Swansea City conceded three second-half goals to suffer a 3-1 defeat against Championship promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough.The Swans started well and took the lead in the 15th minute through what was Joel Piroe's 14th goal of the campaign.But having defended well and limited the visitors to few clear cut chances, Boro's quality shone through as Aaron Ramsey and Cameron Archer struck in quick succession, with Chuba Akpom adding a late penalty as Swansea's woeful run of results continued, despite a largely spirited display. READ MORE: Swansea City news as Jamie Paterson hope outlined and Russell Martin reveals 'bravest' player he's worked with The only alteration to the line-up from the Luton Town defeat last weekend saw captain Matt Grimes replace injured Joe Allen in midfield.
Boro wasted no time in showing why they are the division's form team as they controlled possession early on, with Swansea's January transfer target Archer curling wide after four minutes following a direct run upfield by Ramsey.But the Swans had a glorious opportunity to open the scoring a minute later as Ollie Cooper was alert to intercept in the final third, although the Welshman followed Archer in failing to bend an effort on target.It gave the home supporters a lift though, and the groans from recent home fixtures were parked as both sides contributed to what was an entertaining affair in a lively atmosphere.
And the Swansea chants turned to cheers in the 15th minute as a prolonged period of patience on the ball was fully rewarded.Luke Cundle found Ryan Manning in space on the left, and the Irishman's driven shot was guided into the net by Piroe.The Swans were playing with plenty of confidence in possession while they showed energy and desire