QPR 1 X 1 SWANSEA CITY

 

Wilfried Bony comes off bench to earn point for 10-man Swansea at QPR

  

Wilfried Bony came off the bench to plunder a superb late equaliser for Swansea City moments after they had been reduced to 10 men by the dismissal of Wayne Routledge. That completed a frantic end to a match from which Queens Park Rangers were on course to claim three precious points thanks to Leroy Fer’s spectacular long-range goal in the first half.

Bony’s superb finish – which came after he took a pass from Ki Sung-yueng and created space where there had appeared to be none – showed why he is the subject of transfer speculation linking him to Manchester City and Chelsea.

The Ivorian had been introduced only in the 72nd minute of this match as the manager, Garry Monk, elected to give a rare start to Bafétimbi Gomis, who may have to replace Bony when he departs for the Africa Cup of Nations shortly.

The disparity between Swansea’s home and away form is not quite as stark as that of Rangers’ but the Welsh side have frequently floundered on their travels this season and that pattern needs to change if they are to challenge seriously for a European place.

They began brightly enough here and were unlucky not to take the lead in the sixth minute, when Gylfi Sigurdsson dissected the home defence with canny pass through to Routledge. Rob Green hurtled out of his box to confront the winger and then handled the ball as Routledge tried to poke it past him. The offence surely merited a red card but the referee Anthony Taylor seemingly did not spot it and waved play on. That was not the last decision to anger the visitors.

Swansea remained the better side until Fer suddenly and spectacularly shot Rangers into a 20th-minute lead. Running on to a headed clearance from Federico Fernández, the Dutchman blasted a scorching shot into the net from 25 yards. Lukasz Fabianski got a hand to it but could not stop it.

Swansea created several chances to pull level. Gomis was guilty of sparing Rangers with several weak finishes. A slip by Mauricio Isla presented Gomis with his first sight of goal in the 21st minute but the striker shot tamely at Green. Five minutes later he dragged a shot wide from the right after being sent through by Nathan Dyer, and on the half-hour mark he completed a trio of misses with another scuffed effort from the edge of the area.

Rangers, meanwhile, had perked up and were threatening to add a second goal. Eduardo Vargas was looking lively down the right and in the 23rd minute he produced a wonderful run and cross to the back post, from where Bobby Zamora headed over. Fabianski had to hurl himself to the right in the 38th minute to tip a long-range shot by Vargas behind for a corner.

Vargas was the only alteration made by Harry Redknapp to the side that started the dull home draw with Crystal Palace three days ago and he was part of the reason for Rangers’ greater vibrancy here. The Chilean could have crowned a sweeping counterattack in the 43rd minute with a goal but fired against the outside of the post from a tight angle after a cross from Charlie Austin.

Swansea were finding it difficult to match Rangers’ physicality, a point that was underlined five minutes into the second half when Austin outjumped his marker to meet a cross six yards out. Fabianski repelled his header with assistance from the post.

Fernández then went close with a header from a set-piece at the other end before Fabianski was called into action again, this time to keep out a header from Joey Barton.

Sigurdsson nearly added to his impressive collection of long-range goals when he tried to curl the ball into the bottom corner of the net from 20 yards in the 55th minute, but the Icelander’s attempt was fractionally off-target.

As the visitors began to generate a dangerous fluency, Rangers had to restrict their forward bursts to counterattacks in the final half-hour. In the 70th minute Fer almost recreated his first-half goal but this time his ferocious shot flew inches wide.

With all four Rangers midfielders helping out a defence led well by Richard Dunne and Steven Caulker, Swansea were prevented from forging many chances even after Bony was introduced for Sigurdsson with 18 minutes left. Bony went close for the visitors shortly after his arrival, arrowing a fine 20-yard shot towards the top corner after Ki rolled a free-kick to him. Green saved well.

Ten minutes later the goalkeeper needed help from Dunne after saving a close-range shot from Ki, the Irishman booting the follow-up header from Marvin Emnes off the line. Swansea’s irritation deepened when Routledge was shown a straight red card for reacting angrily to a late tackle by Karl Henry. But the Welsh side were smiling at the end when they secured a point thanks to Bony’s ninthPremier League goal of the campaign.