Rhian Brewster netted a double for Swansea in the space of just three minutes on their return to the Championship, in a 3-0 win over Middlesbrough.
The Championship returned on Saturday after its postponement in mid-March, where nine rounds of fixtures remain in addition to the playoffs.
A spot Swansea are eager to secure having sat just one point adrift of sixth-placed Millwall prior to their trip to Middlesbrough.
Brewster joined the Swans at the start of January on a half-season deal, the first loan spell of his young career where he featured 11 times and scored four goals before football was suspended.
The 20-year-old had established himself as a first-choice striker for Steve Cooper’s side and as such a short-term extension to his loan deal was agreed for him to complete the campaign for the Welsh side and continue his development in a senior setup.
And it took him little time to have an impact upon the Championship’s return as he scored two goals in the space of three first-half minutes at the Riverside Stadium, after he was named in the starting lineup for the 11th time in 12 appearances.
The Swans had started brightly and were rewarded for their intent through Brewster with 18 minutes on the clock after the Liverpool loanee linked the move from back to front on the halfway line before finishing from close range.
And his celebration saw him lift a shirt with “Our colour is not a crime”, another powerful message in support of the Black Lives Matter movement following on from a social media post last month.
Swansea’s lead and Brewster’s tally doubled just three minutes later with his volleyed effort hit into the turf before nestling in the top corner, his fifth goal on the road in the Championship.
He could have even secured a first-half hat-trick with just 34 minutes on the clock after Conor Gallagher was impeded in the penalty area, only for Andre Ayew to pull rank and subsequently make it 3-0 to Swansea.
A powerful message from Swansea City‘s Rhian Brewster.#MIDSWA pic.twitter.com/rsGSRrDgJ3
— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) June 20, 2020
Brewster would be withdrawn from proceedings 74 minutes into the game having more than fulfilled his duties in Swansea’s latest push for promotion.
It’s another positive display from the young forward who will no doubt be eager to continue catching the eye ahead of his return to Liverpool later in the summer.
