Swansea City 3-0 Preston North End RECAP and highlights as managerless visitors beaten

Managerless Preston North End were beaten 3-0 at Swansea City, in their first away clash of the Championship season.

Interim boss Mike Marsh made one change from the midweek win over Sunderland, in the Carabao Cup, with Stefan Thordarson replacing Will Keane - who dropped to the bench. Preston flipped between a back three and four throughout the first half and it was they - despite Swansea enjoying large spells of possession - who had the golden chance to go ahead. Robbie Brady won the ball back high up the pitch and found himself clean through, with plenty of time to weigh up his options. In the end, though, he placed a tame effort straight at Lawrence Vigouroux.

It became flat as the first half wore on, with neither side able to build up pressure or gain control. But, as the interval approached, the hosts were gifted the chance to go ahead - when Liam Lindsay was penalised for handball. The PNE defender felt the ball had gone behind for a goal kick, but Eom Ji-sung's hooked cross struck Lindsay's raised arm. After 10 seconds of staring at each other, the linesman eventually flagged for a penalty - Matt Grimes stepped up and converted from 12 yards.

Swansea has not been a happy hunting ground for PNE teams over the years and if the Lilywhites were going to take anything back up the road, they would need to do it the hard way. Soon after the restart, strong penalty appeals were waved away after Thordarson's low cross appeared to strike the arm of Harry Darling - who had slid in. Moments later, Ryan Ledson saw a fierce drive from 10 yards heroically blocked behind for a corner. North End were pushing for a leveller, but the stuffing was knocked out of them after the hour.

Swansea kept getting to the byline and cutting crosses back into PNE's box. That approach was justified in the second half, as Oliver Cooper's first time effort hit substitute Azeem Abdulai and deflected past Freddie Woodman - in the Preston net. North End looked out on their feet and resigned to defeat as the half wore on. The result was put beyond all doubt seven minutes from time, when Zan Vipotnik - another substitute - converted from close range.

PNE starting XI: Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes, Potts, Whiteman, Ledson (Greenwood 64’), Brady (Okkels 64’), Thordarson, Frokjaer (Holmes 72’), Riis (Osmajic 64’) PNE unused subs: Cornell, Whatmough, Bauer, Kesler-Hayden, Keane.