Owls set unwanted record as Swansea cruise to win

Sheffield Wednesday set an unwanted club record as Zan Vipotnik's double helped Swansea City to a resounding 4-0 victory over the Championship's bottom side.

Wednesday's failure to score means they have gone nine straight league games without finding the target for the first time in their history.

This was also an eighth successive second-tier defeat for the Owls, who edge ever closer to relegation as their dreadful season goes on.

Swansea, by contrast, are growing in confidence having continued their upturn under Vitor Matos.

Goncalo Franco put the Swans on course for a sixth win in their past seven home games, the midfielder rounding off a sparkling team move by guiding home Josh Tymon's cross from close range.

Henrik Pedersen's side never looked like conjuring a comeback, and any slim hope of a revival ended when Vipotnik blasted a free-kick high into the net from just outside the penalty area.

Championship leading scorer Vipotnik swiftly claimed his second of the afternoon – and his 15th in the league this season – as he controlled Ronald's cross before rolling the ball into the bottom corner.

There was more misery to come late on for Wednesday as substitute Malick Yalcouye danced into the box before stroking in his first goal since joining Swansea on loan from Brighton last August.

Swansea's biggest win of the season lifts them to 15th, with Matos' side 10 points clear of the bottom three and only five points adrift of the top six.

Wednesday remain 39 points adrift of safety with only 15 league games remaining.

Wednesday have now played 14 hours of league football since their most recent goal, which was scored by the now departed Bailey Cadamarteri in a draw with Hull City on 26 December.

Their desperate record in front of goal did not look like being wiped out in south Wales, particularly after Franco's opener.

Liam Cullen was unfortunate not to stretch Swansea's lead when his lobbed effort hit the cross bar just before half-time but, even after that let-off, the visitors could not muster any sort of response.

Vipotnik had threatened on a couple of occasions before his thumping set-piece put the result beyond doubt, before Swansea's late flourish condemned Wednesday to the second heaviest loss in their miserable campaign.

Not so long ago, Swansea had relegation concerns of their own, but they look much more comfortable now after a Matos-inspired improvement which has brought eight wins in their past 13 league games.

Swansea head coach Vitor Matos:

"It was a game where we showed the right mindset. We knew it was a game where we needed to set the right tone in terms of intensity, in terms of dominance.

"I think we showed that. We scored the goal which helped us to calm down and have better control of the game.

"Second goal from a free-kick and I think it was a good game – clean sheet, goals, I am really happy."

Sheffield Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen:

"The last two days we have had two really good training sessions. We changed to a back four to get one man higher up in the press to see if we can win balls higher up the pitch and also have an extra man in the offensive transition.

"We saw a positive energy in the first 19 minutes. We had good pressing situations, good sequences on the ball. Then they score the goal, they played through us, and we also have to say Swansea is a fantastic team.

"After the goal they got more confident on the ball and started to move us around. We wanted to be compact but it was difficult for us. It was tough to press really tight against them.

"Second half we came out with a good energy and started to win balls high up the pitch, but we also lost balls. The biggest challenge today was that when we won the ball we also lost the ball. We didn't create what we wanted."