Report | Swansea City 1 U18s Wigan Athletic 3 U18s

Swansea City Under-18s suffered their first home defeat of the season after a 3-1 loss to Wigan Athletic at the Joma High Performance Centre.

Goals from Daniel Gelhardt and Charlie Hughes gave the away side a two-goal lead, before Harvey Gray pulled one back for the Swans four minutes before half-time.

However, Erdis Reci added a third for the Latics with a half-volley eight minutes from time to seal victory for the visitors.

The opening exchanges produced few chances for either side, but the game burst into life with three goals in the space of 11 minutes to close out the first half.

Swans captain Harlan Perry forced the first big save of the game, with his strike from distance being parried away by goalkeeper Ewan Dodgson.

The visitors thought they had taken the lead after just 10 minutes when Reci headed past Evan Anderson, but referee Craig Scriven ruled the effort out for offside.

But the Latics did open the scoring 15 minutes later after a quick break from the away side saw Gelhardt released through on goal, and the forward calmy placed the ball past Anderson.

There was almost an instant response from the young Swans; Caio Ifans delivered a ball into Bobby Lewis, who tried to direct his header on target but saw it drift just wide of the post.

Brogan Popham then sent a free header wide of the target from a corner as the Swans pushed for an equaliser, but instead they fell further behind when they were caught on the break.

Gelhardt turned provider by delivering a low ball to Hughes, who finished from close range to double the visitors’ lead.

The Swans pulled one back four minutes before half-time when Perry’s corner to the near post was diverted past Dodgson by Gray, who managed to turn the ball in as he went to ground, halving the deficit.

The momentum was beginning to swing in the Swans’ favour, and a whipped ball into the box was met by Evans’ header, but his effort drifted wide of the post.

The final chance of the half fell to the visitors. Liam Edwards drove into the box from the left before unleashing a low effort towards the corner, which Anderson held.

The Swans started the second half brightly and almost equalised five minutes after the restart. Perry raced onto a through ball from defender Wahab Ojetoro and drove into the box, only for his chipped effort to be denied at close range by Dodgson.

The tempo slowed through the mid-point of the second half but substitute Ioan Johnston was close to getting Swanse back on terms after a ball was played across goal by Gray, but the arriving winger was unable to find the touch needed to poke an effort on target.

Heading into the final 15 minutes, the Swans continued to look for an equaliser with Lewis delivering a dangerous ball into Gray which the forward was unable to divert goalward.

Instead, the away side secured all three points with eight minutes to play when a ball fell kindly in the area for Reci to smash the ball past Anderson to add the Latics' third goal.

Swansea City Under-18s: Evan Anderson, Carter Heywood, Caio Ifans, Harlan Perry, Brogan Popham, Wahab Ojetoro (Jack May 66), Billy Clarke, Alex Godfrey (Alffi Hughes 85), Harvey Gray, Bobby Lewis, Elis Thomas (Ioan Johnston 66).

Unused Substitutes: Dempsey Singer.

Wigan Athletic Under-18s: Ewan Dodgson, Zachariah Edwards (Herbie Cairns 88), Erdis Reci, Sebastian Spelman, Mason Goulding, Henry Miller, Liam Edwards (Charlie Wesseldine 70), Joseph Gilbertson, Charlie Hughes (James Pugh 78), Joshua Clague (George Sumner 78), Daniel Gelhardt.

Unused Substitutes: Lucas Hagan.