swansea City 1 J Ayew (71) everton 1 Naughton (og, 43)
Jordan Ayew boosted Swansea’s fight for survival with a precious equaliser in a draw against Everton.
Ayew, back from a three-match ban, struck his 11th goal of the season after 71 minutes just when Everton appeared on course for a smash-and-grab win at the Liberty Stadium.
Everton, who were largely outplayed during a frantic contest, had taken a scruffy lead two minutes before the break when Kyle Naughton diverted the ball into his own net.
Ayew’s equaliser was no less than Swansea deserved and leaves them five points clear of the drop zone.
For Everton, though, their fans turned on boss Sam Allardyce, delivering a series of obscene chants after he substituted winger Yannick Bolasie in the 76th minute and replaced him with central defender Ramiro Funes Mori.
Asked whether he was upset by their reaction, he replied: “I never get annoyed by the fans, personally, because they wanted to see us play better.
“But you have to give some credit to the opposition – they don’t let you play better when they are fighting away for points.
“In the end we’ve got a very precious point. Yes, we would have all liked to play better.”
Andre Ayew was the first to test Jordan Pickford in the Everton goal, before Luciano Narsingh shrugged aside Wayne Rooney to spring a quick counter-attack.
Jordan Ayew took advantage of an Idrissa Gueye slip to reach Tom Carroll’s cross, but Leighton Baines diverted his shot wide.
Everton finally enjoyed some decent possession before the interval and made it count.
Seamus Coleman found Bolasie, but Lukasz Fabianski was equal to the winger’s drive, as well as Gueye’s follow-up effort. But Fabianski was out of luck as the ball struck Naughton and crossed the line before Alfie Mawson could clear.
Swansea responded at the start of the second half, with Carroll and Andre Ayew testing Pickford.
Nathan Dyer fired over and Swansea were not so much knocking on the door as banging on it.
Everton’s resistance was finally broken when Carroll found Jordan Ayew with a sliced pass and Swansea’s top scorer drove past Pickford.