Swans 1 Crystal Palace 1

Swans made to settle for point against Palace! The Swans were denied their fifth home win of the season after a hard-fought draw against Crystal Palace at the Liberty.

Garry Monk’s side raced out of the traps and took a deserved lead when Wilfried Bony struck his seventh goal in as many games with a fine finish past Julian Speroni.

But Palace levelled midway through the first half when Mile Jedinak netted from the spot after Marouane Chamakh was tripped by Jonjo Shelvey.

Both goalkeepers had to be at their best to earn a point as Lukasz Fabianski saved superbly from Chamakh while Speroni kept out Gylfi Sigurdsson’s second-half volley.

Garry Monk made two changes to the side that lost to Manchester City.

Jonjo Shelvey was recalled to the starting line-up after appearing as a substitute at the Etihad Stadium, with the England international replacing Tom Carroll who dropped to the bench.

Fit-again Wayne Routledge recovered from injury to take the place of Nathan Dyer, while Jazz Richards was also named amongst the substitutes.

Palace, meanwhile, made just one change to the team that beat Liverpool at Selhurst Park as former Fulham man Brede Hangeland replaced Damien Delaney in defence.

SWANS: Lukasz Fabianski, Angel Rangel, Kyle Bartley, Ashley Williams (capt), Neil Taylor, Ki Sung-Yueng, Jonjo Shelvey, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Wayne Routledge (Modou Barrow, 65, Jefferson Montero, Wilfried Bony (Bafetimbi Gomis, 74).

SUBS NOT USED: Gerhard Tremmel, Jordi Amat, Jazz Richards, Leon Britton, Tom Carroll.

CRYSTAL PALACE: Julian Speroni, Joel Ward, Brede Hangeland, Scott Dann, Yannick Bolasie, Mile Jedinak (capt), Dwight Gayle (James McArthur, 21), Joe Ledley, Marouane Chamakh (Fraizer Campbell, 66), Martin Kelly, Jason Puncheon (Wilfried Zaha, 81).

SUBS NOT USED: Wayne Hennessey, Zeki Fryers, Barry Bannan, Jerome Thomas.

The Swans – searching for their fifth league win at the Liberty this term – started brightly and had an early penalty appeal waved away as Neil Taylor went down in the box after a challenge from Palace defender Joel Ward.

In-form Wilfried Bony then headed wide from a Jefferson Montero cross before Gylfi Sigurdsson saw his curling free-kick flick onto the roof of the net.

Bony then fired narrowly over from another Montero cross from the left, but the Ivorian wasn’t be to denied as he broke the deadlock after 15 minutes.

Sigurdsson rolled the ball into Bony and with his back to goal, the striker controlled and fired past Julian Speroni from just inside the box.

Palace were then forced into an early change before the midway point of the first half as Dwight Gayle limped off to be replaced by James McArthur.

However, against the run of play, the visitors drew level with 25 minutes on the clock as Jonjo Shelvey tripped Marouane Chamakh inside the box and Mile Jedinak stepped up to fire his spot-kick past Lukasz Fabianski.

And the former Arsenal keeper had to be at his best just four minutes later as he flung himself in front of Chamakh’s close-range effort to prevent the home side from going behind.

The visitors by now were starting to apply real pressure to the Swans goal and Yannick Bolasie was a fraction away from giving Palace the lead as his powerful strike from 25 yards came off the top of the crossbar.

With ten minutes remaining in the first period the hosts almost regained the initiative as Sigurdsson played Wayne Routledge in on goal but the former Eagles man could only shoot straight at Speroni.

And on the stroke of half time, Jonjo Shelvey volleyed wide from Sigurdsson’s centre as the two sides went into the break all square.

Half-time: Swans 1 Crystal Palace 1

Neither side made any changes at the interval, but it was Palace who had the first sight of goal in the second half as Mile Jedinak surged forward unchallenged before seeing his low shot well held by Fabianski.

At the other end, Speroni had to be alert to keep out a Jonjo Shelvey half volley before Sigurdsson tested the veteran goalkeeper’s reflexes shortly past the hour mark as his dipping effort was parried away.

With 25 minutes left to play the Swans made their first change of the afternoon as Modou Barrow replaced Wayne Routledge, while Fraizer Campbell replaced Marouane Chamakh for Palace.

The Swans then made their second substitution as goal scorer Wilfried Bony was withdrawn for Bafetimbi Gomis, and Sigurdsson came mightily close to giving Garry Monk’s men the lead with just under ten minutes to play but his left foot shot flew a fraction wide of the post.

Wilfried Zaha came off the bench in Palace’s third and final change, while Sigurdsson found space just outside the box once more but his effort was just too high as the hosts had to make do with a share of the points.

Read more at http://www.swanseacity.net/news/article/teams-swans-v-crystal-palace-2111979.aspx#Ie6rlCddW7d7jifZ.99