable to make their second-half dominance pay.

It meant back-to-back league wins for the Swans for the first time since October.

But Blackburn are now without a win in their last six matches in all competitions and although they are 17th in the table, they are only a point above the drop zone.

Swansea started positively and were rewarded when they went ahead in the seventh minute through Allen’s second goal of the season.

Winger Przemyslaw Placheta did the hard yards on the left and when his cross was not cleared properly, former Wales international Allen was able to drill his shot downwards and bounce it into the far corner.

Blackburn found the pace of Placheta and fellow wide man Ronald difficult to handle, with Kyle McFadzean picking up an early yellow card for a foul on Ronald.

But Rovers also added to their own troubles by giving the ball away and it was from such an error that they fell 2-0 behind after 19 minutes.

Andrew Moran lost possession under pressure from Swans skipper Matt Grimes with the ball falling into the path of Paterson.

He swept past McFadzean before firing low past Blackburn keeper Aynsley Pears from the edge of the box.

Rovers’ own attacking threat was minimal in the opening half hour with a shot from Callum Brittain that flashed past the far post, and another from the wing-back that was held by keeper Carl Rushworth.

But their efforts intensified just before the break and Tyrhys Dolan saw one effort saved and another go just wide of the post.

Blackburn made two substitutions at half-time – bringing on Arnor Sigurdsson and Yasin Ayari – and looked more threatening.

It needed two timely interventions from Swansea centre-back Ben Cabango to keep out Rovers striker Sam Gallagher as the visitors looked for a way back into the contest.

Cabango stepped up for a third time to block an effort from Szmodics, but moments later Rovers’ top scorer had pulled a goal back with his 25th of the season in all competitions.

A free-kick on the right from John Buckley reached Szmodics and the striker reacted sharply to sweep the ball home in the 67th minute.

Blackburn were now in the ascendancy and Swansea were clinging on to their narrow advantage.

But from a rare home breakout, substitute Jerry Yates should have given Swansea breathing space, only for the striker to dither over his shot which enabled Pears to save.

Despite defending for most of the nine minutes of added time, Williams’ side kept Rovers at bay.

Southampton broke a 103-year-old club record by going 21 games unbeaten as Russell Martin celebrated his return to Swansea with a 3-1 success.

Che Adams, Will Smallbone and birthday boy Flynn Downes scored first-half goals as the Saints secured a Sky Bet Championship victory that should have been by a far greater margin.

Jamie Paterson gave Swansea brief hope in cutting the deficit to 2-1, but this was a sobering defeat for the hosts – their first in four games since losing at Southampton on Boxing Day.

Southampton have now eclipsed their best unbeaten run in all competitions since joining the Football League in 1920, the Saints going 20 games without defeat the following year.

A sixth win in seven league games moves Southampton into second place, above Ipswich on goal difference before they meet Championship leaders Leicester on Monday.

Martin was given a warm welcome by Swansea fans on his return to the club he managed for two years and left last June.

Luke Williams, who worked as Martin’s assistant at MK Dons and Swansea, was in charge in the home dugout for the first time in the league.

Williams had started his reign with an FA Cup victory over Morecambe and a Championship draw at Birmingham, but this was a far tougher proposition against visitors unbeaten since September 23.

Southampton thrashed Swansea 5-0 at St Mary’s and could have matched that total inside the opening half-hour.

Adams volleyed an inviting opportunity wide before Carl Rushworth pushed Stuart Armstrong’s sixth-minute shot into the Scotland striker’s path for his ninth goal of the season.

Rushworth was the busiest man in Swansea, with several stops including a fantastic double save to deny Ryan Fraser and Adam Armstrong.

Swansea’s defence was breached again after 20 minutes, although there was more than a hint of offside about it.

Stuart Armstrong seemed well beyond the last home defender, but he was allowed to continue and his cross was converted by Smallbone from inside the six-yard box.

Josh Tymon had Swansea’s first effort, looping over from 20 yards, but Rushworth kept them in the contest by kicking away Adam Armstrong’s angled attempt at a post.

Southampton’s share of possession was over 80 per cent at times, but Swansea scored out of nowhere four minutes before the break.

Harrison Ashby’s cross ended in a collision between Saints goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu and Jamal Lowe.

The Swansea striker had possibly been offside, but the ball ran kindly to Liam Cullen and his centre was nodded home by Paterson.

Southampton restored their two-goal advantage on the stroke of half-time as former Swansea midfielder Downes fired home from 20 yards with the aid of a deflection.

Downes was celebrating his 25th birthday, but did not salute his first Saints goal out of respect for his former club.

The second period was a far quieter affair until Paterson struck the Saints woodwork twice in as many minutes.

Bazunu also thwarted substitute Yannick Bolasie from close range as Swansea finished strongly, but without success.

Swansea manager Alan Sheehan urged his players to take confidence from a first home win since October as they edged a late 2-1 Championship victory at home to Preston.

Jamie Paterson completed his brace in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage-time to end Swansea’s run of seven home games without a win and deny North End a valuable away point after Liam Millar cancelled out Paterson’s opener.

As a result, Swansea – who have yet to appoint a permanent successor to Michael Duff – climbed four places to 15th in the table, while interim manager Sheehan has now taken seven points from five games in charge.

“We’re delighted with the win. We haven’t been good enough at home or got enough points but after the playing well and losing against Middlesbrough last time out, tonight was just about doing enough to win the game,” said Sheehan.

“We weren’t fluent with our performance by any stretch. We tried to play it through, looking for the perfect goal but it broke down each time.

“Preston are physical and try to ram it down your throat which we have to deal with. They came to make it hard for us and sometimes you’ve just got to grind it out and two moments of absolute quality from Jamie Paterson won us the game.

“We need to build confidence, resilience and a desire to win from this. When you win and have things to work on then that’s good. It wasn’t pretty but we got the job done and took a valuable three points.”

Preston continued their dramatic slide in form and slipped to ninth, with just one win from their last seven games.

They at least looked to have taken a point from their travels after substitute Millar cancelled out Paterson’s opener with a well-taken curling effort.

However Alistair McCann gave away possession inside his own half to gift Paterson the late winner.

Preston manager Ryan Lowe said: “I’m disappointed and gutted that we just couldn’t see it through to get what would have been a good point.

“I thought we were well worthy of the draw. It was a battling performance, nothing amazing and we dug in.

“We knew Swansea would dominate possession because that’s what they do but we handled their pressure well for long periods but individual errors have cost us.

“We played sideways instead of forwards for the second and left the man unmarked in the box for the first.

“It was disappointing because we had got ourselves right back in the game with a great goal and I felt we were in the ascendency.

“The players have character and effort but there were two lapses of concentration for the goals.

“I have to take responsibility as the manager, I know that and I have to lift myself first because I feel that I’m letting people down and I don’t like doing that.

“We could do with a bit of luck and to get that we need to keep working hard and digging in.”

Jamie Paterson scored an injury-time winner to hand Swansea their first home win in eight games and deny Preston a valuable away point following a narrow 2-1 Championship result.

Neither side could have complained with sharing a draw as a game of little inspiration ticked into added time at Swansea.com Stadium.

Liam Millar had earlier cancelled out Paterson’s first effort before with two brief glimpses of class.

However Alistair McCann gave away possession inside his own half and Swansea at last found a clinical edge as Jay Fulton released Paterson, who struck the winner in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage-time.

Swansea climbed four places to 15th in the table as a result, while Preston continued their dramatic slide in form and slipped to ninth.

Alan Sheehan had been told he would be in charge of Swansea over the Christmas period as the club continues to search for a long-term replacement for Michael Duff.

However the interim manager had urged for clarity over the vacancy, having taken four points from his previous three games in charge.

Sheehan named the same starting XI beaten by Middlesbrough, while Preston counterpart Ryan Lowe made six changes to the side thrashed 5-1 by Watford last time out.

That included a first league start for former Swansea goalkeeper Dai Cornell, who spent six years with his hometown club without playing in the league.

Cornell was first to be pressed into a save when he denied Jamal Lowe from close range following Josh Key’s smart cut back from the right.

Preston, with just one win in six, were limited to a long-range effort from Robbie Brady though should have done better with Duane Holmes’ counter-attack, if not for Alan Browne’s heavy touch.

Harry Darling went close to finishing a sweeping team attack but Swansea’s frustration grew amid the stalemate with Matt Grimes, Lowe, Ben Cabango and Paterson all booked in the space of eight minutes.

Preston’s cause was not helped by losing Brady to injury before half-time, replaced by Millar, though Ched Evans brought a decent save from Carl Rushworth early in the second half.

But it was Swansea who scored first when Grimes found Paterson free on the edge of the box and the striker swept his right-footed shot beyond Cornell.

That prompted a swift response from Preston, who levelled the scores just six minutes later.

Evans attacked deep on the right before Millar gathered the ball on the left, steadied himself and stepped inside Darling to curl his effort beyond Rushworth.

Millar came close to an almost carbon copy second just moments later but this time the Swansea goalkeeper tipped the shot past the post.

Swansea defender Cabango missed a free header in front of goal from a free-kick and the game looked destined for a draw before Paterson struck again in added time to clinch maximum points.

Leeds maintained their pursuit of the Sky Bet Championship’s top two with a 3-1 win against Swansea at Elland Road.

In a breathless start, Leeds had already had a goal disallowed when Jamie Paterson gave Swansea a first-minute lead, but Daniel Farke’s side hit back to level through Joel Piroe against his former club three minutes later.

Georginio Rutter fired Leeds ahead in first-half stoppage time and former Swan Dan James added their third just after the hour-mark.

Leeds leapfrogged West Brom back into third place by extending their unbeaten home record this season to nine matches and have now won seven of their last nine.

After a minute’s applause before kick-off for Terry Venables, who died on Sunday aged 80, the game exploded into action.

Leeds were celebrating inside the opening minute when James converted Rutter’s cross, but the Wales forward was ruled offside and seconds later Swansea scored.

Leeds skipper Pascal Struijk made a hash of his header back to Illan Meslier following Josh Key’s long punt forward and Paterson stole in to clip a brilliant finish over the stranded Leeds goalkeeper from the edge of the area.

The home side’s response was immediate. Crysencio Summerville played a neat one-two with Glen Kamara and threaded a killer pass through for Piroe to side-foot into the bottom corner.

It was the Dutchman’s ninth goal in total this season, two of them scored for Swansea in the League Cup in August before his switch to Elland Road later that month.

Leeds fans sang a pre-planned tribute to their former number 11 Gary Speed in the 11th minute – the 12th anniversary of his death was on Monday – before their side’s appeals for a penalty when Sam Byram’s cross struck Key were waved away.

Summerville’s goalbound shot was saved by Swansea goalkeeper Carl Rushworth’s legs and the impressive forward was then denied by Jay Fulton’s last-ditch block as Leeds chased a second.

That came in first-half stoppage-time. Rutter raced on to Ethan Ampadu’s raking ball down the middle, held off Bashir Humphreys after a brilliant first touch and buried a left-footed finish into the bottom corner.

Summerville blazed over early in the second period as Leeds looked to extend their advantage and the third goal came in the 61st minute.

James ran on to Rutter’s deft pass inside the area after Byram’s thumping tackle and smashed home his fifth league goal of the season.

Patrick Bamford was a whisker away from adding a fourth from Summerville’s cutback and fellow substitute Jaidon Anthony headed just over in time added on.

Hull fought from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw with Swansea in south Wales.

Jamie Paterson drove home his first league goal since March 2022 in the 17th minute before Jerry Yates pounced on Ryan Allsop’s mistake to double Swansea’s lead with his fifth goal of the campaign on 23 minutes.

Hull responded through Jaden Philogene whose thumping hit – his fourth in six outings – gave the visitors hope in the 48th minute, with Tyler Morton levelling on 68.

But a frantic contest ended level as Swansea’s winless home run was extended to four games while Hull kept themselves firmly in top six contention.

The Tigers started brightly while Swansea lost Harrison Ashby to injury.

But the hosts took the lead with their first real attack as Ollie Cooper delicately flicked Jay Fulton’s driven pass forward to send Paterson into space. The 31-year-old cut inside Sean McLoughlin before drilling a low shot past Allsop at the near post.

That opener gave Michael Duff’s troops a huge lift, and they created another opening through Cooper who crossed to Jamal Lowe, although the forward headed wide.

But they did get a second goal midway through the first half as Paterson rifled goalwards and it proved too hot for Allsop to handle. The Hull goalkeeper palmed the ball into the path of Yates who was alert to prod home from close range.

After Yates curled an effort wide, Hull regrouped, with Philogene and Jacob Greaves testing Carl Rushworth before Jean Michael Seri blazed over, although Swansea – who saw Paterson’s deflected strike fly just wide in injury time – withstood the pressure to lead by two goals at the break.

But Hull hit back shortly after the restart as substitute Cyrus Christie – against his former club – played in Philogene whose piledriver flew into the roof of the net.

The home fans grew increasingly nervy, and they remained on edge after seeing captain Matt Grimes drill over.

Hull thought they had levelled before the hour mark as Liam Delap chested Philogene’s cross into the net, although the effort was disallowed for offside.

Philogene then fluffed his lines as his scuffed volley from Jason Lokilo’s cross sailed over as the Tigers continued to push for an equaliser.

But they made it 2-2 midway through the second half as Christie found Liverpool loanee Morton who coolly volleyed beyond Rushworth.

Rosenior’s side looked the likelier to bag a winner, with Delap stinging the palms of Rushworth before Philogene blazed over from the follow-up effort.

Delap was again denied by Rushworth on the counter-attack after Liam Walsh had two efforts blocked at the other end, although neither side could nab a late winner as the points were shared.

Swansea made it four Championship wins on the spin following a 3-1 comeback success at sun-blessed Plymouth.

The icing on the cake came with the Swans’ superb 90th-minute breakaway goal, with substitute Liam Walsh playing the ball out to the right to Jamie Paterson on the run.

His precise pass inside enabled Josh Key, who timed his run to perfection, to finish past stranded goalkeeper Conor Hazard as Argyle were committed to attack in search of a leveller.

Sub Ollie Cooper had made it 2-1 with a brilliant 68th-minute long-range strike – a minute after coming on.

Cooper initially collected the ball on the right and exchanged passes with skipper Matt Grimes before unleashing a superb strike from fully 25 yards and into the corner which gave Hazard no chance.

Attacking midfielder Luke Cundle, who spent a spell on loan at Swansea last season, fired Argyle ahead in the 18th minute.

Ryan Hardie broke down the right, beating the offside trap, before cutting back a cross into the penalty area.

The ball was scrambled clear but only into the path of Cundle who side-footed home, first time, into the roof of the net from just inside the left-hand side of the box.

The Swans levelled after 56 minutes having started the second half well.

Paterson crossed to the left where Liam Cullen headed the ball back across the face of goal enabling striker Jerry Yates to bundle it home on the goal-line.

Carl Rushworth made a brilliant one-handed stop, low down, to deny Bali Mumba as he went one-on-one with the keeper on the hour after wriggling through the middle of the penalty area.

Argyle had started the game well with skipper Joe Edwards connecting with a far-post header to greet a sixth-minute corner from the left but Cullen made a brilliant diving headed clearance to deny him.

The Swans responded with Josh Tymon’s superb 12th-minute cross from the left into the box skipping past everyone before being cleared at the far post by Macaulay Gillesphey, with Cullen ready to pounce.

Argyle’s Northern Ireland keeper Hazard was forced to go full stretch to keep out Cullen’s measured strike from the right-hand side of the box after being teed up by Josh Key.

Rushworth and his defenders did well to keep out a string of Argyle shots as the home side pressed for a second in a goalmouth scramble as half-time approached.

Shortly after the break, Rushworth made a brilliant one-handed save from Hardie’s rising drive on the run, which seemed destined for the top corner, before two Swansea goals won it for the Welsh side.