Report | Swansea City 2 West Bromwich Albion 2 (5-6 on penalties)

Swansea City exited the FA Cup on penalties after a dramatic third-round encounter against West Bromwich Albion at the Swansea.com Stadium.

After a goalless first half the Swans had taken a deserved lead through an excellent strike from Jisung Eom, only to quickly pegged back when Josh Maja bundled in an equaliser.

The sides remained locked together heading into extra-time, but the visitors looked to have snatched victory when Jed Wallace fired home, only for Swansea to respond with Zeidane Inoussa’s first goal for the club with eight minutes remaining.

That meant penalties were required to separate the teams and Oliver Bostock struck the winning spot-kick for the Baggies after Bobby Wales and Malick Yalcouye had been unable to find the mark for Vitor Matos' side.

Defeat was harst on the Swans, who had looked the more likely winners for the majority of the contest, with Melker Widell, Zan Vipotnik, Ronald and Ethan Galbraith all having good opportunities, while Yalcouye struck the post early in extra-time.

Andy Fisher barely had a save of note to make as the Swans were left to rue failing to make the most of their opportunities.

The Swans had shown five changes from defeat at Millwall as Fisher, Kaelan Casey, Josh Tymon, Marko Stamenic and Widell came into the team.

The hosts made the brighter initial start, finding room out wide for Ronald and Jisung Eom with one attack seeing the Brazilian’s pull-back cut out by Ousmane Diakite’s important interception with white shirts waiting.

Swansea’s pressing work also caused problems, allowing them to pin the visitors deep in their own territory and force loose passes to allow them to regain possession.

But then they did beat the press the visitors threatened, with Diakite firing over after one sweeping attack, while another ended with Widell blocking Mikey Johnston’s strike.

On the back of those openings the visitors had a spell of control where they largely dictated proceedings without genuinely threatening Andy Fisher’s goal.

Swansea responded with Ronald delivering a fizzing cross that Zan Vipotnik met and glanced wide of the target with his head.

Eom forced Josh Griffiths into a save at his near post after neat footwork from Vipotnik and a hanging cross from Ethan Galbraith, before Widell fired wide with a fierce volley from the resulting corner.

Galbraith then produced a rasping drive from distance that had Griffiths worried as it just cleared the crossbar with the home side ending the opening half on top.

And they got the breakthrough within two minutes of the restart as the ball was worked left to Eom, who cut inside his marker to get into the area and send a high, curling strike over Griffiths and into the far corner of the net.

But the lead did not last long as a deep inswinging corner was just about clawed out by Fisher, but Maja was on hand to force home the rebound.

The contest had come to life, and Griffiths held an acrobatic overhead kick from Widell, and then denied Ronald from point-blank range after the Brazilian had met a wonderful low cross from Tymon.

Swansea continued to make all the running as the final 20 minutes approached, with Vipotnik also trying an overhead kick which dropped wide of the post.

Galbraith also had a shot deflected wide from Tymon’s cut-back, while substitute Joel Ward – on for his debut as a substitute – nodded over from close range as the hosts pushed for a late winner but in the end the additional 30 minutes was required.

Swansea should have retaken their lead seven minutes in. Lovely play between Zeidane Inoussa and Tymon teed up Yalcouye eight yards out, the midfielder picked his spot and beat Griffiths, only for the ball to strike the far post and rebound out.

Fisher got down to haul in Isaac Price’s low strike a few minutes later while, at the other end, Galbraith’s effort was blocked from Inoussa’s pull-back.

And the Swans paid for failing to take their chances when Wallace arrived onto Oliver Bostock’s low cross to dispatch a first-time effort beyond Fisher.

But the hosts picked themselves up to respond almost immediately with Inoussa sweeping the ball into the bottom corner after Josh Key had picked his head up and calmly found the winger.

Tymon’s drive from the edge of the box was parried by Griffiths as Swansea sensed the chance to grab a dramatic winner, while Wallace was within inches of winning it for West Brom with the final kick of extra-time.

Instead, penalties were required and the visitors prevailed.

Swansea City: Andy Fisher; Ethan Galbraith, Ben Cabango (captain), Kaelan Casey (Cameron Burgess 60), Josh Tymon; Marko Stamenic (Jay Fulton 82), Goncalo Franco (Joel Ward 60), Melker Widell (Malick Yalcouye 83); Ronald (Josh Key 107), Jisung Eom (Zeidane Inoussa 83), Zan Vipotnik (Bobby Wales 105).

Unused Substitutes: Paul Farman, Ollie Cooper.

West Bromwich Albion: Josh Griffiths, Chris Mepham, Callum Styles, Krystian Bielik (captain) (Nathaniel Phillips 105), Josh Maja (Aune Heggebo 76), Mikey Johnston (Karlan Grant 105), Daryl Dike (Oliver Bostock 60), Alfie Gilchrist (George Campbell 76), Ousmane Diakite (Harry Whitwell 89) (Jed Wallace 100), Isaac Price, Charle Taylor.

Unused Substitutes: Joe Wildsmith, Samuel Iling-Junior.

Referee: Elliot Bell

Attendance: 9.918