Swansea remain well placed to finish in the play-off zone following a 3-1 victory over Barnsley.
Swansea maintain play-off position
Swansea remain well placed to finish in the play-off zone following a 3-1 victory over Barnsley at the Liberty Stadium.
Ashley Williams and Shefki Kuqi set Paulo Sosusa's side on their way to success, although Darren Moore pulled one back for Barnsley before half-time.
The game remained delicately poised until Darren Pratley netted midway through the second half to keep Swansea two points clear of Blackpool with a couple of matches to go.
The early exchanges were highlighted by one of the misses of the season from Swans striker Kuqi, who pulled his shot from six yards wide in front of an open goal.
But the Welshmen were quickly into their stride, with Pratley forcing a smart save from Barnsley goalkeeper Luke Steele before Williams stabbed home his fifth goal of the season in the 23rd minute after David Cotterill's corner had been flicked into the six-yard box.
Steele then saved Mark Gower's header at full stretch from a free-kick by Cotterill, who forced the visiting goalkeeper to pull off an even better save with a goalbound shot from 20 yards.
But Swansea maintained their momentum and Kuqi atoned for his howler in the 28th minute when he headed home Gower's cross from the right, low into Steele's left-hand corner to double the home side's advantage.
Gifted
The Swans' two-goal cushion did not last long though when the visitors were gifted a goal courtesy of an error by Dorus de Vries.
The Swansea goalkeeper committed himself to Iain Hume's corner, but failed to gather the ball and left the unmarked Moore with a free header at the far post.
Hume fired an early second-half warning for the visitors straight after the restart, flashing an angled shot just wide from the edge of the penalty area.
Barnsley manager Mark Robins then replaced Hume with 18-year-old striker Jamil Adam, who was making only his second senior appearance for the Tykes.
The visitors gave as good as they got in the second period. Cedric Van der Gun's shot from the edge of the area was well saved by Steele, but Hugo Colace went close for Barnsley with a 25-yard rocket which flew just over the crossbar.
Emphatic
Swansea midfielder Gower was replaced by Andrea Orlandi in the 70th minute and the Spaniard's first contribution was to set up Pratley for his side's third goal.
Orlandi broke clear down the left and pulled the ball back from the by-line into the path of Pratley, whose emphatic finish found the top corner from 12 yards.
Swans substitute Lee Trundle fired a shot straight at Steele in the closing stages as the home side comfortably closed out the game.
