Report: Swans 2 Wigan 2

29th December
First team

The Swans came from 2-0 down to sign off 2018 with a point in a dramatic draw against Wigan Athletic at the Liberty.

The visitors, without an away win since August, had led 2-0 at the break thanks to Joe Garner's brace.

Graham Potter's side pushed and pushed in the second half and pulled one back via Dan Burns' own goal just before the hour mark.

Then they grabbed an equaliser with nine minutes remaining via Mike van der Hoorn, who turned in Bersant Celina's cross.

The Swans went in search of a late winner, with Cameron Carter-Vickers almost turning in late on, but the hosts had to settle for a share of the spoils.

The draw means the Swans finish 2018 on 33 points from 25 games, with Potter's side in 13th.

Courtney Baker-Richardson made his first start since the end of September as one of three changes to the Swansea City side.

Manager Graham Potter fielded the striker up top, with Oli McBurnie in a deeper role, for the first time since the 3-0 win over QPR at the Liberty.

Wayne Routledge returned to the side having missed the Boxing Day clash with Aston Villa due to a calf strain.

Cian Harries was the other change as the left-sided centre-half comes into the Swans defence for his first start since the trip to face Villa in October.

The visitors made a perfect start as they were ahead after nine minutes after Routledge was adjudged to have felled Chey Dunkley.

Garner sent Erwin Mulder the wrong way to give Paul Cook’s side the lead.

And they weren’t content with that as Wigan probed for a second.

They went close through Lee Evans, who struck wide from distance, while Mulder had to spring into action to deny Kai Naismith when he was worked in on goal.

With 34 minutes on the clock it got worse for the Swans as Garner got on to the end of a corner and headed in from close range.

The Swans needed a reaction, and Potter made a double change at the break as Wilfried Bony and Jefferson Montero were sent on to give the hosts more attacking options.

And it paid off as they cut the deficit in the 59th minute as Matt Grimes’ corner was turned into his own net by Burn.

Oli McBurnie then volleyed wide from Celina’s cross before the Kosovan drilled a long-ranger just over the crossbar as the Swans went in search of an equaliser.

They got just that with nine minutes left as Celina’s corner was powered home by stand-in captain van der Hoorn.

That set up a grandstand finish, with Carter-Vickers’ header bouncing off the surface and dropping onto the top netting.

Then the American international went close to winning it in additional time but he just couldn’t reach McBurnie’s flick on from a Celina free-kick.

Swansea City: Erwin Mulder; Cameron Carter-Vickers, Mike van der Hoorn (captain), Cian Harries (Jefferson Montero, ht); Wayne Routledge, Jay Fulton (Wilfried Bony, 76), Matt Grimes; Bersant Celina, Oli McBurnie, Daniel James; Courtney Baker-Richardson (Kyle Naughton, ht).

Subs: Kristoffer Nordfeldt, George Byers, Barrie McKay, Joe Rodon.

Wigan Athletic: Christian Walton, Sam Morsy, Chey Dunkley, Cedric Kipre, Kai Naismith, Reece James (Nathan Byrne, 61), Lee Evans, Gavin Massey, Darron Gibson (Callum Connolly, 80), Dan Burn (captain), Joe Garner (James Vaughan, 75).

Subs: Jamie Jones, Callum McManaman, Josh Windass, Will Grigg.