Stoke City vs Swansea City. Sky Bet Championship.
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Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Stoke City and Swansea City at the bet365 Stadium on Tuesday | Harry Darling scores late to earn point for managerless Swans.
Tuesday 12 December 2023 23:04, UK
Swansea came from behind to claim a late point in a 1-1 draw at Stoke in the Championship.
Daniel Johnson's second-half penalty looked to have given Stoke - who sacked Alex Neil over the weekend after the loss to Sheffield Wednesday - their first win in five games.
But Harry Darling, who conceded the earlier spot-kick, headed home as full-time neared to give the Swans a share of the spoils.
With both clubs currently under caretaker charge, the Potters entered the clash sitting 20th and two points from the drop zone, while Swansea sat six places ahead of their opponents with three more points.
Stoke goalkeeper Jack Bonham half cleared an awkward backpass and was fortunate Swansea's Jerry Yates was unable to make the most of it in the opening five minutes.
Josh Tymon lashed wide from outside the box after 10 minutes for the Swans and Joshua Key cut inside from the right shortly after to cross for Yates, who almost made contact from close range as the visitors started brightly.
Stoke's Ryan Mmaee squandered the chance to take aim on the quarter hour from close range, before Lyndon Gooch burst forward from left-back to test Swansea's Carl Rushworth.
Mmaee forced Rushworth into action with a big one-on-one chance after 20 minutes and Junior Tchamadeu's follow-up was blocked as the hosts began to threaten.
Swansea responded through Jay Fulton's fierce drive which rose over the bar as the half-hour approached.
Luke McNally made a vital headed clearance ahead of the lurking Yates after Key's excellent work down the right flank 10 minutes from the break.
Tchamadeu blasted wide after drifting infield from the right wing early in the second half, before Johnson forced Rushworth into action and tipped over his fierce strike after the hour.
At the other end, Key got in behind Stoke's defence and found a free Jamie Paterson who took aim but Ki-Jana Hoever made a vital block before Bonham collected.
The Potters won a penalty when Darling brought down Mmaee in the box and Johnson coolly rolled home to give the hosts the advantage with 20 minutes left.
Tchamadeu sought Stoke's second soon after but his effort flew off target and Michael Rose's later header looped over.
Mmaee stabbed just wide after Tchamadeu headed across the face of goal in the closing stages as Stoke looked to have sealed the three points.
But following Swansea substitute Liam Walsh's deflected free-kick, from the resulting Matt Grimes corner, Darling nodded home at the back post as full-time neared to remedy his earlier error.
Rose nearly netted a late Stoke winner, but his stoppage-time header from Bae Jun-ho's corner bounced into the ground and over.
Stoke caretaker Paul Gallagher:
"I'll just take it day by day, but what I will say is it's been a real privilege to do a caretaker job at this fantastic football club. I've been fortunate enough to play for this football club and I know the demands that supporters have and all the staff. I thought the players took it to a tee and I've really enjoyed it. It's been a privilege.
"One thing I'll say is one only had 24 hours to prep the team and we changed the shape. They stuck to it. I can't ask for anything more. I think the work-rate, their application, the fight for each other was excellent. A little lapse of concentration at the end cost us three points, which I thought we deserved really."
Swansea caretaker Alan Sheehan:
"I felt that we started the game off OK, I felt we never really played the football that we wanted to play. It never flowed and became a frantic game, end-to-end, it didn't suit us. They made five changes and they swarmed all over us at times and our quality let us down. But I'm very proud of the character and the resilience, the way that we hung in there.
"We were sloppy at times, we understand that and we need to get better. Were we at our best? No way, we've got a lot of work to do on the training ground and I understand that, but character, resilience, everything we talk about from today and Saturday, that's what good teams are built on. He (Darling) gave away a penalty, it happens, it's life, you make mistakes, but the best way to respond to a mistake is go and putting it right and that's what he did."
