We stuck to the task, says birthday boy Matt

Ritchie set up Jamaal Lascelles for the Magpies’ late winner at the Liberty Stadium, swinging in a precise corner from the left which the visiting skipper headed home.

United had only 38% of the ball against the Swans, but registered more shots at goal and twice as many on target.

And despite making a telling contribution himself, Ritchie – who turned 28 on the day – was quick to pay tribute to the showing of the team as a whole.

“I’m delighted with the three points, more than anything else,” he told nufc.co.uk. “We need to keep racking those points up and continue to improve on what we’ve been doing. It was a completely different performance to the West Ham one (a fortnight ago), but again it’s the same result.

“We’ve worked throughout the week, on being compact – as always – and I think today it kept us in the game in the first half. In the second half, we were able to be a bit more counter-attacking. We soaked up the pressure and got up the pitch a few times, and had the final pass been a bit better we maybe could have created a few more chances.

“I don’t think there was a lot between the teams, if I’m honest. In the Premier League, it only takes a second for something to happen, but throughout we had a really good shape about us, and a really good mentality to the way we wanted to play. It shows in the result, and the performance, that we’re getting better week after week, and hopefully we can continue to do that.”

Boss Rafa Benítez sat out the game as he continues to recover from an operation, with assistant Francisco de Míguel Moreno leading the side from the touchline.

Ritchie acknowledged that the Magpies couldn’t have failed to recognise Benítez’s absence, but insisted there was never any danger of their focus deviating from the task in hand.

“Obviously, the gaffer has a presence, so I’d be lying if I said it was exactly the same. It wasn’t. The manager’s the manager at the end of the day and there is a different feeling about it,” he said.

“But, you have to continue. We have a young, professional group who want to achieve things. The bigger picture is to stay in the Premier League, and I think today that was at the front of our minds. This was a massive game, against Swansea, and I’m delighted we’ve managed to get three points.

“You can’t get carried away, though. We’ve got six points but we need a fair few more yet. We’ll certainly not be taking our foot off the gas. We need to continue to get better and improve.”