The U18s are still looking for their first Professional Development League win of the season as the Swans continued their unbeaten start to the campaign to stay top of the south group, writes Harrison Gray.
An Alfie Baxter goal sparked a second-half fightback from the young Whites but they couldn’t find an equaliser to back up their draw at Bristol City last time out as they finished with 10 men following the late dismissal of defender Louis Evans.
Swansea started quickly as they looked to build on their impressive start to the campaign and it only took them mid-way through the first half to take the lead as winger Kaleab Meron fired a neat finish past James Shillinglaw.
Wanderers had chances, with the closest they came to an equaliser a Denver Clement effort that went wide after Alfie Healy played the ball down the right-hand side for Sonny Coyne to chase and cross into the penalty area.
And Danny Clarke’s side was made to pay for their miss moments later as Swansea scored their second just before the interval. A scramble on the edge of the box landed at the feet of Bobby Lewis and the midfielder slotted home to double the visitors’ lead at the break.
The Swans again came out strongly at the start of the second half and were only denied a third goal by great save down low by Shillinglaw.
Wanderers responded well and grew into the game from this point and in the 51st minute Coyne cut inside from the left flank to send a powerful strike towards goal, which stung the palms of Swansea keeper Thomas Wright, who parried it away.
The second half continued in an end-to-end fashion and Bobby Lewis should have put the visitors three goals to the good but moments after his miss Wanderers pulled one back courtesy of a great team move finished by Baxter to get themselves back in the game.
It started with a fantastic switch of play from Louis Evans to find Zak Doyle, who played it down the line to Coyne who found himself in the right channel once again. The latter looked up and played it to Baxter, who finished with aplomb with a strike that flew past Wright to halve the deficit.
Baxter was proving a threat to the Swans’ back line and he almost got his second in the 70th minute after an error at the back but his shot was superbly blocked by Rio Hassan.
Wanderers continued to apply pressure in search of a leveller and captain Sam Hopkinson went close with another effort save by Wright before Evans picked up a second yellow card in the closing moments as the visitors held on.
The result leaves the Whites sitting bottom of the northern section of the league after just three games, with their next test an U17 fixture against Oldham Athletic in the Professional Development League Cup on Tuesday.
Wanderers: Shillinglaw, Doyle, Duggan, Evans, Lamb, Best, Healy, Hopkinson (C), Coyne, Clement, Baxter Substitutes: Davidson (GK), Desilva-Zuill, Marshall, Ogboru, Littler, Quirk, Fakhy