Last updated on .From the section Championship

Andre Ayew rescued Swansea with a towering header

Swansea City's home frustrations continued as they drew 1-1 with Blackburn Rovers in a game which saw both sides reduced to 10 men.

Rovers extended their unbeaten run to five matches after Danny Graham's goal was cancelled out by Andre Ayew.

Veteran former Swansea striker Graham put the visitors in front with a close-range finish after only four minutes.

But Steve Cooper's team equalised just six minutes later as leading scorer Andre Ayew headed home.

Swansea were the better side for long periods after that, although their momentum was checked when Tom Carroll saw red 12 minutes into the second half.

The contest changed again when Bradley Dack followed Carroll down the tunnel, but Swansea's failure to find a winner means they are without a victory in six matches.

Cooper's men were glad to be making a swift return to action after their 5-1 thrashing at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday - their heaviest defeat since Premier League relegation in 2018.

But home comforts have been in short supply at the Liberty Stadium in recent times, with five defeats coming in Swansea's last eight outings on their own patch.

Unlike their hosts, Blackburn arrived in fine form having beaten Derby County, Stoke City, Brentford and Barnsley in their last four games.

Tony Mowbray's team got off to a dream start in Wales after George Byers' poor lay-off allowed Corry Evans to feed Adam Armstrong down the right.

He rolled the ball invitingly into the penalty area and the unmarked Graham stroked home his second of the season.

Graham, Swansea's leading marksman in 2011-12, opted not to celebrate, just as he did when he scored on this ground for Hull City six years ago.

To their credit, Swansea quickly responded after the desperate start, Ayew meeting Matt Grimes's corner with a towering header to level the scores.

Buoyed by the goal, Swansea should really have been in front by the break.

Byers missed the chance to make amends for his early error as he slashed a volley over, then Sam Surridge poked wide having been freed by Ayew.

The Ghana captain was everywhere, driving with the ball at his feet before firing narrowly wide and then galloping on to Bersant Celina's pass before seeing a shot saved by Blackburn keeper Christian Walton.

Ayew forced another save from Walton early in the second half before referee Jeremy Simpson turned down Swansea appeals for a penalty after Dack appeared to handle.

Carroll, who was booked in the first period for a cynical foul on Armstrong, received a second yellow for a foul on Lewis Travis.

Swansea saw another penalty appeal rejected after Surridge went down under Elliott Bennett's challenge, before the second red card came just 10 minutes after the first.

Cautioned for chopping down Surridge early on, Dack saw yellow again after clashing with Grimes.

Swansea then put some pressure on, although it was Rovers substitute Sam Gallagher who came closest to finding a winner when his shot was saved by Freddie Woodman.

The stalemate sees both sides remain three points adrift of the play-off places in 10th and 11th, locked on 31 points and with an identical goal difference.

Swansea head coach Steve Cooper told BBC Radio Wales:

"After the weekend (defeat to West Brom) it was a real defining moment in the character and personality of the team when we went a goal down.

"I thought it could go either way and to be fair to the boys they really stood up for themselves and for the club, and so they should.

"I've seen the penalty decision back for handball and it's just a massive error from the referee (Jeremy Simpson), and because he knows he made the error he's then made the poor red card decisions and he's lost his composure really.

"He's made four major decisions and he's got them fundamentally wrong. I'm only being honest.

"He is going to be embarrassed when he sees it back on TV. He'll probably be refereeing in the Conference now."

Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray said:

"With 11 v 10 I thought we would win the match, but then 11 v 11 and 10 v 10 you have to say Swansea are a very good football team.

"It's a bit of a mystery why their home record has not been as good as they would have wanted.

"Dack's second yellow is embarrassing. He just stuck his backside into the lad.

"It felt like it was just evening things up a little bit - he (referee Simpson) wasn't sure he'd got the first sending off right."