Report | Swansea City U18s 1 Queens Park Rangers U18s 0
Swansea City Under-18s stretched their unbeaten run to six as Dan Watts’ excellent free-kick secured victory over Queens Park Rangers in the Professional Development League meeting at Landore.
The young Swans had to show both sides of their game after a dominant first half saw them thwarted on numerous occasions by a very good display from visiting goalkeeper Harry Cant, before Watts bent his effort into the top corner.
The second half was a more even affair, with QPR pilling on the pressure late on.
But the Swans defence showed excellent resilience to prevent crosses into their box from turning into chances, while Cant continued his scintillating form to deny Geoff Bony, Iwan Morgan and Rohan Davies.
The Swans took control from the off with three chances for striker Morgan inside the first 10 minutes.
He was thwarted by the assistant's flag for the first, before dragging the second wide. His third was blocked for a corner which provided the home side with their first effort on target.
Watts’ delivery deflected off Hoops’ defender James Leonard and was met by Richard Faakye, but the Swans skipper’s powerful header was straight at visiting keeper Cant.
At the other end, good defending in the early exchanges limited the visitors to shots from distance with Kit Margetson making straightforward saves to deny Alfie Tuck and Ramy Bouhiaoui.
The much-deserved breakthrough came midway through the first half when Morgan was wrestled to the ground 25 yards from the QPR goal and awarded a free-kick. Watts stepped up and curled the ball into the top corner beyond the fingertips of a full-stretch Cant.
Morgan had another effort from distance saved, before Margetson was called into action to deny Bouhiaoui’s follow-up effort after an initial chance for Keiran Pertrie was blocked by Arthur Parker.
QPR grew into the game as the match went on, but throughballs looking for the runs of the forwards were being picked off by a well-organised Swansea defence.
Morgan had two more chances before the break. He sent a first-time chance wide of the post after Watts drilled a corner delivery to the near post, before a diagonal ball set him away down the right. The forward held off his man but his effort was saved at the near post.
Cant continued to frustrate the hosts as he made a superb double save at the start of the second half.
The Swans got down the right and the cut back found Davies, whose effort from close range was tipped onto the post by the keeper.
The ball rebounded to substitute Sam Parker on the edge of the box, but Cant was also equal to his effort as he superbly tipped the ball around the upright.
The visitors’ first chance of the second half came from a free-kick in a similar position to the one Watts had scored from in the first half. Lorient Talla couldn’t repeat the feat however and his effort sailed over the crossbar.
Callum Deacon was then heavily involved with incidents at both ends of the pitch.
He got down the left and sent a brilliant cross into the box. It dropped at the feet of substitute Bony, but the forward couldn’t dig out a shot.
QPR then broke, working the ball to Talla on the Swans left. As he broke into the box, Deacon went to ground to make the challenge. Talla took a tumble, but the referee was unmoved by his appeals for a penalty.
The visitors continued to press in the closing stages using their width to good effect with crosses in from the Swans’ left proving particularly dangerous.
Noah McCann and Leonard both headed off target, while Jada Mawongo, a brave diving header by Faakye and some good defensive work from Morgan all helped deny the R’s opportunities for an equaliser.
A well-worked free kick by the Swans was hit on target by Morgan, but Cant got down once again to make a big save at his near post and he was on hand to deny Bony in the five minutes of added time as he tipped the striker's effort over the crossbar.
Nevertheless, the Swans were able to claim the three points.
Swansea City U18s: Kit Margetson, Arthur Parker, Richard Faakye (captain), Jacob Cook, Filip Lissah (Samuel Parker 45’), Dan Watts, Thomas Searle (Jada Mawongo 45’), Thomas Woodward, Iwan Morgan, Rohan Davies (Geoff Bony 61’), Callum Deacon.
Unused substitutes: Ramon Rees-Siso.
Queens Park Rangers U18s: Harry Cant, Moses Luzinda (, Teddy Lawrence 59’), Noah McCann, Shannon Brown, James Leonard, Salvatore Marino (Charlie McDonald 68’), Tyler Young, Alfie Tuck, Keiran Petrie (Yousef Yahyoui 59’), Lorient Talla, Ramy Bouhiaoui (Sam Bagan 60’).
Unused substitutes: Kacper Zaperaczynski.