Swansea end pre-season with yet another draw

Swansea City rounded off their pre-season preparations with yet another draw in a goalless affair against Deportivo La Coruna.

The Welsh club had drawn three of their four warm-up fixtures prior to Saturday’s clash at the Liberty Stadium – their only home friendly ahead of the new season – but were unable to find a winner against the Liga outfit, despite dominating for long spells.

With places in Garry Monk’s starting XI for next weekend’s Premier League opener at Chelsea, Jonjo Shelvey and Jefferson Montero were among the players to put in strong performances, while a 71st-minute melee gave this “friendly” fixture a bit of late needle.

Swansea dominated possession in the first half and could have taken a sixth-minute lead through home debutant Andre Ayew, but the former Marseille man’s low drive was blocked in the penalty area, before Bafetimbi Gomis – back in the team after missing the matches against Reading and Nottingham Forest – skewed wide.

After Shelvey impressed as the hosts’ creator-in-chief in the first half, Gylfi Sigurdsson came on at the interval to stake his claim, but it was fellow replacement Montero who began to terrorise the Depor defence with darting runs down the left.

The visitors saw appeals for a Federico Fernandez handball in the penalty area turned down, and were dealt a further blow when Luisinho limped off just short of the hour mark.

Another penalty shout for a Franck Tabanou handball then went unrewarded, prompting some ill-tempered pushing and shoving in the Swansea box.

The referee dished out a furry of yellow cards after restoring order, including one for Depor’s substitute goalkeeper German Lux, who had run the length of the field to get involved.

Swansea pushed for a winner – Montero going closest as he sent an effort just wide of the right-hand post – but Monk’s men were forced to settle for a fourth draw in five pre-season friendlies.