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Premier League

Jan 18, 2016 at 8pm UK

Swansea Swansea City
1-0
Watford

Williams (27')

FT(HT: 1-0)

Ashley Williams lifts Swansea City out of relegation zone

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 18 January 2016

Ashley Williams scores the only goal of the game to hand Swansea City a 1-0 win over Watford that takes them out of the relegation zone.

Swansea City skipper Ashley Williams scored his first ever home Premier League goal to hand his side a 1-0 victory over Watford at the Liberty Stadium this evening.

The Swans went into the match having only won twice since August, but they inflicted a fourth straight league defeat on Watford to climb out of the relegation zone.

Ashley Williams celebrates scoring during the game between Swansea and Watford on January 18, 2016 © Getty Images

It was a slow start from the visitors, but they still managed to create the first hint of a chance when Odion Ighalo failed to get enough on Troy Deeney's cross at the near post.

Swansea were the better side throughout the opening 45 minutes, however, and moments after Andre Ayew had provided the first shot on target of the match, they turned their possession into an opening goal.

It came through the skipper Williams, who notched his first of the season by planting a header from Ki Sung-yueng's cross past a helpless Heurelho Gomes and into the corner.

Ashley Williams scores the opening goal during the game between Swansea and Watford on January 18, 2016 © Getty Images

Watford had their first shot on target right at the end of the first half when Jose Jurado let fly from range, but it was straight at Lukasz Fabianski, who made a comfortable stop.

The Hornets did improve after the interval, however, and almost levelled things up in the 52nd minute when Miguel Britos rippled the top of the net with a header from Ben Watson's delivery.

Jurado threatened again shortly after the hour mark when he linked up with Ighalo to create a shooting chance on the edge of the box, only to steer his low effort a couple of yards wide of the far post.

Odion Ighalo and Federico Fernandez in action during the game between Swansea and Watford on January 18, 2016 © Getty Images

The visitors' best chances continued to fall to Jurado and, after sending one well-struck volley straight at Fabianski, he sent another narrowly past the post with only two minutes left after Neil Taylor's poor clearance dropped straight to him on the edge of the box.

However, it was the hosts who came closest to getting the second goal of the game in stoppage time when substitute Bafetimbi Gomis cut inside from the right and rattled a shot against the post.

Deeney had one last sight of goal when he lashed a half-volley narrowly wide in the dying embers of the match, but Watford were unable to find the all-important equaliser as they fell to a fourth straight defeat in the top flight for the first time since May 2000.