Swansea City returned to the top of the Championship as they came from behind to claim a hard-fought 2-1 win at Lincoln City.

Reeco Hackett's emphatic penalty put Lincoln in front at the break after Josh Tymon tangled with Freddie Draper.

But Swansea raised the tempo in the second half and turned the contest around by scoring twice in four minutes.

Moussa Yeo steered home the equaliser from close range and then Stephen Eustaquio scored what proved to be the winner with a deflected shot from just outside the area.

Swansea's third victory in four away games this season means they are back leading the way in the second tier after West Ham dropped points at Millwall earlier in the day.

Lincoln drop to 13th having seen their five-game unbeaten league run come to an end.

Swansea had known what to expect at Lincoln, with Vitor Matos telling his team to prepare for a physical battle, but for 45 minutes the Welsh side struggled to cope with a barrage of long throws and long balls.

Hackett might have scored earlier than he did, after Ryley Towler's ball from deep left Swansea's rearguard scrambling, but his attempted lob was gathered – just – by goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux.

Hackett rattled another effort into the side netting before his immaculate spot-kick gave the home team a lead their greater menace warranted.

Swansea had dominated first-half possession, yet their only shot of note was an audacious Eli Just effort from halfway which Lincoln keeper George Wickens gathered at the second attempt.

But the visitors were sharper from the moment the second half began – and their rewards were almost instant.

Melker Widell created the leveller, the Sweden international bursting into the area before his drilled cross allowed Yeo to score for the second time in as many games.

The decisive second goal came when Filip Lissah advanced down the right before squaring for Eustaquio, with Wickens left helpless as the Canada star's effort flicked off Towler and into the net.

Lincoln showed no lack of endeavour as they sought a response, but it was Swansea who came closest to adding to the scoring when substitute Ronald's crisp shot was beaten away by Wickens in the closing stages.

Having been surprise champions of League One last season, Lincoln have been upsetting the odds once more in the early stages of the club's first campaign in the second tier since 1960-61.

Their three wins so far have all come on the road, yet it seemed in the first half as though that record might end here.

Lincoln's direct approach had Swansea rattled, but the Championship's early pacesetters recovered their composure to grind out a fifth victory in eight league games this season.

These remain very early days, but Swansea could not have hoped for a better start to the new campaign.

Their latest success may feel particularly satisfying for Matos given that his team found a way – eventually – to triumph on what had threatened to turn into a long afternoon.

Lincoln joint head coach Tom Shaw:

"Incredible first half I thought from our lads. These are a top side - I think they went top of the league today.

"It's a top team and we took it to them from the first minute. We wanted the game on our terms which I thought it was for 40 minutes.

"The last five minutes they just gave a warning of what they can do with their technical level and tactical level around our goal.

"Unfortunately we have just not been able to stick with it in the early part of the second half. The second goal is a little unfortunate with the deflection and the first goal we can do so much better.

"But from that point I thought we chased the game pretty well. The ball didn't quite drop for us but on the whole we are delighted with the level of performance today."

Swansea head coach Vitor Matos:

"I am really proud of the players, coming here and competing in a really hard place, against a really hard team in terms of competitiveness and physicality.

"I think it was a really good performance. We tried to impose ourselves from the beginning, which was not easy.

"I think in the first half we ended the first half much more composed, then we adjusted a few things at half-time but more [it was] about giving confidence to the players to keep pushing.

"Then we got the rewards and then it was surviving and fighting for the win."