Report | Swansea City U21s 0 Queens Park Rangers U21s 0

Swansea City Under-21s were held to a goalless draw in their final fixture of 2023 against league leaders Queens Park Rangers, with a number of senior players returning to action following injury at Landore.

In a hard-fought contest, the Swans had the better of the chances with Mykola Kuharevich going close, while Cameron Congreve and Sam Parker were denied by the keeper and woodwork respectively.

Nevertheless, the result means the development side have gone through 2023 unbeaten on home soil in the Professional Development League, although there will be frustration they did not emerge with all three points against a visiting side who been unbeaten in five games coming into this fixture.

Of the senior players involved, Kristian Pedersen played an hour, while Nathan Wood and Mykola Kuharevich got 70 minutes in the tank. Nathanael Ogbeta and Nathan Broome played the full game.

The Swans had included Broome, Wood, Pedersen and Kuharevich in the starting line-up as they made their returns from injury.

Kuharevich was involved early, a lovely flick seeing the Ukrainian combine with Congreve and get into the area, but his final pass was cut out by a defensive block.

Kuharevich then turned over a Parker pull-back a few moments later, and was also close to converting a drive cross from Ogbeta as the hosts posed all the questions in the opening exchanges.

Harry Murphy had the first opportunity of note for the visitors in the 17th minute, seeing his shot deflected inches wide of the far post, with defender Henry Hawkins heading the resulting corner over from close range.

Broome held a curling effort from former Swans Kieran Petrie after a swift counter from the R’s, before Swansea swept up the other end with Congreve’s lovely cross and Lincoln McFayden’s lay-off unable to find a white shirt to convert.

It remained goalless at the break but the Swans had a good spell of pressure early in the second half as they looked to find an opener.

Congreve flashed a free-kick wide before QPR keeper Harry Cant made an incredible stop to deny the midfielder.

Cant had been unable to hold a Nathan Tjoe-A-On cross, but he recovered quickly to bravely throw himself in the way as Congreve fired the loose ball goalward.

Parker then rattled the post with a volley after a cross had skipped its way through to him on the right side of the area, before Joe Thomas volleyed wide after fellow substitute Kyrell Wilson had been denied by Cant.

Swansea City U21s: Nathan Broome, Sam Parker, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Mitchell Bates (captain), Nathan Wood (Richard Faakye 71), Kristian Pedersen 60 (Filip Lissah 60), Dan Watts, Mykola Kuharevich (Kyrell Wilson 71), Lincoln McFayden (Joe Thomas 78), Nathanael Ogbeta.

Unused Substitutes: Archie Matthews.

Queens Park Rangers U21s: Harry Cant, Kayden Harrack (Tralist 71), Casey Shann, Samuel Sackey, Deon Woodman (Trent Rendall 65), Henry Hawkins, Micah Anthony, Harry Murphy, Alfie Lloyd (Nathan Jeche 52), Lorent Talla, Kieran Petrie (Joseph Ajose 65).

Unused Substitutes: Connor Clark.