Rochdale manager Alan Buckley said after this defeat: " We were like a boxer coming out and trying to spar the first three rounds but the opposition came out with a knock-out blow." He was talking about the goal by Mark Wilson after 15 minutes which settled it when he seized onto a short cross by Daniel Nardiello and put the ball into the corner of the net with a low right foot shot.
And that was what settled it although the Welshmen should have scored more in incessant raids throughout the first half.
Chances went to live wire Leon Britton again to Wilson, and to Kevin Nugent but all failed to get a second city goal which would have saved them a lot of second half anxiety when Rochdale threatened to convert their improvement into a goal or two.
One shot was stopped on the line by a defender and a late effort by Rochdale's Leo Bertos looked goal bound until it swerved by on the wrong side of the post.
And lively little Chris Shuker also went close on two occasions to getting Rochdale on the score sheet.
For all their second half attacking Rochdale threatened goalkeeper Roger Freestone only on rare occasions and a stubborn and packed Swansea defence was generally able to keep the home attackers at arms length despite a lot of huffing and puffing.
Manager Buckley said: "We made a mistake when they scored their goal and, sadly for us they were a good side which did not make mistakes." Swansea were full of fight with Leon Britton forever a threat to the home defence and even in a fairly baron second half he caused plenty of anxiety to home defender.
His goal apart, Mark Wilson was always a thorn in the Rochdale flesh with better luck and less efficient goalkeeping by Rochdale's Neil Edwards would have given the Swansea striker a couple of goals to go with the one he got.
Overall Rochdale cannot claim they did not get their deserts. They were not at their best and so many things went wrong for them especially in the first half when it was almost non-stop attacking by the Welshman.
Brian Flynn the Swansea boss said; "I am satisfied with the performance and very pleased with the result. Mark Wilson is a good footballer and he was here, there and everywhere all the way through keeping the Rochdale defence busy."