Zan Vipotnik came off the bench to rescue a point for Swansea against Watford as their Championship clash at the Swansea.com Stadium ended in a 1-1 draw.

The Slovenian striker headed home the equaliser just moments after coming on to cancel out Nestory Irankunda's stunning first-half opener for the Hornets as the points were shared in south Wales.

After a cagey opening 25 minutes, it was the visitors who went closest to breaking the deadlock.

First, Marc Bola sent in an inch-perfect cross from the left which was met by Luca Kjerrumgaard, who got above left-back Josh Tymon and his head on the cross, but the Danish forward was denied by a superb diving save at full stretch from Lawrence Vigouroux.

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Seconds later, from the resulting corner, the ball sat up again for Kjerrumgaard but he was unable to apply the crucial final touch, with Swansea captain Ben Cabango producing a last-ditch overhead clearance off the line.

Watford had only found the net three times in their previous seven league trips - the previous six of those being defeats - but they went ahead 10 minutes before the break and it came from a moment of magic from Irankunda.

Having been fouled by Josh Key just outside the box, the former Bayern Munich man dusted himself down and sent a curling 25-yard free-kick over the wall and into the top left-hand corner, beyond the despairing dive of Vigouroux, who could do nothing to stop it.

It was a first goal in Watford colours for Irankunda since arriving in the summer, to the delight of the travelling support behind the goal.

Vigouroux denied Kjerrumgaard again five minutes after the re-start, palming the striker's rasping left-footed shot away for a corner.

New Swansea signing Marko Stamenic was introduced for his debut from the bench after 53 minutes and made his presence felt straight away. He was booked for a foul on Irankunda - who then went off injured - before his pass put Ronald through on goal, although the Brazilian hesitated and allowed Watford keeper Egil Selvik to gather.

Swansea had now upped the tempo and Liam Cullen was denied by the woodwork on the hour mark, but it was the man who replaced him, Vipotnik, who would eventually level matters eight minutes from time, meeting Ethan Galbraith's cross and flicking a header goalwards, with the ball hitting the post and rolling in.

Vipotnik was agonisingly close to having the final word in nine minutes of added time, but was just unable to get his boot on a rebounded cross.

The managers

Swansea's Alan Sheehan:

"I think the first half, a worldie free-kick and a headed chance for their striker, kind of changes the perception. Really, apart from that, not a whole lot in the game.

"Were we the best versions of ourselves? No, but it was very bitty against a physical team that went man-to-man, so breaking up the play. And I think then after 55 minutes when we made the changes and made a few tactical tweaks, I thought we were the better team.

"We were gathering rhythm and just kept going until the end and we got a point, and on another day we should have three points but I'm proud of the lads.

"As a manager, you want a team that keeps going until the final minute and the fans felt that there was only one team that was going to win that game."

Watford's Paulo Pezzolano:

"It was a very good 65 to 70 minutes from us, they couldn't find a way to harm us.

"Very happy with the first half. The team was very good, very solid, on and off the ball.

"It was a lot of what we expected from the game and what we did over the week, so very pleased with that. And maybe what leaves a bad taste in the mouth is the fact that we cannot drop these types of points.

"Based on what we did in the first half and part of the second half, we should have won this game and it's a shame. But, at the same time, we have many young players and these types of matches are a good experience for them.

"We maybe lacked legs in the second half, but what's important is the team is growing and that's what we hold on to."

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