Agony, angst and anger - they're my feelings as Cardiff City lost out to our South Wales rivals in a five goal cracker of a match served up nationwide on Sky tv in a match of high drama and contrasting emotions but, in the final outcome, the right result becuase Swansea showed they wanted it more ... boy, does that hurt to admit.
I'm too gutted to write much so here's a summary.
TEAM NEWS:
CARDIFF CITY were minus the Championship's joint leading scorers who have netted 12 goals each so far. Michael Chopra served a 1 game ban for 5 yellow cards but it was a shock to lose Peter Whittingham too with an ankle injury. A third key absentee was playmaker Steve McPhail who is facing a likely op for a thigh injury and could be out until Xmas/New Year. City could call on Ross McCormack to replace Chopra, Gavin Rae replaced McPhail but Tony Capaldi to cover for Whittingham FFS???
CCFC: Marshall; Matthews-Gerrard-Hudson-Kennedy; Capaldi-Ledley-Rae-Burke; Bothroyd-McCormack. Subs: Enckleman, Gypes, Quinn, Comminges, Taiwo, Scimeca, Feeney
On a day Cardiff ended a 6 match unbeaten run, SWANSEA CITY extended theirs to almost 2 months and 10 games. The Championship's meanest defence also tried their best to level City's absence of 24 goal strikers by losing skipper and centre half Gary Monk who injured himself in the warm-up. Why couldn't it have been more than him?
On a day when Cardiff's personnel suggested they may have been better lining up 4=5-1 than the standard 4-4-2, The Jacks did just that.
SCFC:De Vries; Bessone-Williams-Tait-Rangel; Britton-Pratley-Van der Gun-Dyer-Allen; Beattie.
THE MATCH
Heavy rain overnight and on the day gave way to a fairly sunny afternoon, the atmosphere was, as always, immense with Cardiff's 1,800 permitted fans who was bussed in and out competing well with The Jacks' 1,600 in a sell out crowd of 18.209.
The first couple of minutes saw City in the Swansa half but they were soon in trouble, largely of the self-inflicted variety. A let off came in the third minute as a Dyer pass in field was cleverly flicked on and Beattie wes in o0n goal with City's centre halves further apart than Jordan's legs but David Marshall produced a smart save charging out.
Cardiff didn't learn, Dyer was beating Kennedy for fun, midfielders and defenders neaither closed down play or cut out crosses and they were getting caught on the wrong side of players. Yet again, Cardiff were started too slowly with Swansea passing nicely and also winning, at ease, every second ball and loose ball too.
However the mention in which City fell two behind was horrific.
9 minutes, Swansea won a free-kick near the corner which was a poor decision but Xardiff's covering was inexcsuable. Marshall slipped to the floor coming out, a powederpuff header was nodded across goal by Beattie who was in front of Gerrard (how?) and there was DYER, the smallest man on the pitch, jumping and put home a simple header with Adam Matthews next to him not reacting at all.
16 minutes, Rae caught out, Matthews caught out, a Bessone cross found Beattie on the inside of Kennedy and his flick down was turned home by PRATLEY on the spin with Marshall static.
Cardiff were now shell=shocked and ragged, Swans fans naturally loving it and then the most amazing turnaround.
32 minutes - Chris Burke gets the ball halfway, looks up and spots BOTHROYD who slipped Williams, chested down and stabbed home in classic style.
34 minutes - just 2 minutes 18 seconds later, City win a free-kick wide, McCormack whipped it to the far post where HUDSON ghosted in and steered a header off the near post at the sharpest of angles.
At this point, I went from desapir and numbness to standing, bouncing, screaming and extreme hysteria.
All of a sudden, Cardiff were winning ball and looking the more positive. No further drama til half-time apart from one or two instances of posturing but from nowhere, the momentum was with with Cardiff in a real thriller.
They carried it into the second period and looked the more likely to win until another dramatic 2 minutes changed and finalised the destiny of the contest.
City had a free-kiock 25 yards out and you could immediately sense McCormack fancied it and was sizing it up. His execution was perfection and he was so unlucky to see the ball dip brilliantly, De Vries beaten all ends up but watching the ball cannon off his crossbar. Just 6 inches lower ...
From that, Swansea went up field and Bessone - the late call up for Monk - sent in his second assist of the afternoon but the questions this time were all for Joe Ledley who let PRATLEY go leaving the midfielder to score his second of the game. The last time he had scored for Swansea was against us last season.
This time, there was no way back for Cardiff. We never looked like conceding again but never looked like levelling either. Swans used all three subs and Dave Jones, just to compound his tactics, made a ridiculous subsitition choice removing Capaldi (fair enough) but putting central midfielder Taiwo out wide. The player looked lost and was embarrassing but a more sane manager would have put Ledley there and used Scimeca's experience in the middle allowing that to happen.
Cardiff fans were hurt and felt humilated, Swansea will love the bragging rights.
After watching Cardiff concede 6 goals in less than 2 hours in the last 2 aways - half of them due to comedy defending - it's time to look at change. Matthews did well after his horrendous ball-watching error the the opener and Hudson performed well too, it's rare for me to acknowledge that. Gerrard was disappointing though but Kennedy was poor. Hopefully Kevin McNuaghton will be ready next time at Barnsley.
Rae and Ledley both had poor games and have to do much better than this while it will be a blessed relief to have Chops and Whitts back in the fold.
However City must examine why their attitude didn't seem as good are as focussed as Swansea's.
Dare I suggest the contrasting post-match emotions of Swansea's Sousa and Dave Jones tells it own story?
Sousa -"It means a lot to all of us and is not just special for us but the fans and the city, there is a lot of happiness here. We can be proud with ourselves, fans can go to work with more energy and to help the city to grow."
Jones - "I'm disappointed to lose but I'm no more disappointed because it is a derby game, it's just the bragging rights go to them."
Veyr helpful Dave, thanks ... not sure what for but thanks!
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