Rovers Under-23s moved off the bottom of the Premier League 2 table with an impressive display in a 3-1 win over Swansea City at Brockhall.

Damien Johnson’s side had won just once in their opening 11 league fixtures but had too much for the Swans which saw them dominate from the off.

Joe Nuttall, fresh from his four goals in a Premier League Cup win over Doncaster last week, looked back to his hungry best as he got on the scoresheet for the third game running.

Brad Lyons also enjoyed a fine game and it was the Northern Irishman who had a big hand in the opening goal which arrived in the 13th minute.

His 25 yard was tipped behind for a corner from which he fired the ball across goal and two deflections saw the ball squirm under the body of Steven Benda.

The second goal arrived midway through the half when a Lewis Travis burst put Stefan Mols in behind and he showed good awareness to roll the ball in to the path of Nuttall to tap home.

There was a relentless to Rovers who almost made it three when Nuttall’s shot from another Mols cross was deflected behind. But from the resulting corner they weren’t to be denied as, after ‘keeper Benda dropped a Joe Grayson corner, Tyler Magloire’s blocked shot fell in to the path of Dan Butterworth who slammed the ball in to the roof of the net.

A  George Byers free kick, easily saved by Andrew Fisher, was all the Swans mustered in a first half which ended with Benda making two smart saves to keep out Hayden Carter and Nuttall from Mols and Grayson corners respectively.

The visitors’ hopes of clawing their way back in to the game were all but over in the 48th minute when Byers was shown a straight red card for a lunging challenge on Nuttall.

There were long sessions of possession for Rovers who were happy to keep the ball.

Benda made a smart save to deny Buckley and Butterworth, before the Rovers attacker was shown a straight red card for reacting to a poor tackle in what was an ill-tempered second half.

There was a late consolation for the Swans, substitute Joe Lewis finding a way past Fisher with his far post effort.

Rovers: Rovers: Fisher, Carter, Magloire, Grayson, Buckley, Lyons (Paton, 75), Travis, Thompson, Mols (Simmonds, 85), Butterworth, Nuttall (Candlin, 85)