Swansea kept their play-off dreams alive on Saturday with a narrow 1-0 win over Bristol City.
Monk keeps Martinez's men in promotion race
Swansea kept their play-off dreams alive with a narrow 1-0 win over Bristol City.
The Swans now sit within a point of the top six courtesy of Gary Monk's first goal of the season.
Roberto Martinez's side were good value for their three points on Saturday as they dominated proceedings at the Liberty Stadium.
In truth, Swansea should have had more than the one goal, with Jason Scotland and Darren Pratley both guilty of missing good chances after the break.
The home side, who were able to call upon the services of Angel Rangel despite him originally being set to miss the rest of the season with an Achilles injury, started at a good tempo but were unable to create a genuine early chance.
Scotland had two good runs, both of which were relieved by Bristol's defence, and the first genuine opportunity fell to the visitors, with Dorus De Vries saving well at his near post after Dele Adebola got his head to Lee Johnson's cross.
But Swansea's patient build-up play finally reaped its rewards as they opened the scoring with 25 minutes gone as Monk rose the highest to divert Andrea Orlandi's corner beyond Adriano Basso.
Parried
They nearly doubled their lead moments later, with Ashley Williams' effort being deflected wide by Liam Fontaine and Basso doing well to keep out Jordi Gomez's header from Orlandi's subsequent corner.
The Robins were not without their chances, though, with Monk doing well to prod the ball away with Jamie McCombe ready to score after De Vries had parried Michael McIndoe's low free-kick, while Johnson saw a close-range drive flash wide of the post.
Half-time substitute Gavin Williams almost kicked the second period off in style with a long-range drive that De Vries did well to tip over, while Nicky Maynard also went close with a strike that stung the palms of the Dutch keeper.
Swansea remained dangerous too, with Orlandi's drive fielded well by Basso while Pratley saw a header cleared off the line by Williams.
The chances continued to come, as 24-goal striker Scotland pulled a shot agonisingly wide after a mistake by Basso gave him possession and at the other end Adebola should have done better with a header after a deft Johnson cross.
Gomez missed from long range as the Swans looked for a clinching goal, a goal that Pratley should have got after breaking clear of the Bristol defence but he shot tamely at Basso.
The visitors were not finished, though, with Ashley Williams doing well to block a goal-bound effort from namesake Gavin, before Swansea held on.
