Wil power has Lamps shining WINGER CHEWS UP SWANS
HARRY WILSON produced two stunning strikes to help Derby bite back after their midweek controversy.
Rams midfielder Bradley Johnson was ruled out as he started a ban for allegedly biting Stoke’s Joe Allen on Wednesday.
But Wilson responded with his tasty, long-range goals.
Derby also showed character to recover from the blow of learning defender Curtis Davies is out for the season with Achilles trouble.
Boss Frank Lampard said: “In a game like today’s you need a bit of magic and Harry produced it.
“It was a tough game to approach. The lads dealt with the situation very well.”
Wales winger Wilson, on a season- long loan from
Liverpool, scored for a t hird game in a row, prompting Derby fans to chant, “He’s one of your own” at Swansea’s travelling contingent. Wilson is the Rams’ top scorer with eight in the league and once he had put them 2-0 up, there appeared a mountain to climb for the Swans – and it proved too much.
The win helped County move on from the 2-1 defeat to Stoke.
Swansea, in contrast, have lost three in a row in the Championship.
Derby took the game to the visitors early on, as the Welsh club sat back.
Swansea had a scare as early as the fourth minute when Richard Keogh’s close- range strike was ruled out for offside. When Derby opened the scoring just after the half hour it was deserved and no surprise the lively Wilson provided it, blasting in from the edge of the area.
The lead should rapidly have been doubled, but Mason Mount fired over when unmarked.
Swansea were rattled though and the Rams did not have to wait much longer for a second goal. It came on 40 minutes when Wilson charged forward and unleashed another effort from distance.
He could have had a hat-trick of long-range goals early in the second half, but was denied by keeper Erwin Mulder.
Swansea had not offered enough in attack, yet their hopes were raised late on when Fikayo Tomori scored an own goal after a Matthew Grimes corner. But Derby survived a nervy finish.
Swansea boss Graham Potter said: “The first goal was a great strike but the second was a mistake from us, and we can do better. It’s been a bad week in terms of results – there’s no getting away from that.”