We’re nearly ready to go at the Liberty Stadium.

Swansea: Vorm, Rangel, Williams, Caulker, Richards, Sinclair, Britton, Agustien, Allen, Routledge, Graham

QPR: Kenny, Young, Hill, Hall, Traore, Mackie, Barton, Derry, Faurlin, Taarabt, Helguson

A big game for both teams in their respective fights to preserve their Premier League status beyond the summer.

Swansea have been very difficult to beat in Wales so far this year. They don’t tend to concede many goals – struggling at the other end as a result – but they continue to play some good football.

It’s been all QPR so far. Another decent cross from the wings sees Heidar Helguson causing problems in the Swansea box.

City finally get some time on the ball and it’s Wayne Routledge’s drive forward that earns the home side their first corner. Graham gets his foot on the resulting set piece but it’s clear away by the QPR defence.

Scott Sinclair is the next man to cause problems for QPR, dinking inside the full back only to be dispossessed by a well-timed tackle. Swansea getting their passing/possession game up and running now.

GOAL! Amid suggestions of handball, Danny Graham puts Swansea in front. The striker’s movement has been excellent in the early minutes and he traps a cross from Routledge and turns quickly to fire into the corner of the net beyond Paddy Kenny’s reach.

It’s Graham’s sixth goal of the season and he was, of course, a summer target for Neil Warnock. The latter, by the way, is having a word with the fourth official – no doubt about the handball. There was contact, but it would be harsh to say it was anything other than completely unintentional.

Neil Warnock continues to feel the injustice of the goal judging by his dramatics on the sideline. He might want to consider what his defence – particularly Luke Young – were doing at the time though as they were enough of them about to close down their opponent.

Oooh… a fizzing shot from Joey Barton gets City keeper Michel Vorm involved for the first time. The midfielder then has a second shot blocked from the resulting corner. Better from Rangers.

Graham is just offside as he gathers the ball during Swansea’s latest charge forward. The City number ten and Routledge are definitely enjoying a strong opening to the evening.

One man tuning in is Rio Ferdinand:

Only the long legs of Fitz Hall prevents Graham from getting on the end of another great ball. Superb clearance from the QPR man.

Another half chance for QPR until Angel Rangel puts the ball out of a corner. The Spaniard clears once again from the resulting play but is tackled as he attempts to break away – a tackle for which Clint Hill is booked.

Graham escapes the attention of Hall once again but Kenny has his shot covered on this occasion.

Next into the referee’s notebook is local lad Jazz Richards, who is cautioned for a late challenge on Barton. Nothing much in it but certainly consistent from Mr. Probert.

Another half chance for Helguson. His header – from another Barton cross – is well off target though and he’s annoyed with himself for not making Vorm save the chance at least.

Two minutes of stoppage time to be played.

Swansea are playing ‘Keep the ball’ at the moment and stuck right in the middle of their passing is Danny Graham, who gets involved on the half-way line. A great example of the work the big man puts in.

The half-time whistle blows. Swansea are in front and will be happy with their efforts in the opening half. After allowing QPR to dominate initially, they are now in front and looking relatively comfortable.

Neil Warnock will, no doubt, be hopping mad over the apparent handball in the lead up to Graham’s goal but he can have no argument about the quality of the finish or what his own defenders were doing at the time (not a lot!). Apart from a Joey Barton effort from distance and a couple of half chances for Helguson, Rangers haven’t troubled Vorm and that should be his real concern considering that City have conceded just two goals at home so far this term…

Rio’s thoughts continue – the next Gary Neville??!

A couple of USA biscuits and a couple of tea and we’re ready for the second half of this festive encounter. More entertaining than some of yesterday’s offerings at least!

Underway again in Swansea.

Impressive:

Adel Taarabt earns QPR their first corner of the second half, his shot blazing across Vorm’s goal and out off a Swansea man.

A shot well off target comes in from Alejandro Faurlin. Vorm wasn’t troubled for a moment but a sign nonetheless that the visitors are having the better of things early in the second half.

Vorm takes an Armand Traore cross over the end line with him. It’s another corner for QPR but the chance comes to naught when the danger is cleared.

Allen and Routledge combine for the latter to send a dangerous ball across Kenny’s goal with Graham charging through. It’s Routledge’s final contribution, however, as he’s replaced by Nathan Dyer with Luke Moore on for Rangel.

GOAL! A long ball is punted forward by Paddy Kenny and Britton’s attempted clearance flies over Ashley Williams’ head and into the path of Jamie Mackie. He remains calm to round Vorm and finish with style. A goal from nowhere has QPR right back in this contest. Disaster at the back from Swansea after looking assured for so long.

That’s the first time a Swansea crowd has seen a goal conceded at the Liberty Stadium in over 300 minutes of football…

Barton, meanwhile, is shown yellow for a rash challenge on Richards. The referee took a few moments to think about his decision before flashing the card, much to the disappointment of the ever vocal home fans.

Barton is thwarted by referee Lee Probert of all people and Swansea break to earn a corner. The man in blue and black is probably the most relieved when the chance eventually comes to nothing.

Another lovely move from Swansea. A neat pass from Allen to Graham sees the latter feed a clever ball towards Luke Moore in the box. Unfortunately for the men in white, it’s just beyond the reach of the substitute.

Graham has claims for a penalty kick turned down by Probert. Replays show that there was contact between the striker and Traore though, as Vorm is quickly made to save an effort from Taarabt at the other end.

QPR piling on the pressure a little now. Touches from Williams and Moore take dangerous balls away from Helguson and Barton respectively.

Kenny knocks away an awkward Swansea free kick as the game ticks into its final ten minutes.

We’d have to agree:

Warnock has his head in his hands once again as another decision goes against his boys. Like him or loathe him, he brings the entertainment factor to the Premier League.

QPR are finishing the stronger of the two teams. To get more than a point from this encounter though, they will have to do what no other team (including Man Utd) visiting Swansea this season has managed – score a second time.

Faurlin is Sky Sports’ Man of the Match, and it certainly reflects the two very different halves we’ve seen this evening. Three minutes of added time.

Taarabt picks up a silly booking for kicking the ball away after Swansea are awarded a free-kick. Both teams seem to have settled for a point at this stage.

One more chance for Swansea but Richards’ final cross has far too much air and it flies straight out for a goal kick. A poor end to a poor half from the Welsh side.

FULL TIME: Swansea 1-1 QPR. The new boys share the spoils at the Liberty Stadium. Swansea move up to 14th courtesy of their point but have several difficult matches on the horizon, while Rangers remain 16th.

Swansea sat pretty on a 1-0 advantage at half time. Whatever Warnock said to his players, they were far more dogged after the break and deserved a point from a game that City will probably feel they left behind them. Both goals had an element of luck about them, so a fair result at full-time.

That concludes our coverage of this evening’s game. A round-up of Norwich v Tottenham will be included in our summary of the main Premier League action of the day.