Report | Swansea City 1 Preston North End 1

Liam Cullen's brilliant stoppage-time header preserved Swansea City's long unbeaten home record in a dramatic finish at the Swansea.com Stadium.

The visitors had the better of the opening period, and Daniel Jebbison turned the ball in from close range to give them an advantage it looked as though they would not relinquish.

Swansea were much improved after the break and saw skipper Ben Cabango twice go close from set-pieces, with Cullen having two ferocious strikes blocked and Malick Yalcouye unable to convert arguably their best chance following a slick flowing attack.

Time looked to be running out as a first defeat in SA1 since November 25 beckoned, but Cullen adjusted superbly to stretch and glance a header into the far corner of the net in the final minute of the five added on.

The Swans had handed a first start to Leo Walta, while Ronald also came into the side as Melker Widell and Gustavo Nunes dropped to the bench.

After a rapturous reception for Snoop Dogg as he appeared on the pitch on his first visit to the Swansea.com Stadium, the contest commenced with a fantastic atmosphere among the sold-out home crowd.

Swansea had some bright early forays forward although without forcing Dai Cornell in the Preston goal into a meaningful save.

There was little fluency to the opening 20 minutes but it was the visitors who made the breakthrough when a ball in from the left was sent back across goal by Odel Offiah, and Jebbison was on hand to turn into the net.

Lawrence Vigouroux safely gathered an Ali McCann strike a few minutes later, while Cameron Burgess made a crucial block as Jebbison eyed up another strike at goal from a rapid break.

Swansea threatened an equaliser when Goncalo Franco dug out a cross that Jisung Eom could not connect cleanly with, while Zan Vipotnik tumbled in the area with the referee waving away penalty appeals from the hosts.

Cabango headed over from an Eom free-kick with the final action of the half as the Swans trailed at the break.

Matos wasted no time making changes, introducing Josh Key, Nunes and Yalcouye for the restart, as Jay Fulton, Ronald and Walta made way.

Nunes immediately delivered a threatening ball for Eom that Preston scrambled out for a corner, although Jebbison and McCann soon carved out a chance at the other end that needed a good block from covering white shirts.

But there was finally a sign of fluency in Swansea’s play, and a lovely move involving Key, Ethan Galbraith, Franco and Vipotnik ended up finding Yalcouye in on goal, but a heavy first touch meant his shot was easily smothered by Cornell.

Vipotnik planted a header narrowly wide from Josh Tymon’s free-kick, although it would not have counted as the offside flag was raised.

Eom then fired well wide after a disguised pass from Cabango had beaten the Preston offside trap as the pressure from the home side grew as the hour mark came and went.

Cabango was proved an absolute nuisance at set-pieces, and he met another fine free-kick from Eom but saw his header slide the wrong side of the post as the stadium waited for the net to bulge.

Still Swansea came forward and substitute Cullen had a thunderous volley blocked following a neat knockdown from fellow sub Widell.

Cullen tried again after Key had adjusted to nod a deflected cross to him, and only an outstanding piece of defending from Lewis Gibson prevented the Wales international from finding the net.

Burgess was the next to be left with his head in his hands as the Australia international rose to meet a Tymon delivery but glanced his header wide with what looked like being the final big chance of the contest.

But Cullen had other ideas.

Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux; Ethan Galbraith, Ben Cabango (captain), Cameron Burgess, Josh Tymon; Jay Fulton (Josh Key 46), Goncalo Franco (Melker Widell 75), Leo Walta (Malick Yalcouye 46); Ronald (Gustavo Nunes 46), Jisung Eom (Liam Cullen 75), Zan Vipotnik.

Unused Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Joel Ward, Ollie Cooper.

Preston North End: David Cornell, Pol Valentin (Liam Lindsay 83), Andrija Vukcevic (Jordan Storey 71), Ben Whiteman (captain), Ali McCann, Daniel Jebbison (Milutin Osmajic 71), Callum Lang (Alfie Devine 61), Andrew Hughes, Lewis Dobbin (Michael Smith 71), Lewis Gibson, Odel Offiah.

Unused Substitutes: Jack Walton, Robbie Brady, Andrew Moran, Brad Potts.

Referee: David Webb

Attendance: 20,233