02/02/2016 20:00 v West Bromwich Albion

A late Salomon Rondon equaliser ensured the Swans were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion.

Rondon’s close-range finish in injury time earned the hosts a share of the spoils after Gylfi Sigurdsson had opened the scoring for the visitors in the second half.

After a goalless first half, Sigurdsson gave the Swans a deserved lead in the 65th minute with a calm finish past Baggies goalkeeper Ben Foster.

January arrival Alberto Paloschi came close to capping off an impressive debut with a goal late on, only to see his six-yard effort cannon back off the post.

For Francesco Guidolin’s side, the hammer-blow moment came in the 90th minute when Rondon equalised for the hosts, firing home from close range following a goalmouth scramble.

The point means the Swans drop one place to 16th position in the Barclays Premier League - five points above the relegation zone.

Lukasz Fabianski was forced into making a superb save inside the opening two minutes to deny Darren Fletcher’s goal-bound header.

But after the early scare, the Swans soon found their rhythm and began to dictate the tempo of the game, without creating any real problems for an organised West Brom defence.

Angel Rangel struck a 20-yard effort narrowly wide, midway through the first half, while Andre Ayew saw a long-range strike deflect behind for a corner.

With 32 minutes on the clock, Sigurdsson then almost caught Foster off guard with an audacious looping 25-yard volley, but the English stopper just about managed to scramble back to tip the Icelandic midfielder’s stunning strike agonisingly wide of the post.

At the other end, Dawson wasted a glorious chance to head the hosts in front when, unmarked, he met Stephane Sessegnon’s inswinging free-kick, only to guide his header wide of the target.

It was a similar case for Fletcher, who, shortly before the interval, found space inside the box, but struck his side-footed effort well wide of Fabianski’s goal.

On the brink of half-time, the Swans were forced into making their first change of the match as Ki Sung-Yueng was stretchered off the pitch following a clash of heads with Sessegnon.

New signing Alberto Paloschi was the man to replace the South Korea captain, with the Italian striker making his debut arriving from Chievo Verona last week.

The former AC Milan forward almost made an immediate impact when he latched on to Wayne Routledge's chipped through ball, but struck straight at Foster.

There were chances at both ends early on in the second period as Ayew, unmarked at the far post, was unable to convert from Routledge’s delivery. West Brom’s Fletcher, meanwhile, headed over the bar from James McClean’s cross.

On the hour mark, the Swans saw another chance go begging as Sigurdsson sliced wide of the target after latching on to Routledge’s well-placed through pass.

But the 26-year-old midfielder made no mistake with his second opportunity, slotting home the opener five minutes later.

After the ball ran loose inside the West Brom box, Sigurdsson was on hand to neatly roll the ball past Foster and into the bottom corner.

Ashley Williams then went close to doubling Swansea’s lead in the 71st minute when he made good connection with Sigurdsson’s corner, but his header was directed straight into the arms of Foster.

With 15 minutes left on the clock, substitute Victor Anichebe saw a fiercely struck effort superbly turned over the bar by Fabianski, before the Polish stopper was again on hand to deny a Saido Berahino header.

Paloschi then came desperately close to scoring a debut goal in the 87th minute when his close-range effort from Kyle Naughton's low cross hit the post.

But it was heartbreak for the Swans late on as Salomon Rondon netted the equaliser from close range following a goalmouth scramble.

WEST BROM: Ben Foster, Craig Dawson, Gareth McAuley, Jonas Olsson, Jonny Evans (Craig Gardner, 53), Claudio Yacob, Sandro (Victor Anichebe, 69), Darren Fletcher (capt), Stephane Sessegnon (Saido Berahino, 62), James McLean, Saloman Rondon.
SUBS: Boaz Myhill, James Chester, Alex Pritchard, Rickie Lambert.

SWANS: Lukasz Fabianski, Angel Rangel, Federico Fernandez, Ashley Williams (capt), Neil Taylor (Kyle Naughton, 59), Leon Britton, Jack Cork, Ki Sung-Yueng (Alberto Paloschi, 45), Gylfi Sigurdsson, Wayne Routledge, Andre Ayew (Jordi Amat, 82).
SUBS: Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Jefferson Montero, Modou Barrow, Bafe Gomis.