Report | FK Vardar 1 Swansea City 1

Gonçalo Franco netted his first goal in Swansea City colours as the week-long training camp in Austria drew to a conclusion with a draw against FK Vardar at the picturesque Sportzentrum Friedberg.

Luke Williams had seen a youthful starting line-up fall behind to a Djibril Dianessy goal, the Macedonia side’s only chance of a first half the Swans had the better of without being able to find a breakthrough.

But they deservedly levelled when Portguese midfielder Franco found the top corner of the net just past the hour, while Josh Tymon had what looked to be the winner ruled out,  as it ended all-square.

Head coach Williams gave more minutes to the vast majority of his squad and they now return home to prepare for next weekend’s Swansea.com Stadium assignment against Rio Ave.

The Swans started with a completely different XI from that which had faced FC Koln in midweek, with Kyle Naughton skippering the side as he returned from injury.

Swansea dominated possession in the early exchanges, with Cameron Congreve enjoying a couple of positive early touches.

One of his crosses saw Liam Smith nod down for Josh Thomas to hit an overhead kick into the gloves of Filip Gacevski.

Congreve then produced a lovely touch to bring down a crossfield ball and beat his man, before hitting a rasping drive that Gacevski managed to palm around his near post.

But it was the Macedonians who took the lead through a breakaway as striker Dianessy sent a driven finish into the far corner, with Evan Watts getting a hand to it but unable to prevent the ball finding the net.

Congreve was played into space by Franco as half-time loomed on the horizon, but his firm cross was well held by Gacevski.

An excellent pass from Franco then found Azeem Abdulai in acres of space, but the midfielder’s final pass was too strong for Nathan Tjoe-A-On.

The Swans trailed at the break but had two sights of goal early in the second period. Filip Lissah dragged a shot wide before Liam Smith’s deflected cross nearly crept in at the near post.

But they did level just past the hour mark when Abdulai’s pass ran through to Franco and he lashed the ball high into the top corner.

The Swans changed their entire team immediately and were soon pressing for another goal, with one of the Vardar defenders nearly putting a Josh Key flick from a corner through his own net.

Jay Fulton then flashed a rising drive over the bar from a Sam Parker lay-off before Tymon had what looked a perfectly good goal chalked off with the referee deciding his effort at the far post had not crossed the line.

There was still time for the left-back to have another chance, but his volley after fine work by Matt Grimes and Eom Ji-sung was blocked.

Swansea City: Evan Watts (Lawrence Vigouroux 63); Kyle Naughton (captain) (Dan Watts 35) (Josh Key 63), Filip Lissah (Ben Cabango 63), Kristian Pedersen (Harry Darling 63), Nathan Tjoe-A-On (Josh Tymon 63); Joel Cotterill Matt Grimes 63), Azeem Abdulai (Jay Fulton 63), Goncalo Franco (Ollie Cooper 63); Liam Smith (Sam Parker 63), Josh Thomas (Liam Cullen 63), Cameron Congreve (Eom Ji-sung 63).

Unused Substitutes: Nathan Broome