Luke Williams kicked off his Swansea City reign with victory over Morecambe in the FA Cup third round.

Charlie Patino's goal just after half-time set the hosts on their way at the Swansea.com Stadium, before Jerry Yates sealed the victory by lashing home late on to put the Swans into the hat for the fourth round.

It's been a whirlwind 48 hours for Williams, whose first game in charge arrived on the back of just one training session with this group of players. His appointment also brought the curtain down on a turbulent 32-day search that sparked much angst and unease in the ranks of the Jack Army.

This performance felt like a small but important step in the right direction, albeit against struggling League Two opposition. Indeed, the overriding feeling from this performance was that it could well take a bit of time for this team to get to where Williams wants them to be.

In any case, and with all due respect to the Shrimps, this was never likely to be the sort of blockbuster first step into the new era that some may have preferred. Williams had actually seen off Ged Brannan's side 5-0 with his previous employers just eight days ago.

The goals weren't quite so free flowing for his Swans side here, but a place in the fourth round nevertheless enables a little bit of bedding in before next weekend's return to Championship action at Birmingham City.

Certainly there was little to really dent the almost universally positive pre-match mood here too much. After a difficult and uncertain end to 2023, the sight of Williams pacing in the dugout in his spotless white trainers will be a comforting one.

That's no slight against the work done by Alan Sheehan, who was well worth the praise from his new boss for the solid job he did during his seven games in interim charge. But his caretaker stewardship, while yielding its high points, ultimately felt unsustainable in the long run.

Williams was introduced to the Jack Army ahead of kick-off here, having implemented 11 changes to the side that triumphed under Sheehan against West Bromwich Albion last weekend.

Azeem Abdulai, making his first start since the League Cup defeat to Bournemouth, might for a split-second have thought he'd given his side the lead after just seven minutes, but his drilled effort was deflected into the wrong side of the net by Jacob Bedeau.

The youngster, whose promising breakthrough was arguably one of the few positives of Michael Duff's reign, had a similar effort blocked just three minutes later, before Patino forced goalkeeper Adam Smith into a fine save with a firm header from Yannick Bolasie's dinked cross.

Swansea certainly delivered on Williams' pledge to dominate possession. But despite seeing over 70 per cent of the ball, the Arsenal loanee's effort was the only save Smith had to make during the opening half an hour.

Bolasie, who perhaps still feels he has something to prove in order to extend his stay beyond the end of the month, nearly changed that. The winger curling an effort that brushed the top of the net eight minutes later. Plenty of positives in the build-up, but a lack of bite up top. It was a frustratingly familiar narrative for the hosts.

However, Swansea steadied their nerves, and eased into a deserved lead just two minutes after the restart. A lovely run from Nathan Wood helped tee up Sam Parker, and his pinpoint far-post cross was met by the foot of Patino, who was on hand to poke an effort through the legs of Smith for his fourth goal of the season.

Patino continues to be the subject of speculation linking him with a move to Serie A giants Juventus this month. Reports in Italy had even claimed Juve had sent scouts to this game to watch the 20-year-old, who nearly doubled his tally moments later, heading Abdulai's cross just wide.

Swansea looked comfortable from that moment on, but would have to wait until two minutes from time to seal the game.

A poor header from Joel Senior inadvertently set up Yates on the edge of the area, and he made no mistake, drilling a low effort into the bottom corner to hand Williams a winning start on his return to SA1.

Swansea City: Fisher; Abdulai (Humphreys 58), Naughton, Wood, Pedersen; Allen (c)(Grimes 58), Patino, Cooper; Bolasie (Paterson 68), Parker (Cullen 68), Yates (Kuharevich 88).

Subs n/u: Rushworth, Tjoe-A-On, Wilson, Lissah.

Morecambe: Smith; Senior, Bedeau, Rawson, Stokes (Smith 78), Tutonda; Threlkeld (Edwards 54), Songo'o (Mellon 78), Taylor; Slew (Mayor 70), Brown (Bloxham 70)

Subs n/u: Pedley, Melbourne, Fox-Akande

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Full-time

All over here.

A winning start for Luke Williams.

Myko

Turns an effort wide at the near post.

Added time

Five minutes added on here.

Blocked

Grimes lets fly inside the box.

Blocked.

Sub

That's his last action.

Yates replaced by Kuharevich.

GOAL! Swansea City 2-0 Morecambe (Yates)

Poor header from Senior sets up Yates on the edge of the box, and he powers home.

Another booking

Mayor goes in too hard on Cullen.

Yellow.

Over

Pedersen curls over after being teed up by Paterson inside the box.

Goal kick

Grimes goes looks to play a ball towards the far post from deep.

Sails out of play.

Another double sub for Morecambe

Stokes and Songo'o off for Smith and Mellon.

Yellow

Wood booked for kicking a spare ball onto the pitch as Morecambe line up a throw.

Double sub for Morecambe

Brown makes way for Bloxham.

Slew off for Mayor.

Double change

Paterson on for Bolasie.

Cullen on for Parker.

Freekick

Swansea win a freekick near the corner on the right as Cooper is fouled.

Comes to nothing.

What a ball

Tremendous pass from Humphreys near the halfway line, and Parker is away down the left.

Puts in a really good low cross that's begging to be guided in, but it's just beyond Yates.

Lovely from Wood

Reads that Morecambe attack brilliantly. Snuffs out a pass to Slew and finds a team-mate.

Double change

Grimes and Humphreys on for Allen and Abdulai.

Freekick

Bolasie penalised for a foul near the corner.

Freekick and a chance to whip in a cross for the visitors.

They'll have to wait for a little bit, though, as Abdulai is down receiving treatment.

Bashir Humphreys being readied.

Not this time

Abdulai tries to thread the ball in for Bolasie down a channel on the right-hand side of the box.

Goal kick.

Morecambe change

Threlkeld is replaced by former Swan Gwion Edwards.

Wide!

Abdulai finds Patino, whose once again lurking at the far post.

Headed across goal with Yates oncoming, but it bounces wide.

GOAL! Swansea City 1-0 Morecambe (Patino)

There's the breakthrough!

It's all started by Nathan Wood, who drives through the middle before playing a one-two and setting up Parker, whose cross finds Patino at the far post.

Keeper should perhaps do better, but Patino's poked effort is enough to give Swansea the lead.

1-0.

Second half

Swansea get us back underway.

Half-time

That's the end of the first half.

Swansea have dominated possession, but not really created too many clear cut opportunities so far.

Added time

One minute added on here.

Big header from Wood

Curled in nicely, but Wood is there to firmly plant his head on the ball and thump clear.

Corner to Morecambe

Brown whips in a freekick and it's turned behind by Pedersen's head.

Close!

Bolasie's looked really sharp tonight.

Cuts inside on his right foot and curls a bending effort goalwards.

Misses the bar by centremetres and clips the roof of the net.

Throw

Patino's low cross is the latest ball into the Morecambe box to be cleared.

Throw is played short, and the ball is evetually worked over to Abdulai on the other side.

Has another go from distance, but again it's blocked. Not sure the handball shouts were all that convincing.

Some promising flashes

Bolasie plays a brilliant ball in to Pedersen near the left of the Morecambe penalty area, but his touch is just a little sluggish and the resulting cross is straight to a red shirt.