‘‘It’s an amazing result and amazing effort. I’m lost for words,’’ Warburton said.

‘‘It’s pretty emotional when you know you’re only hanging in by a thread and you know you have to keep winning and you have to win against the best, because they are the best.

‘‘There’s a real belief within the group and club and we battled hard all day and it’s a great relief and we just have to keep winning — no matter what way we do it.’’

United kicked five of the game’s opening six goals, but conceded the next four, including three to Daniel Campbell, to leave it just two points up at quarter-time.

Campbell also opened the scoring in the second term and had six majors to half-time, the last of which gave the Swans a match-high 20-point advantage.

They kicked nine of the past 10 goals to achieve that.

The Swans did it in typically exciting style, but only once they tidied up their ball use and decision-making, compared to early when their frenetic method bowed to the Demons’ more systematic approach.

Michael Tinkler, as damaging a player as the Swans have, was a prime example of that shift. Tinkler delivered a lesson in running both ways to United’s Murray Bushrangers-listed forward Matt Brett.

There has been an emergence of clubs having dual attacking threats this season and the Swans are one of several who boast just that.

The Campbell-Brodie A’Vard combination is one of the league’s best.

A’Vard took the honours over Demon David Gillespie with a five-goal performance.

Three of those majors came in the final quarter after marks — none better than his first, which he plucked in a pack of four players about 15m out.

Also impressive was the Swans’ ability to overcome their demons.

United kicked three consecutive goals, through Jason Eagle (four majors), Matt Forys (six) and Stephen Scott, and Sam Dawes missed another to surge ahead by four points.

Those lapses cost the Swans during their three-match losing streak between rounds 12 and 14. None of those defeats were by more than 14 points after they led beyond half-time on each occasion.

A’Vard’s second last-term goal put the Swans 16 points clear and they never seriously looked like losing from there, despite the Demons drawing within four and three points separate times afterwards.

Eagle missed two gettable set shots in the final quarter which could have strengthened United’s position.

The Demons have won just two of their past eight contests, including two draws.

They are fifth on the ladder — and could slip further — and will enter the finals as underdogs.

United coach Marc Quarrell acknowledged the Swans’ effort.

‘‘We came here with a direct game plan we thought could win the game and we didn’t execute it well enough,’’ Quarrell said.

‘‘If you had have seen the way we started the game, you would have thought we were on song today, but the Swans were able to reel us in.

‘‘It was a good game of footy, although pretty poor to be on the receiving end, but we haven’t got time to dwell on this — we’re two games out from finals.

‘‘If we want to do anything about that we need to keep pressing forward.’’

Matt Di Bella’s relentless running and attack on the ball made him the Demons’ standout, with Trent Freer, who dulled Tyson Sidebottom’s influence, Forys and Brad Henderson other good contributors.

Tim Looby and Dan Lovick, of United and the Swans, respectively, held each other to a less-than-usual return.

Quade Johnstone, Nick Calandro, Josh Wellington and Jamason Daniels were other strong-performing Swans.