Callum O'Hare of Wrexham shoots as Swansea's Filip Lissah closes downHuw Evans Picture Agency

Callum O'Hare came close to scoring on his Wrexham debut as Swansea kept a fourth clean sheet in a row

Chris Wathan
BBC Sport Wales at the Swansea.com Stadium

Swansea City maintained their unbeaten start to the season despite being frustrated by Wrexham in a goalless Welsh derby that failed to truly catch fire.

Vitor Matos' side, who stay top of the Championship, again caught the eye and enjoyed the majority of possession.

But they failed to notably trouble their disciplined visitors who had the game's two biggest chances to break the deadlock.

They spurned both second-half opportunities, with debutant Callum O'Hare shooting narrowly wide and Max Cleworth failing to connect when just yards out.

Substitute Zan Vipotnik came closest for Swansea, although not even last season's Championship top scorer could provide the game with the breakthrough, with bragging rights at stake.

It did mean Swansea moved a point clear at the top before their trip to Southampton on Tuesday, as well as keeping up an impressive defensive record that has seen them only concede once in their opening five games.

And Wrexham, having won their first game of the season in midweek at Millwall, will draw positives as they look to build towards games with Burnley and West Ham over the next week.

That looked in some doubt with the way Swansea started, penning Wrexham in and troubling defenders without really working the goalkeeper.

Having kept the threat at bay during a first-half dominated on the ball by the hosts, it was clear just minutes after the restart that Swansea would face a more aggressive opponent as debutant O'Hare fizzed just wide from a Sam Smith knock-down.

Swansea did respond, Moussa Yeo not able to stretch to meet Josh Tymon's centre, but Wrexham's introduction of fresh wing-backs and attacking double-act Kieffer Moore and Josh Windass kept momentum the visitor's way.

Windass' 70th minute shot fired it's way through legs after a quick free-kick, but centre-back Cleworth could not react when he whipped his way a few yards from the line.

Swansea - who saw Ben Cabango booked for a wild challenge on O'Hare - revived to set up a tense finale, but Vipotnik could not have the final say as he failed to guide Moussa Yeo's cross past Anthony Patterson.

And when Lawrence Vigouroux reacted well to collect a Moore attempt in injury time, both sets of fans knew they had to settle for a share of the points and the Welsh pride at stake.

Analysis - revival of rivalry that could be set to grow

This clash of north-south has been played for 113 years with national pride running through it, though there are still some who take umbrage with it being classified a derby.

Understandable, perhaps, given it will have taken Wrexham fans more than three hours through the heart of Wales to take their seats. Local rivalry this is not.

But, when they arrived, a reminder that neither was this a run-of-the-mill Championship fixture, be it the male voice choir on the sidelines or the light show that preceded kick-off.

Indeed, for all of Vitor Matos' own protestations, there was an urgency from his side that matched that in the home stands which went beyond the regular.

Perhaps there was an element of Swansea wanting to use the stage to show their early eye-catching performances are worth taking seriously.

There was a crispness to their passing, showing they can play through the press as well as snapping at heels when out of possession that stopped Wrexham settling.

They forced Wrexham onto the back foot and isolated lone striker Smith, with young centre-back Filip Lissah impressing.

But even with Canada World Cup Stephan Eustaquio looking a class act and an astute late summer signing, Swansea could not find a way through a Wrexham side who with organisational know how and no little resolve.

It is the rock on which promotions have been built and – after a jittery opening to the season – two successive clean sheets show they are starting to click.

The reinforcements from the bench could – and perhaps should – have swung things Wrexham's way.

Both sets of fans begged for a breakthrough but no-one could quite add their name to the 113 years of this game's story. Derby or not, there might yet be more to come in this rivalry this season.

Player of the match

A. Patterson
7.29
23 S. Welsh
6.19
26 F. Lissah
6.15
22 L. Vigouroux
6.00
49 M. Yeo
5.88
4 J. Fulton
5.85
2 J. Key
5.83
46 S. Eustaquio
5.80
14 J. Tymon
5.73
33 A. Idah
5.72
10 Eom Ji-Sung
5.71
7 M. Widell
5.67
9 Ž. Vipotnik
5.65
8 E. Just
5.63
6 M. Stamenić
5.57
30 J. Opoku
5.54
5 B. Cabango
4.92
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