FULL-TIME: Swans U21s 1-1 QPR
16th December
Swansea City Under-21s were held to a 1-1 draw at home to QPR in the Professional Development League Two on Monday afternoon.
In a tightly fought counter at Stebonheath Park, it ended all square after Reece Grego-Cox's first-half opener for QPR was cancelled out by Rory Donnelly's equaliser on the brink of half-time.
Grego-Cox gave the visitors the lead in the 27th minute after the winger took advantage of a defensive error by Oscar Sielva before slotting home a composed finish past Swans 'keeper Oliver Davies.
But Kristian O'Leary's side responded to going a goal down well, and were rewarded for their efforts just moments before the half-time whistle when Donnelly powered a header home from a delightful free-kick cross by Jernade Meade.
The second-half was a cagey affair, but the Swans came close to grabbing a winner through two more set-pieces - free-kicks from Donnelly and Liam Shephard - but it ended 1-1 at Stebonheath, with both sides taking a point.
SUBS: Gregor Zabret, Alex Gogic, Sam Evans.
QPR U21s: Aaron Lennox, Darnell Furlong, Cole Kpekwa, Sam Magri, Jamie Sandles-White (c), Ben Brown, Mohammad Shariff, Joshua Laurent, Reece Grego-Cox (Ben Pattie, 72), Angelo Balanta (Brandon Comley, 69), David Fitzpatrick (Jordan Gibbons, 45).
SUBS: Mark Smith, Emmanuel Monthe.
The Swans started the first-half well with a couple of early chances from James Loveridge and Jernade Meade.
Inside five minutes, Loveridge hit a powerful effort over the bar after cutting in from the left, before Meade had a curling free-kick pushed away by QPR goalkeeper Aaron Lennox.
Moments later, Oliver Davies was called into action as the visitors reponded to Swansea's early efforts with a driven shot by winger Mohammed Shariff.
The 18-year-old goalkeeper, who received his first call up to Michael Laudrup's senior squad last week, did well to get low and parry away.
But QPR struck first when Reece Grego-Cox took advantage of a defensive mistake by Oscar Sielva, nipping the ball away from the Spaniard's feet before calmly slotting home past Davies.
However, the Swans reacted to the setback almost immediately when Alex Bray skipped past his man down the right wing before laying off to Liam Shephard inside the area, whose shot was blocked at close range by Joshua Laurent and scuppered clear by Lennox.
Just before half-time, the Swans forced Lennox into making another save when Loveridge hit a dipping volley from 20-yards, but they were finally rewarded for their efforts with an equaliser, right on the brink of the midway point.
From a free-kick on the edge of the area, Meade whipped in a magnificent cross for Rory Donnelly to head a powerful effort into the back of the net.
HALF-TIME: Swansea City 1-1 QPR
In a cagey second-half, chances were few and far between for either side as both teams struggled to break the other down.
In the 70th minutes, the Swans had another opportunity from a set-piece when Sielva was fouled on the edge of the area. On this occasion, Donnelly stepped up to take the free-kick, but his swerving effort was well held by Lennox.
Good ball by Gibbons, having beaten Meade, but
Inside added time, the Swans had yet another chance to grab a winner from a free-kick when Liam Shephard stood over the ball, from a similar position to Donnelly's. Shephard's shot looked to be curling in, but Lennox did well to tip away, earning his side a point from a tightly fought encounter.
