Planet Swans ArchivesDanny Graham’s first half goal is cancelled out but the Swans are denied a cast iron penalty that could have given them victory at the Liberty
REPORT – The Guardian
Two teams in need of a win to keep them out of the relegation dogfight could manage only a point apiece and, promoted from the Championship last summer, they are by no means safe from returning whence they came.
Swansea City have won only one of their last eight matches, Queens Park Rangers are without a win in six. Both need to improve in the new year.
When these two met at Loftus Road last Christmas QPR won 4-0 but much has changed in the 12 months since they were running away with the Championship and both managers responded to recent poor results by making significant changes. The Swans relegated Mark Gower to the bench, where Nathan Dyer returned after injury. They were without their regular left-back, Neil Taylor, who failed a pre-match fitness test. QPR found no place in their starting line-up for two forwards capped by England, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Jay Bothroyd, who were joined among the substitutes by Danny Gabbidon.
Swansea, knocking the ball around fluently as is their custom, were rewarded for a bright start with a goal in the 14th minute. Danny Graham, well attended, appeared to have nowhere to go when Wayne Routledge’s pass from the right found him on the edge of the penalty area but the Welsh club’s record signing turned one way and then the other, bemusing Luke Young and Fitz Hall, before burying a right-footed shot low inside Paddy Kenny’s left-hand post. It was a top-class strike by the £3.75m recruit from Watford, who was a slow starter at Premier League level but has now scored six in his last 11 games. QPR claimed the ball hit Graham’s hand during his execution and replays suggested they had a case but it was a quality finish nevertheless.
Graham had Kenny scrambling again, this time to his right, to keep out another low drive struck from the edge of the 18-yard area.
At half-time QPR had only Joey Barton’s shot from distance, comfortably saved, and a couple of inaccurate headers to show for much inconsequential huffing and puffing. In the 58th minute, however, with the game turned scrappy, they drew level with a “route one” equaliser. The vertically challenged Leon Britton made a hash of repelling Kenny’s long clearance, succeeding only in back-heading the ball to Jamie Mackie, who avoided Ashley Williams before shooting past Michel Vorm at close range.
Swansea claimed in vain for a penalty when Graham went down under challenge from Armand Traoré but the force was with QPR now and the increasingly influential Adel Taarabt would have given them victory from 20 yards but for a top-notch save from Vorm.
