Swansea climbed up to second place in the Championship, if only for a few hours, with a hard-fought 1-0 win at mid-table Luton.

Conor Hourihane’s early goal was enough as Steve Cooper’s side ground out a result against opponents who will feel hard done by.

The hosts threatened early on, captain Matty Pearson’s header from a corner cleared off the line with Kal Naismith’s follow-up grabbed by keeper Freddie Woodman.

Swansea led with the first attack though, Yan Dhanda getting away on the left after Pearson misjudged a long ball over the top.

He raced down the wing and sent over a low cross that was converted by the unmarked Hourihane for his fifth goal since arriving on loan from Premier League Aston Villa.

Jordan Clark went close to drawing Town level on 10 minutes, his curler only narrowly missing the far post, before Dan Potts thought he had equalised when heading home Harry Cornick’s hanging cross, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.

Elijah Adebayo’s cross-shot was repelled by the legs of Woodman, who then almost handed Luton a leveller with 20 minutes gone. His under-hit clearance was straight at Pelly Ruddock-Mpanzu who fired a first-time response, only for the keeper to get back and palm the ball behind for a corner.

Cornick could not get enough on his header from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s excellent cross from the left with half an hour gone, his effort flying well wide of the target.

Just prior to the break, Town defender Potts was stretchered off after a nasty collision with Hourihane, leaving the field in a neck brace.

After the interval, Cornick was inches away from turning in Adebayo’s excellent cross from the right and Naismith sent a decent free-kick opportunity over the top from 20 yards.

Adebayo then stabbed wide on his right foot before putting a downward header too close to Woodman as Luton kept searching for a leveller.

Swansea started to up the tempo ever so slightly, Hourihane looking for his second but shooting straight at Sluga.

But Luton wrested the initiative back, Cornick’s cross missed at the near post by the onrushing Clark, while they were unlucky not to win a penalty when Adebayo was charged over in the box, nothing given by referee Darren Bond.

Swans substitute Jamal Lowe sliced well over on a rare foray forward, as did Matt Grimes, with Luton throwing men forward in search of a deserved leveller during the closing stages.

Adebayo’s header in stoppage time did not test Woodman as the Hatters were left to reflect on defeat when they deserved more for their efforts.