Steve Cooper insists his Swansea City team are reaping the reward for their resilient spirit away from home as they moved back into the top two in the Championship. The Swans appeared to be sliding down the table a fortnight ago after one win in seven matches, but they have resurfaced with back-to-back victories over Cardiff City and Wigan. Six days after their derby win, Cooper’s team maintained their unbeaten record on the road this season with a 2-1 victory over the Latics at the DW Stadium.

Ben Wilmot insists Swansea City can build a promotion surge on the back of his goal that gave the club their derby day victory over Cardiff City. The Swans go to Wigan on Saturday, having climbed back up to fourth in the Championship table – just two points behind leaders West Brom – following their 1-0 won over the Bluebirds at the Liberty Stadium last Sunday. Wilmot’s goal ended a sequence of just one win in eight matches for Steve Cooper’s side and the defender – who was making his first League start since his loan move from Watford – insists the club have a springboard from which to launch a bid for promotion.

Swansea City manager Steve Cooper paid tribute to Ben Wilmot as he came of age with the winner in the derby against Cardiff City. Wilmot scored the only goal of the game as Swansea edged Cardiff in the first Welsh derby for five years at the Liberty Stadium. The on-loan defender from Watford was only in the side because Joe Rodon has suffered an ankle injury that will require surgery and has put him out of action for club and country for months.

Swansea City and Wales defender Joe Rodon has been ruled out for “a few months” according to his manager Sreve Cooper – putting an end to his Euro qualifying campaign with Wales. The centre back missed today’s 1-0 derby victory over Cardiff City at the Liberty Stadium after suffering two recent ankle injuries. The second of those – picked up in the home defeat to Brentford – means Rodon requires an operation and means he will be out for a number of weeks. 

Steve Cooper has admitted Sunday’s high noon showdown with Cardiff City cannot come soon enough after his Swansea City team continued their dismal run at home with a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Brentford. The sinking Swans have now won only one of their last eight matches and after being top of the Championship when they last won at the Liberty Stadium in August, they have now dropped out of the play-off places. The timing could not have been worse in one sense for Cooper, as they face Cardiff in the first derby for five years, at home on Sunday.

Andre Ayew has more to contribute to Swansea City’s campaign as he gets up to speed in the Championship, according to manager Steve Cooper. Ayew is set to be part of a Swansea line-up aiming to turn around downturn in home form on Tuesday night when the Swans host Brentford at the Liberty Stadium. The Ghana striker – who scored in last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Barnsley – is becoming stronger as his fitness improves, says Cooper, following Ayew’s delayed start to the season.

Steve Cooper has admitted he got it wrong as Swansea City failed to put away Championship strugglers for the second successive game. A 1-1 draw at Barnsley – following their previous 2-1 home defeat against Stoke City – means the Swans have dropped five points to the two clubs sharing the bottom two places in the table. Cooper was honest enough to concede his tactical approach had been wide of the mark as Barnsley played a very different style to the one the Swansea manager was expecting.

Steve Cooper has defended his decision to use playmaker Bersant Celina as a wide player, rather than as a central No.10. The Swansea City manager – whose team travel to Barnsley on Saturday hoping to make amends for their shock home defeat to Championship bottom club Stoke City – has been deploying Celina in an unfamiliar wide left role in recent matches. It’s a decision that has perplexed some Swans supporters, as the former Manchester City player appears to have been less effective than in his previous central position.

Sam Surridge has pinpointed promotion to the Premier League as his driving ambition with Swansea City as he returns following the international break. The Swans striker – currently on a season-long loan from Bournemouth – was a late call-up to the England U21 squad and scored on his debut in the 2-2 draw in Slovenia. Surridge was then an unused substitute in the 5-1 thrashing of Austria which took England to the top of their Euro U21 qualifying group.

Steve Cooper has admitted Swansea City need to recapture the swagger and bravery that held them at the top of the Championship for the opening weeks of the season. The Swans manager confessed that his team have lost the courage of their convictions following their 2-1 home defeat to Stoke City on Saturday. The loss dropped Cooper’s side from top to fourth in the Championship table, but more concerning for the man at the helm was the style of football that has now brought just one point from their last three home games.

Steve Cooper has claimed Swansea City’s promotion progress is being undermined by poor officiating. For the second successive week, the Swans manager has claimed mistakes by referees have cost his team, although they remain second in the Championship table after their 1-1 draw at home to Reading on Saturday. A week ago, Cooper suggested there were errors which counted against his side in their goalless draw at Bristol City and it was a familiar theme against the Royals.

Swansea City will have central defender Ben Wilmot available again for Saturday’s Championship match at home to Reading. The Watford loanee, who has been an unused substitute in seven of the Welsh club’s eight League matches so far, was ineligible to play against his parent club on Tuesday in the Carabao Cup but could be back in the squad for this clash at the Liberty Stadium.