Swansea City 0-0 Middlesbrough

Gylfi Sigurdsson went close with a free-kick for Swansea late on

Swansea City and Middlesbrough produced a stale goalless draw which did little to enhance either team's prospects of avoiding relegation from the Premier League.

Both sides created chances in a high-octane opening but the pace soon faltered as the players seemed gripped by tension.

Swansea's Leroy Fer wasted a fine opportunity as he blazed over from close range in the 89th minute while Rudy Gestede headed wide for the visitors in added time.

The Swans remain one place and one point above the bottom three, while Boro stay 19th and five points adrift of safety.

Wins for relegation rivals Crystal Palace and Hull City on Saturday increased the pressure on each team to win, and a draw represents a missed opportunity for both.

• Relive the action from the Liberty Stadium

No reward for caution

Swansea seemed to be pulling clear of trouble with five wins in their first eight games following head coach Paul Clement's appointment, but two successive defeats had dragged the Swans back into the mire.

For Boro, the onus on victory was even greater. Winless in 11, the last time they had won a Premier League game was way back in December - a 3-0 triumph against a Swansea side in the midst of Bob Bradley's ill-fated reign.

This had the hallmarks of a tight, nervy relegation battle, but the opening quarter was played at a breathless pace with both teams refreshingly eager to attack.

After a handful of chances at either end, however, the game disintegrated into a disjointed encounter in which neither team seized the initiative.

Swansea's attack lacked its focal point with top scorer Fernando Llorente injured, while Boro seldom looked like scoring their first away league goal of 2017.

Both teams had chances in the closing stages - Gylfi Sigurdsson twice went close for the hosts with a long-range shot and a deflected free-kick - but ultimately paid the price for their caution.

Man of the match - Ben Gibson (Middlesbrough)

Good reading of the game, strong in the air and tracking Swansea's runners, the Boro captain put on an exemplary exhibition of defending.

Agnew's audition

Middlesbrough head coach Steve Agnew had said he wanted the manager's job on a permanent basis, and the club's owner Steve Gibson suggested the 51-year-old could be "the glue to unify us completely".

Agnew had started his temporary reign with a 3-1 home defeat against Manchester United, and he gave an indication of his attacking intent at the Liberty Stadium by recalling winger Adama Traore.

The rapid former Barcelona player was the most potent threat for the visitors, who had mustered a division-low tally of 20 Premier League goals so far this season.

Traore, sporting a distinctive new bleached blonde haircut, found space between Swansea's midfield and defence and ran at them at pace, drawing fouls and spreading panic among his opponents.

Despite Traore's forays, Boro looked blunt in attack. Fortunately for Agnew's men, so did Swansea's against a visiting defence whose 33 goals conceded this season make it the fifth best in the league.

What the managers said

Swansea manager Paul Clement: "Any point you get is valuable but we are disappointed not to win the game.

"They had a big chance at the end but they didn't have an attempt on target in the whole game so a defeat would have been harsh.

"You never know how valuable that point could be. It is tight at the bottom, there are eight games to go and we remain very positive."

Middlesbrough caretaker manager Steve Agnew: "You could see that the fight is there. The spirit is terrific.

"Swansea have been in the Premier League for seven years, and this is our first season. It was difficult for us to sustain attacks but we kept going right to the end.

"You'd expect Rudy Gestede to score at the end but when the next chance comes I'm sure he will.

"It's another point and we will regroup."

Rudy can't win - match stats

• Middlesbrough have drawn more Premier League games 0-0 this season than any other team in the competition (6).

• Middlesbrough (9) have kept more clean sheets than any other Premier League team currently in the bottom six.

• Only West Brom (8) have registered one or fewer shots on target in more different PL games this season than Middlesbrough (6).

• Rudy Gestede has now gone 39 Premier League games without a win (last won v Bournemouth, August 2015); extending the competition record for the longest winless run by a player.

• Swansea didn't make a substitution in a Premier League game for the first time ever.

What's next?

Swansea host Tottenham at 19:45 BST on Wednesday, before travelling to West Ham on Saturday, with kick-off at 15:00 BST.

Middlesbrough face another relegation battle away at Hull City at 19:45 BST on Wednesday, before hosting Burnley at 15:00 BST on Saturday.