Saturday 22 October 2016 19:41, UK
Bob Bradley claimed the first point of his tenure as Swansea manager with a goalless draw against Watford at the Liberty Stadium.
The newly-appointed Swans boss endured a largely frustrating afternoon on his home debut as his side failed to break down a stubborn Watford rearguard.
Gylfi Sigurdsson stuck the post in a frantic final half hour which saw the hosts twice denied by fine saves by Heurelho Gomes, while the visitors had two penalty appeals ignored by referee Paul Tierney.
On a positive note, Swansea claimed a first home clean sheet of the season, but that was not enough to lift them out of the relegation zone.
Watford, meanwhile, move up to ninth in the Premier League after their second away draw of the season.
Having had another week to examine the squad at his disposal, Bradley make five changes to the Swansea side fielded at Arsenal, the most notable of which saw 22-year-old Alfie Mawson handed his Premier League debut.
Walter Mazzarri, meanwhile, recalled Juan Zuniga and Odion Ighalo in place of Nordin Amrabat and the injured Isaac Success.
There was almost early euphoria as Modou Barrow, fresh from his scintillating display at the Emirates Stadium, forced Gomes to tip his low effort wide on eight minutes.
A cagey opening 45 then transpired, Gomes was on hand to stifle any chance the hosts had of building momentum when he saved from Sigurdsson on 23 minutes,
Barrow was Swansea's greatest threat but Watford's centre-back trio of Sebastian Prodl, Younes Kaboul and Miguel Britos prevented the winger from finding support.
And Kaboul hit the opener when his 44th-minute free-kick deflected agonisingly wide of Lukasz Fabianksi's goal.
The second half continued in the same vein, with chances at a premium, before both sides' desire to win caused the game to open up.
Ighalo led a Watford counter on the hour, getting the better of Mawson before seeing a shot on goal blocked before Barrow went up the other end crossed for Borja Baston, who steered an effort wide.
Gomes produced the save of the game on 64 minutes, thwarting Mike van der Hoorn's attempts to convert Sigurdsson's inch-perfect free-kick.
Bradley introduced Fernando Llorente shortly after and the Spaniard almost had the perfect impact, lashing an effort, which took a deflection, inches over the Watford goal 18 minutes from time.
Watford had two penalty appeals rejected in quick succession, the first for what would have been a harsh handball call before a coming together which resulted in Valon Behrami going to ground went unpunished on 77 minutes.
Sigurdsson was inches away from breaking the deadlock when he ended a flowing Swansea counter by striking the outside of the post on 82 minutes.
There was time for substitute Nordin Amrabat to blaze a shot on the counter over two minutes from time but the Hornets would have to settle for a point on their trip to south Wales.
Player ratings
Swansea: Fabianski (6), Kingsley (6), van der Hoorn (7), Mawson (7), Naughton (6), Ki (6), Britton (6), Routledge (5), Sigurdsson (6), Barrow (7), Borja Baston (6).
Used subs: Llorente (6).
Watford: Gomes (7), Zuniga (5), Prodl (7), Kaboul (7), Britos (7), Holebas (5), Capoue (5), Behrami (5), Pereyra (5), Deeney (6), Ighalo (6).
Used subs: Amrabat (6), Guedioura (5).
Man of the Match: Modou Barrow.
