Report | Swansea City 3 Bournemouth 3

Swansea City and Bournemouth shared the spoils after a thrilling and absorbing Championship clash at the Swansea.com Stadium.

The home side had surged into a two-goal interval lead after a pair of superb finishes from Joel Piroe took the striker’s tally for the season to 24.

When Cyrus Christie added to the lead after the break there looked to be no way back for the promotion hopefuls.

But the Cherries responded through a Kieffer Moore header and a Dominic Solanke penalty to set up a tense finish, before Wales striker Moore struck an equaliser in the 90th minute.

It was a heavy blow for Russell Martin's Swans as they extended their unbeaten run to nine games, but were unable to claim the scalp of a side in the thick of the automatic promotion hunt.

However, the manner in which they went toe-to-toe with an expensively assembled squad littered with players with Premier League experience set down a marker of intent for what they hope to be able to achieve next season.

The Swans had been unchanged from the weekend draw with Middlesbrough with Ben Cabango making his 100th appearance for the club.

There was a real tempo about proceedings right from the off, which was perhaps no surprise given there was so much at stake for the visitors.

But it was the Swans who took the lead through Piroe in the sixth minute.

Michael Obafemi’s quick feet on the edge of the box led to the ball rolling out to Christie. The wing-back’s cross was parried by Mark Travers, but only as far as the Dutchman who volleyed home with aplomb.

Piroe nearly fed in Obafemi a few seconds later with the Swans continuing their bright start.

And they doubled their lead in the 12th minute with a tremendous finish from Piroe.

Ethan Laird and Jamal Lowe played themselves into trouble on the Bournemouth right and the loose ball was quickly moved infield to Piroe, who drove an unerring strike across Travers into the far corner.

Bournemouth needed a response and Kyle Naughton did well to cut out Laird’s cross after Lowe had driven forward.

Lewis Cook then volleyed straight at Andy Fisher from a half-cleared corner before Dominic Solanke had an effort blocked by Joel Latibeaudiere as the Cherries had an extended spell of pressure.

The Swans were having to defend manfully, and Ben Cabango and Latibeaudiere were involved in depriving the lively Ryan Christie and Jefferson Lerma sights of goal from one sharp Bournemouth counter.

Hannes Wolf showed too much of the ball to Christie after beating Laird on the back of two superb passes from Fisher and Christie.

Bournemouth frustrations were growing and Lowe was booked for a poor, late challenge on Cabango as the half-hour mark arrived.

It was all-action stuff, and Obafemi’s rising strike just cleared the bar after lovely work between Matt Grimes, Naughton and Ryan Manning.

Fisher parried Lowe’s strike high and wide after the striker had nipped away from Naughton in the box and the Swans went in with their two-goal lead intact.

Scott Parker sent on Philip Billing for Adam Smith at the break and the Cherries started the second period on the front foot.

The Swans were soon forced into their own change when centurion Cabango was forced off with an injury he had been feeling after that tackle from Lowe in the first half, with Korey Smith on in his place.

Billing had a shot diverted wide by Naughton after a long throw had fallen to the substitute, before Fisher made a tremendous save as Jaidon Anthony snuck in at the back post.

But the Swans lifted the pressure to further extend their lead with a wonderful counter-attack.

Wolf and Piroe played their way out of the press on the left flank and the Dutchman fed inside to Obafemi. The striker turned and waited to feed in Christie who walloped a rising shot high into the net at the near post.

The visitors were soon pressing again but the hosts were dealing with everything that was being thrown at them.

Solanke dragged an effort into the side-netting after a ricochet had fallen kindly for him, but they did pull one back with 18 minutes remaining as Moore arrived to nod home from a corner.

But the Wales striker was very lucky to get away with swinging his elbow into Flynn Downes’ jaw a few moments later, which somehow all the officials missed.

Obafemi slipped at the crucial moment after more excellent link play between Wolf and Piroe and seconds later Manning was penalised for handball in the area at the other end.

Solanke made no mistake from the spot and there were will 10 minutes plus stoppage time to play.

It was by now a chaotic affair and Fisher stood up well to deny Moore after a hopeful punt into the area had landed at his feet.

But the visitors did level in the final minute of normal time through Moore, who tapped in at the far stick after Fisher had parried a Solanke header.

Swansea City: Andy Fisher; Ben Cabango (Korey Smith 49), Kyle Naughton, Joel Latibeaudiere; Cyrus Christie, Flynn Downes, Matt Grimes (captain), Ryan Manning; Joel Piroe (Kyle Joseph 90), Hannes Wolf (Jay Fulton 81); Michael Obafemi.

Unused Substitutes: Ben Hamer, Nathanael Ogbeta, Cameron Congreve, Joel Cotterill.

Bournemouth: Mark Travers, Nathaniel Phillips, Ethan Laird, Lewis Cook, Lloyd Kelly (captain), Jefferson Lerma, Dominic Solanke, Ryan Christie (Robbie Brady 65), Adam Smith (Philip Billing 46), Jamal Lowe (Kieffer Moore 62), Jaidon Anthony.

Unused Substitutes: Freddie Woodman, Chris Mepham, Ben Pearson, Siriki Dembele.