Barclays Premier League:

Swansea City 0–1 Newcastle United

Captain Jamaal Lacelles was the hero at both ends as Newcastle capitalised on a lacklustre Swansea City display to take three points from the Liberty Stadium.

With manager Rafa Benitez unable to travel after hernia surgery, his assistant Francisco de Miguel Moreno saw his side prevail thanks to Lascelles’ 78th minute header, after the same player had earlier kept his side level with a last ditch goal line clearance from Tammy Abraham.

Much of the pre-match hype surrounded Swansea’s new signings, the much coveted Renato Sanches and the returning Wilfried Bony.

The latter took his place on the bench, whilst Sanches’ loan deal with The Swans got off to a lively start, darting around in the opening minutes and showing touches of quality.

But in his eagerness to get his side moving, the Portuguese international was also guilty of some misplaced passes, one of which leading to Isaac Hayden having the first effort of note on goal as his snap shot was too close to home keeper Lukasz Fabianski.

However in truth, neither side established any kind of rhythm in a drab first half hour, although The Magpies had an opening when Jacob Murphy latched onto a woeful header by Swansea skipper Federico Fernandez inside the area – but poked his effort wastefully over.

Joselu tried his luck for the visitors with a long range volley that failed to trouble Fabianski, but then 34 minutes in, the Pole was needed to pull off a superb save to keep his side level.

Matt Ritchie’s deflected cross from the left was met by Mikel Merino, whose glanced header seemed destined for the far corner before being brilliantly tipped away one handed by the Swansea keeper.

That seemed to spur the visitors and seconds later Merino was again in the thick of things as he surged into the area and threw himself down under the challenge from Mawson – and replays showed referee Mike Jones was correct to wave away penalty appeals with no contact made between the pair.

Suddenly, The Swans then came to life, and after Tammy Abraham dispossessed Hayden, Jordan Ayew’s run and 20 yard curling shot was tipped around the post by Newcastle keeper Rob Elliot.

And from the resultant corner, Paul Clement’s men should have led, as Tom Carroll’s out-swinging corner found Mawson, who planted his header wide from close range.

Both sides took time to find their feet again in the second period, with the main talking point early on a high boot from Newcastle’s Matt Ritchie that caught Mawson’s arm, which left Ritchie perhaps fortunate to escape with a yellow card and the home centre back needing medical treatment.

But then it was the home side who appeared to up the ante, with Carroll meeting Ayew’s dinked pass with an angled left foot volley that Elliot did well to block at his near post.

Sanches then curled a 20 yard free kick wastefully over, before The Swans were denied by a brilliant piece of defending by Lacelles.

Ayew’s through ball put Abraham clean through, and he rounded Elliot only to see his low effort brilliantly cleared off the line by the sliding Newcastle skipper.

At the other end, Ayoze Perez flashed a low effort across goal, and then with 20 minutes left – came one on the loudest cheers of the afternoon from the Jack Army as Bony was sent on in place of the tiring Sanches.

However, it was The Magpies who were next to threaten as right back Javier Manquillo surged down the wing and played in Perez, and this time, the forward did find the target but his shot was blocked by the legs of Fabianski.

But with 12 minutes remaining came the decisive moment for the visitors, and it was Lascelles who was the hero again as he rose unchallenged to power a header into the roof of the net from Ritchie’s corner.

The home side tried to respond as Fer headed over from Sam Clucas’ deep corner, and in injury time, Ayew’s shot from a tight angle was turned away by Elliot with his legs.

However, it was Newcastle who held on for a second successive Premier League win, leaving Clement’s side without a point or indeed a goal from their two games at the Liberty so far this season.

Swansea City: Lukasz Fabianski, Kyle Naughton, Alfie Mawson, Federico Fernandez (captain), Martin Olsson, Sam Clucas, Tom Carroll (Luciano Narsingh 86), Renato Sanches (Wilfried Bony 69), Jordan Ayew, Leroy Fer, Tammy Abraham.

Subs not used: Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Mike van der Hoorn, Wayne Routledge, Angel Rangel, Roque Mesa.

Newcastle United: Rob Elliot, Javier Manquillo, Ciaran Clark, Jamaal Lacelles (captain), Jesus Gomes, Jacob Murphy (Christian Atsu 58), Matt Ritchie, Isaac Hayden (Mohamed Diame 70), Ayoze Perez, Mikel Merino, Joselu (Dwight Gayle 78).

Subs not used: Freddie Woodman, Jonjo Shelvey, Florian Lejeune, DeAndre Yedlin.

Referee: Mike Jones.

Assistants: Adrian Holmes and Mark Scholes.

Fourth official: Bobby Madley.

Attendance: 20, 872.