A thrilling end to a competitive game at Landore, our last scheduled U-21 home fixture. Our boys capitulated at the last to a determined and skilful Watford side just when it appeared we would seize victory.
Line-up (4-3-3): Joe Collins; Tom Searle (s – Aimar Govea 63m), Iestyn Jones, Blair McKenzie, Caio Ifans; Milo Robinson (s – Caleb Demery 63m), Dan Watts (captain), Yori Griffith; Josh Pescatore, Morgan Bates (s – Josiah Kallicharan 78m), Tom Woodward.
Unused sub: Jakub Nowak (g/k).
Coach Anthony Wright was able to select a strong starting line-up, Dan Watts and Tom Woodward returning to the fold. Watford have had an impressive academy pedigree in recent years and are now coached by Paul Furlong and Adrian Mariappa. Right winger Max Smith is the son of former Watford player Tom Smith, substitute Kristian Shevchenko is the son of the former Ukrainian international striker. Both have played here before with Watford U-18s.
There were plenty of chances for both sides in a very open first half that was shaded by Watford. Morgan Bates had an early diving header off target while Sanghrajka broke upfield from a Swansea corner to have his shot blocked, Chikovani’s follow up also being checked. Iestyn Jones and Blair McKenzie had their work cut out with a free moving set of visiting forwards, frequently supplemented by advancing full backs.
An impressive set of passing from Robinson and Ifans provided Tom Woodward the opportunity to put the Swans ahead on 20 minutes with a smart touch and shot. A couple of minutes later Woodward was foiled when another clever move from Robinson, Pescatore and Watts gave him space to get a shot in that Ortelli pushed wide.
Chikovani signalled Watford’s danger with a curling effort that was narrowly off target and Watford came again with Keyes heading straight at Joe Collins from Hunt’s cross. Centre half Georgiou missed with a completely free header from a free kick on the half hour.
The visitors took control for much of the remainder of the half, helped by some uncharacteristic mis-control by the Swans midfield that put us routinely on the backfoot. Another wayward pass set Hunt free on the left and, even though he was clearly edging to his favoured right foot, his angled cross cum shot deflected off Josh Pescatore to loop over Collins into the far corner of the net. Watford had further opportunities before the break, the closest coming from centre forward Lawson, whose close range shot was blocked by a combination of Collins’s foot and the post. In truth, we were lucky to get to the interval level.
Swansea were a lot sharper after the break, Yori Griffith bursting through the Watford rearguard to have a shot blocked that then ricocheted wide of goal off Woodward. Morgan Bates was on the end of a fine move that he started himself and involved Griffith, Pescatore and Woodward before Bates couldn’t get his final delivery on target.
The match official started making some unnecessary and peculiar interventions, booking Woodward and then Ifans, the latter being particularly harshly penalised for a foul that warranted Max Smith theatrically falling to the ground, only for the winger to miraculously instantly recover after the card had been shown. Watford are a talented academy side, but they seem to have developed an early liking for the dark arts of simulation. Yori Griffith found his way into the book later on.
Griffith took another shot from distance that was deflected over as the game remained quite open.
The customary mid-half substitutions seemed to favour the visitors – Shevchenko must have had half a dozen clear sights of goal without getting one on target as Watford continued to press, often pushing 5 players up front. Only Caleb Demery made an impression for the Swans.
As gaps appeared behind them, Woodward was really unlucky to miscue from a perfect position inside the area and Demery was off target from the deflection.
Chances kept coming at both ends, Smith blazing over in between Shevchenko misses.
Just as it appeared Watford would surely break the deadlock, the Swans went ahead on 84 minutes, Pescatore finding himself on the end of a Woodward pass to slot home a left-footed shot off the post.
From that point onward, it was a case of all hands to the deck as Watford threw players forward to retrieve the game. Iestyn Jones and Blair McKenzie in particular got in crucial blocks and interventions.
Shevchenko somehow managed to miss an open goal from a matter of yards and Smith – who’d been tormenting Ifans all game – shot straight at Collins as the game inched into added time. Dramatically, Georgian-born Chikovani cut in from the left to drive home right-footed from outside the box to give Watford a deserved equaliser.
A great effort overall from the Swans players in a quite uneven performance. They’ll be disconsolate at yet another late concession, but it’s difficult to complain at the outcome of what was a really exciting contest.
Goalscoring: Woodward 1-0 (20m); Hunt 1-1 (32m); Pescatore 2-1 (84m); Chikovani 2-2 (90+4m).