Swansea 1-1 Millwall

Swansea City missed the chance to move into the top two of the Championship as former manager Kenny Jackett led his Millwall side to a hard-earned draw.

Angel Rangel put the hosts in front as the unmarked Spanish right-back headed Ardrea Orlandi's left-wing corner home.

Tamika Mkandawire levelled for Millwall within 10 minutes with a sweet right-foot shot as Swansea failed to clear a melee inside their own penalty area.

And visiting striker Steve Morison missed two one-on-one chances late on.

Millwall could have easily won this Championship clash and Swansea goalkeeper and man-of-the-match Dorus de Vries was forced to make some superb saves.

The Dutchman was the busier of the two stoppers - which is unusual at the Liberty Stadium - and De Vries made three crucial saves in the second-half to ensure Swansea did not slide to successive home defeats.

But Swansea's Friday night point moves them to level on 37 points with second-placed Cardiff City - who travel to Middlesbrough on Saturday.

Brendan Rodgers' team, however, could have moved into the Championship's automatic promotion places for the first time in 27 years with victory over Millwall.

And it looked promising for the Swans when Rangel rose unchallenged above Millwall's statuesque defence in the 18th minute to head Orlandi's outswinging left-wing corner past the Lions' former Cardiff keeper David Forde.

Rangel's second goal in four games - after 18 months without a goal - was the first time Millwall's defences had been breached in almost six hours of football.

But the visitors were soon level when Mkandawire drilled home his first Millwall goal since signing from Leyton Orient in the summer.

Swansea had failed to clear their lines after Jason Puncheon had dribbled the ball into the danger area and Mkandawire fired the loose ball into the corner of helpless De Vries' goal.

Nathan Dyer, though, wasted a great chance for Swansea to regain the lead just before the break when he blazed over Orlandi's cut-back from close range.

But Jackett, who guided the Swans to promotion during a successful spell in charge between 2004 and 2007, fired up his Millwall side and Rodgers had De Vries to thank for the scores remaining level.

The Swans stopper produced a stunning save to tip Josh McQuoid's flick header over the bar after the full debutant had connected with James Henry's in-swinging free-kick perfectly.

Henry then tried to turn goal-scorer as the Millwall midfielder jinked forward but after a lung-bursting run into the box, his curling shot was palmed clear by De Vries.

Morison then had two chances in the final four minutes to win the game for Millwall but he fired horribly wide after being put through with only De Vries to beat.

Then the Wales international, put through one-on-one again, drilled an unconvincing shot which De Vries saved smartly as Millwall missed the chance to win successive league games for the first time since August.

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