Report | Swansea City 1 Rotherham United 1
Joel Piroe’s 13th goal of the season was not enough to give Swansea City victory as they were held to a draw by Rotherham United at the Swansea.com Stadium.
The Dutch striker had fired the Swans into the lead just before the half-time interval with a coolly taken right-footed strike.
But the Millers hit back quickly after the restart as Chiedozie Ogbene converted from close range.
Both sides had chances to find a winner, Piroe steering a header wide for the Swans, while Georgie Kelly was unable to convert from the edge of the six-yard box for the visitors as it ended level.
Joe Allen made his 450th appearance in the top four divisions as part of a Swansea side showing one change, as Joel Latibeaudiere came in for Harry Dearling.
Swansea had an early scare when Ogbene rattled the post after just 45 seconds, Olivier Rathbone having robbed Matt Grimes of the ball near Swansea’s left-hand touchline.
Swansea responded, Ollie Cooper firing into the gloves of Viktor Johansson from Ryan Manning’s pass in between two defenders.
But it was an otherwise scrappy start, with neither side really able to settle.
Allen enlivened things with two strong challenges to win the ball back high up the field for the hosts and allow Morgan Whittaker to win a free-kick, with Johansson tipping Manning’s effort from the resulting set-piece around the post.
Rotherham had a good spell around the 20-minute mark, but never threatened to work Andy Fisher in the Swansea goal.
Leo Hjelde did whistle a rising volley narrowly over the bar before Swansea crafted the best chance yet after patient build up sprung Joel Piroe into space, he in turn found Whittaker with Johansson just managing to get something on the forward’s shot to prevent him opening the scoring.
But there was nothing the Millers keeper could do when Swansea came forward again for Manning to find Piroe with a superb pass.
The Dutchman took a touch and fired the ball right-footed into the bottom corner.
It gave Swansea the interval lead, although they still needed Ben Cabango to clear away a Bailey Wright header in stoppage time before heading down the tunnel.
But the advantage lasted fewer than seven minutes of the second half as Shane Ferguson dug out a cross and Ogbene poked the ball home after not making a clean connection at the first time of asking.
Seconds later and the Swans were enraged that referee Gavin Ward did not penalise Wright for a pull on Whittaker as he looked to run onto Fisher’s long ball in behind.
Martin sent on Jay Fulton and Olivier Ntcham for Allen and Manning just before the hour.
Matt Grimes made an important block as Jordan Hugill got a show away from just inside the Swansea area, before Ogbene fired well over from 20 yards.
Ntcham and Fulton brought some energy to proceedings and the Cameroon international linked well with Cooper to produce a pinpoint cross that Piroe headed agonisingly wide.
Fisher kept out a point-blank effort from Kelly seconds after the Rotherham substitute had entered the fray, with Grimes clearing the same player’s deflected header off the line.
It proved to be as close as either side would get in the dying minutes.
Swansea City: Andy Fisher; Joel Latibeaudiere, Ben Cabango, Nathan Wood; Matty Sorinola (Luke Cundle 81), Joe Allen (Jay Fulton 57), Matt Grimes (captain) (Liam Cullen 89), Ryan Manning (Olivier Ntcham 57); Morgan Whittaker, Ollie Cooper; Joel Piroe.
Unused Substitutes: Andreas Søndergaard, Harry Darling, Liam Walsh.
Rotherham United: Viktor Johansson, Conor Coventry, Tariqe Fosu-Henry, Jordan Hugill (Conor Washington 74), Chiedozie Ogbene, Shane Ferguson (Georgie Kelly 78), Olivier Rathbone (captain) (Jamie Lindsay 72), Lee Peltier (Wes Harding 78), Cam Humphreys, Bailey Wright, Leo Hjelde.
Unused Substitutes: Josh Vickers, Cohen Bramall, Hakeem Odoffin.