Before the game North End had gone 49 years without a win in Swansea and that victory must again wait after the home side overcame a strong opening from North End to record a 4-0 win at the Liberty Stadium.

Goals from Stephen Dobbie, Darren Pratley, Nathan Dyer and a penalty from David Cotterill gave Brendan Rodgers a 4-0 win in his first home game in charge of the Swans.

North End Manager Darren Ferguson brought internationals Keith Treacy and Craig Morgan back into the starting 11 and also chose to give Adam Barton only his second start of his career alongside Matty James in the centre of midfield, with Paul Coutts and Darel Russell on the bench. Jon Parkin was also in the 18 for the first time this season, with he and Joshua King the attacking options for the manager in his substitutes.

This was the Swans and now boss Brendan Rodgers' first home game of the season and all in white they started the game brightly, Stephen Dobbie, who spent last season on loan to Blackpool, forcing Andrew Lonergan to dive low to his left to prevent an early goal, however, this sparked North End into life and for the next 15 minutes it was the yellow clad Lilywhites who looked the most dangerous.

Tempo was key to this with the North End midfield harrying and harassing their South Wales counterparts. On eight minutes Chris Brown outpaced Jacks skipper Garry Monk, running onto a Paul Hayes through ball, but his right foot effort hit the side netting. Moments later North End were back in the box as Paul Hayes was inches away from converting Danny Mayor's low ball, after the winger had shown a great bit of skill to beat his full back.

North End continued to create the better chances, Matty James miss-hitting a well-worked corner from 20 yards and then Craig Morgan toe-poking wide from a deep Mayor corner.

But the home side took the lead at the mid-point of the half, firstly Andrew Lonergan dived at full stretch to tip a David Cotterill shot onto the post, but from the resulting attack Danny Mayor lost the ball on the edge of the box and Stephen Dobbie slipped ball into the bottom corner of the goal.

This blow severely affected North End's game plan as they were no longer in the faces of the home side and were chasing the ball for long periods. As the half wore on the team looked like they could perhaps get to the break just one behind, but they suffered two more crushing blows before the interval.

On 40 minutes Swansea delivered a corner into the box; no one seemed to be able to bring it under control or get a big enough boot behind the ball to get it away and eventually it feel to Darren Pratley who lashed home just three yards out. If this wasn't a big enough blow it was 3-0 before the break when Nathan Dyer slid home from a similar spot as Pratley, latching on to Stephen Dobbie's miss-hit cross-cum-shot.

Darren Ferguson looked to change the fortunes with two half-time substitutes, Joshua King and Paul Parry on for Danny Mayor and Chris Brown.

Within a minute of half-time Lonergan made two world class saves back to back to keep it down to three, firstly from Sinclair low to his left and then from the ricochet from Pratley. Callum Davidson then prevented the rebound from falling to Dyer as the home side looked to completely kill the game off.

Despite some promising moments, in the 56th minute Keith Treacy brought down Nathan Dyer with a late challenge inside the penalty area. David Cotterill stepped up and sent Lonergan the wrong way for the home side's fourth.

Ferguson's third and final change saw the introduction of Jon Parkin for his first run out of the season and the 'Beast' almost created a goal for North End as he flicked a ball on for King, but the young Norweigan's shot was just wide of De Vries' upright.

The home side's fluidity was interrupted somewhat by changes of their own as Allan and Serran replaced Cotterill and Rangel respectively.

These changes didn't affect Scott Sinclair too much as the million pound signing from Chelsea went close to make it five with 12 minutes remaining, a weaving solo run from the left ending with a curling effort that just flashed past Lonergan's left hand post.

With ten minutes to go King's pace was utilised as a clever long ball from Matt James found the onrushing striker. His first shot was blocked, but it fell to strike partner Parkin. His shot was also brilliantly saved by De Vries, but it fell back to King who lashed a shot that flashed across the goalline, a reflection of the whole afternoon in a few few short instances.

It was North End who finished the game stronger and should have rewarded their vocal travelling contingent with a goal when Keith Treacy found space in the box for a shot. De Vries saved his initial effort, but the Irishman got to the follow up and blasted goalwards, only to see it come back off the inside of the right hand post and away to safety.

Three minutes of injury-time extended the agony of the North End faithful, but it ended with North End looking to Portsmouth as a chance to get their league season started.