Swansea (0) 2 Fulham (0) 0
Goals from Scott Sinclair and Danny Graham, plus a stunning penalty save from Michel Vorm, gave Swansea a first Barclays Premier League win in five games and capped a miserable day for Clint Dempsey at the Liberty Stadium.
United States international Dempsey had been unfortunate to get in the way of Sinclair's 56th minute strike and deflect the ball beyond Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer to give Swansea the lead.
Fulham, without striker Bobby Zamora who was rested amid speculation of a falling out with manager Martin Jol, looked set to level when Jazz Richards was adjudged to have brought down Karim Frei with four minutes to go but Vorm athletically saved Dempsey's spot-kick, before substitute Graham slid home the clincher in stoppage time.
The home side completely dominated the opening 45 minutes and Luke Moore came closest to giving them the lead when he flicked the top of the bar from distance, while Mark Schwarzer saved a low Scott Sinclair effort.
| Match Stats |
Swansea |
Fulham |
| Goals |
2 |
0 |
 |
| Scorers |
Sinclair 56 |
|
| |
Graham 90 |
|
|
| Goal attempts |
17 |
13 |
| On Target |
5 |
7 |
| Possession |
57% |
43% |
| Corners |
6 |
5 |
| Offsides |
2 |
0 |
| Saves |
7 |
3 |
| Fouls |
8 |
8 |
| Yellows |
1 |
1 |
| Reds |
0 |
0 |
| source: Soccernet/SkySports |
Fulham barely registered as an attacking threat with Clint Dempsey heading wide with their only genuine effort on goal.
Zamora's place was taken by Andrew Johnson, with the England forward not even named among the substitutes.
Midfielder Simon Davies made his first league appearance of the season after overcoming a long-term knee problem, but Danny Murphy had failed to recover from the ankle knock suffered in Monday's win over Liverpool.
Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers recalled fit-again Steven Caulker to his back four as club captain Garry Monk dropped to the bench. Moore got a first league start of the season as he filled in for the suspended Joe Allen in midfield with Wayne Routledge coming in for Nathan Dyer on the right flank.
Fulham had sat off their hosts in the early stages, happy to let Swansea enjoy almost a monopoly on possession.
Scott Sinclair was just unable to get a shot away after linking with Leroy Lita, before the striker headed wide from a Routledge cross.
As the Cottagers settled it took a fantastic tackle from Jazz Richards to deny Johnson after the striker had got the better of Caulker on the left side of the Swansea box.
Sinclair saw his free-kick deflected over the bar by Johnson, before Moore flicked the top of the bar with a superb, swerving strike from just outside the box.
Lita was furious when referee Jon Moss gave a free-kick against him when he appeared to have been impeded in the box by John Arne Riise after 23 minutes.
Riise was at the centre of another penalty shout but appeals that he handled a Routledge cross were waved away.
Mark Schwarzer held a low Sinclair shot as Fulham continued to sit back and try and hit the Welsh club on the break.
Routledge's ball across the box was diverted wide of his own goal by Philippe Senderos, although the visitors did alleviate the incessant pressure long enough for Dempsey to head wide with their first genuine effort on goal.
Schwarzer required treatment after falling over Lita when claiming a high ball and the home crowd's frustrations were beginning to grow but Swansea's persistence was finally rewarded after 56 minutes.
Schwarzer's punch only went as far as Routledge, his scuffed effort was turned goalward by Sinclair and a huge deflection off the unfortunate Dempsey left his keeper stranded.
Fulham almost responded immediately but Michel Vorm, who had been almost a spectator in the Swansea goal, made a superb low save to deny Bryan Ruiz from eight yards, before holding an angled drive as Dempsey sought to make amends.
The game had suddenly become an end-to-end affair.
Riise fizzed a free-kick just wide and Vorm raced out to deny Johnson, while at the other end substitute Kemy Agustien struck the post barely a minute after taking the field.
Moussa Dembele dragged an ambitious effort wide as Fulham began to show signs of desperation.
And Swansea continued to carve out chances of their own as Schwarzer denied Graham after the substitute had been freed by Agustien.
A Fulham equaliser looked certain when Jazz Richards was adjudged to have fouled substitute Karim Frei in the box, but Vorm made a stunning stop to deny Dempsey before Graham slid home from Gower's corner in added time to seal the victory.
Swansea Vorm, Richards, Williams, Caulker, Taylor, Routledge (Dyer 89), Britton, Gower, Sinclair, Lita (Graham 76), Moore (Agustien 69).
Subs Not Used: Tremmel, Dobbie, Monk, Bessone.
Booked: Vorm.
Goals: Sinclair 56, Graham 90.
Fulham Schwarzer, Kelly, Hangeland, Senderos, John Arne Riise, Dembele (Frei 77), Davies (Orlando Sa 79), Etuhu, Dempsey, Ruiz, Johnson.
Subs Not Used: Etheridge, Gecov, Bjorn Helge Riise, Hughes, Briggs.
Booked: Senderos (82,f)
.
Att: 19, 296
Ref: Jon Moss (W Yorkshire).