Persistence and writing a few wrongs after half-time was the key to beating Carlton in Saturday’s arm-wrestle, according to midfielder Tom Mitchell.

The Sydney Swans were below their best in the opening two quarters, with sloppy football and a lack of intensity lowlights in the Round 18 encounter at the SCG.

Carlton took it right up to the home side, out-tackling and out-working the fifth placed Swans to take an eight-point lead into the main break.

But some stern words from coach John Longmire in the rooms and better efforts by a number of players sparked a second half revival in which the finals-bound Swans kicked five goals to three to clinch a six-point win in front of 31,765 fans.

Mitchell, who collected 23 disposals, believes while the win wasn’t pretty those all-important premiership points were all that mattered.

“We were just sloppy with the footy and a few of their better players got off the chain a bit, guys like Bryce Gibbs and Patrick Cripps,” Mitchell said.

“We tried to change a few things in the second half, and I think they worked.

“We needed to get our intensity going, everyone needed to lift (after half-time). It was still a close game, there was only a kick in it, so we knew if we just kept persisting then we’d be there in the end.

“Carlton are still a quality side, they came and brought their best footy today and we had to try and match it.

“Guys like Josh Kennedy (35 disposals, 12 clearances and a goal) really stood up for us in the last two quarters and it was a great win.”

With his side leading by seven points with only a few minutes left, Mitchell admitted to feeling of slight sense of déjà vu as the Swans tried to control the tempo.

After losing three matches this season in the dying minutes, Mitchell says it was nice to be on the right side of the result this time around.

“It’s something we’ve worked on at training in the last couple of weeks, obviously, because you can’t afford to keep losing those close ones,” he added.

“To win a close one tonight was pretty good and hopefully we win those sort of games in the future.”

The Sydney Swans will look to recover quickly in time for a trip to Perth in which Mitchell and company take on Fremantle on Sunday afternoon.

They sit third on the ladder, equal on 48 season points with five other clubs, with Hawthorn leading the competition one game clear on top.