Quick start, Beck impact and Blackburn Rovers takeaways

Tyrhys Dolan got the decisive goal inside the opening 15 minutes as John Eustace’s men bounced back from their defeats against Coventry and Plymouth before the international break.

Swansea dominated possession but struggled to carve out chances in the final third as Rovers dug in to get over the line and secure all three points.

Here, The Lancashire Telegraph takes a look at the key takeaways from the fixture.

Setting the tone

Rovers raced out of the blocks and could already have had a couple of goals before Dolan opened the scoring, with Todd Cantwell hitting the side netting before Ryan Hedges was inches away from slotting home.

The pressure paid off when Swansea failed to clear Cantwell’s corner and Dolan beat Lawrence Vigouroux with a clinical finish, although Makhtar Gueye seemed to be claiming he got a touch on the way in.

The intensity in Rovers’ start was just what was needed following a couple of frustrating results on the road. Dolan typified that attitude, looking to drive forward and cause the Swans problems at every opportunity.

It was the 22-year-old’s second goal of the campaign and if he can hit those performances levels consistently, it makes tying him down to a new deal even more important.

The second half was a similar story, with Hedges whistling a strike just wide of the top corner moments after the restart.

Naturally, Rovers posed more of a threat on the break as the game went on, with Swansea pushing more bodies forward and leaving space to exploit. Andi Weimann perhaps should have wrapped up the result at the death after one of those scenarios but was denied by a smart stop by Vigouroux.

Defensive resilience

Hayden Carter wins a header (Image: CameraSport - Dave Howarth)

Swansea saw plenty of the ball but, for all their possession, rarely threatened Aynsley Pears between the sticks.

The goalkeeper was called into action to keep out Harry Darling’s header in the final stages, but the only other shot on target was a tame free kick which he gathered easily.

Rovers had kept three successive clean sheets prior to the Coventry and Plymouth defeats, and that desire to keep the ball out of the net was clear to see.

Dom Hyam and Hayden Carter were rock-solid, the latter returning to centre-back while Joe Rankin-Costello slotted in at the right of defence.

It was a real team effort, with the midfielders doing their bit to protect the backline while the wingers covered lots of ground to avoid being outnumbered on the flanks.

Beck shines

Eustace showed faith in the Liverpool loanee to put him straight back in the side following his return from suspension, which was repaid with another promising display.

Beck made some important challenges to deal with the threat posed by Ronald and Josh Key on Swansea’s right flank. The youngster also made his mark at the other end of the pitch and was unfortunate to have an assist in the first half after a bursting run.

He impressed while on loan at Dundee last term and has made a positive start life in East Lancashire. Now, the challenge is to kick on and show that he can deliver week in, week out amid the challenges of Championship football.

Harry Pickering filled in for Beck during the break but returned to the bench against the Swans. There is now a battle for the left-back spot, which could be useful for Rovers as the games come thick and fast.

Cantwell grabs chance

The former Rangers midfielder was given his second start since heading to Ewood Park and did not disappoint.

Cantwell had supporters on the edge of their seats and, at times, the visitors didn’t seem to know how to stop him.

The 26-year-old also put in a real shift to support Beck in defence as Swansea looked to cause problems down the right.

Cantwell is comfortable playing through the middle or on the left, and his role against the Swans seemed a perfect fit – giving him freedom to drift inside and affect the game in different areas when the opportunity arose.

There is still more to come from the 26-year-old, which is an exciting prospect for the supporters who have already embraced him with open arms.

Strong home form

Rovers have kicked off the season with five successive home wins for the first time since 1994/95 - a fitting statistic 30 years on from the Premier League glory under Kenny Dalglish.

No other side in the division has a 100 per cent record on home turf, and it is testament to the progress that Eustace and company have made in recent months.

Wins were hard to come by when the head coach arrived and, while it is still early days, they seem to have cracked the code.

Rovers will now enter Wednesday night’s clash with West Brom full of belief, even though it is a tough test against another club sitting in the top six.

Home form is always crucial for any side looking to climb the table and if Eustace’s men can keep making Ewood a fortress, it will certainly stand them in good stead.