Report | Swansea City 1 Watford 1
Žan Vipotnik struck a late equaliser to ensure Swansea City secured a point against Watford at the Swansea.com Stadium.
The Slovenian forward was on hand to turn the ball home via the inside of the post to reward a dominant second-half display.
The Swans had trailed in a hard-fought contest of few clear chances, with Nestory Irankunda curling a brilliant set-piece into the top corner of the net during the closing stages of the first half.
Lawrence Vigouroux and Ben Cabango had helped deny Luca Kjerrumgaard earlier in the game, but the home side had much the better after the interval with Liam Cullen, Ronald and Zeidane Inoussa all having chances.
And substitute Vipotnik found the net with seven minutes to play to give Swansea a point, which was the least they deserved.
The Swans had named an unchanged XI from the win over Sheffield United, while Marko Stamenić was named on the bench following his move from Nottingham Forest.
The home side had won six of their previous eight league games in SA1 and they made the brighter start of the two teams.
But Watford had the first meaningful effort on goal as Jeremy Ngakia saw his firm strike blocked after a corner had been cleared to the edge of the area.
Goncalo Franco fired over from 25 yards after slick work by Josh Tymon and Cullen to tee up the midfielder.
Cullen then glanced a header wide from a Jisung Eom free-kick, although it would not have counted as the offside flag was quickly raised.
At the other end Vigouroux made an outstanding save to parry Kjerrugaard’s powerful header up and onto the bar after the striker had met Marc Bola’s cross, before Cabango made a superb clearance to deny the Watford number nine after the ball had bobbled through to him in the six-yard box.
But there was nothing keeper or captain could do about the opener, Irankunda curling a stunning free-kick – which Swansea had been far from happy with the awarding of - into the top corner to leave Vigouroux with absolutely no chance.
That ensured the visitors led at the interval and it took another good save from Vigouroux to deny Kjerrugaard’s dipping strike from the edge of the box.
Sheehan turned to his bench, bringing on Stamenic and Inoussa for Malick Yalcouye and Eom respectively.
The pair made an immediate impact. Inoussa picked up a clearance and did well to keep the ball in place on the right before finding Stamenic’s run.
The New Zealand international beat the covering defender and slipped a lovely pass into Ronald, but Watford keeper Egil Selvik was off his line quickly to deny the Brazilian a third goal in as many games.
It then took good defending from Ngakia to deny Inoussa the chance to meet a Josh Key cross on the volley a few moments later.
It was suddenly all Swansea, and Inoussa, Ethan Galbraith and Tymon combined to find Cullen at the near post, with the Wales’ international’s effort striking the outside of the post.
Key’s cross then a blindsided Inoussa and rolled to the keeper after the winger’s marker had lost the flight of the ball.
Ronald headed over from a Tymon cross but Swansea got the leveller their pressure deserved as Vipotnik was on hand to find the net via the inside of the far post.
There was still time for a winner as the game headed into nine minutes of added time, and lovely play from Inoussa nearly sent Vipotnik in on goal again as Swansea made all the running, and the substitute could not quite adjust to turn home after Franco's deflected shot had been palmed across goal.
Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux; Josh Key (Melker Widell 75), Ben Cabango (captain), Cameron Burgess, Josh Tymon; Malick Yalcouye (Marko Stamenić 53), Ethan Galbraith, Gonçalo Franco; Ronald, Jisung Eom (Zeidane Inoussa 53); Liam Cullen (Žan Vipotnik 75).
Unused Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Jay Fulton, Bobby Wales, Kaelan Casey, Sam Parker.
Watford: Egil Selvik, Jeremy Ngakia (Ryan Andrews 78), Max Alleyne (Rocco Vata 87), Kevin Keben, Hector Kyprianou, Luca Kjerrumgaard (Vivaldo Semedo 78), Marc Bola, Moussa Sissoko (captain), James Abankwah, Edo Kayembe (James Morris 87), Nestory Irankunda (Kwadwo Baah 58).
Unused Substitutes: Nathan Baxter, Mamadou Doumbia, Tom Dele-Bashiru, Amar Sanghrajka.
Referee: Stephen Martin
Attendance: 15,543