The Swifts reserves took on 2nd placed Wanderers at Porritt Stadium on Saturday. With a number of absences the Swifts had to rejig their defence with leading goalscorer Neil Slater filling in at sweeper for the day.

Wet and slippery conditions made ball control that much harder but did not stop the game from being an end to end affair.

The Swifts were using their close passing game to good effect while the young Wanderers side countered with their speed and through balls in what was a contrast of styles.

Wanderers were the first to score with a good strike although there was a hint of hand ball in the process. The Swifts replied with a Rodrigo Navarro special as he jinked his way past four defenders before rifling the ball home.

Level at the interval the home side then scored twice to lead early in the second half. The Swifts pulled one back from the penalty spot with Gabriel Valarino scoring after a Wanderers defender had handled on the goal line and was sent from the field.

Numbers were later evened up after an altercation in an otherwise clean game saw both sides end the game with nine men.

Wanderers regained their two goal margin with a penalty, with differing versions of what actually happened, before the Swifts again narrowed the lead with Luis Maldonado scoring his first goal for the team.

A draw eluded them in the end, nevertheless a credible performance under the conditions against a team now top of the league.

Fill in sweeper Neil Slater was the Swifts player of the day, while keeper Richard Paradizo also played well despite the score with a number of excellent saves.