The Sydney Swans reserves have suffered their first defeat of the 2014 season, falling just short of UWS in a bruising encounter played in driving rain at Spotless Stadium on Sunday morning.

Having led most of the match after midway through the second quarter, the Swans conceded three of the final four goals during time-on in the final quarter – including one on the final siren – to eventually go down by eight points.

In a see-sawing fourth term that saw scores level with just minutes to play, George Hewett cleared a Toby Nankervis ruck contest and snapped truly to give the visitors a six-point lead, but to UWS’s credit, they kept fighting and stormed back with consecutive goals to Thomas Downie and Mark Whiley.

Now it was the Swans who were charged with the job of needing to fight back, and they nearly did just that. When young Jack Hiscox pounced on a ball that UWS failed to clear from their defence and nailed his third goal of the match, the margin was down to a solitary point inside the final minutes of play.

But UWS tall James Stewart kicked away to score the final seven points of the match to seal the result for the home team.

Earlier in the match, the Swans were able to drag themselves back into the contest after giving up the first couple of goals. Nankervis, Brandon Jack and Jake Lloyd were the ones who got the ball rolling for the Swans, with the latter two able to goal in the opening stages of the second term to put the red and white in front for the first time.

On the stroke of half-time, American import Patrick Mitchell hauled in a mark 40 metres from goal and went back to slot his first goal for the club – to say the rest of the boys were excited and got around Mitchell, would be an understatement, as they took a six-point lead to half-time.

A crucial five minute period before three-quarter time, saw the Swans kick two goals through Nankervis and Hiscox to open up a handy 13-point lead at the final change, but as was the case throughout the match, UWS had a bit more in the tank in the key moments and were able to get the game back on their terms early in the last quarter and eventually see out the victory.

The Swans reserves are next in action against Queanbeyan on the SCG, Sunday morning from 9.30am as the curtain raiser to the seniors clash with North Melbourne.

Re-visit sydneyswans.com.au later in the week as Swans development team highlight some of the key aspects from the round two loss to UWS in the NEAFL Wrap.

Sydney Swans reserves   2.1   6.3   10.5     12.6 78
UWS                                3.3   4.9    6.16   11.20 86

Goals - Hiscox 3, Membrey 2, Nankervis 2, Mitchell, Lloyd, Jack, McCaffrey, G. Hewett