Cardiff City have won the Premier League's first ever South Wales derby, seriously frustrating Michael Laudrup's team in a way only the Premier League's elite sides are usually able to do. Swansea never got anything going in the Bluebirds' 1-0 win.
Cardiff vs. Swansea: Final score 1-0, Steven Caulker a derby hero
Two years ago, Steven Caulker played his first Premier League game for Swansea. Now, he’s a hero in another part of South Wales.
Both teams set up in conservative 4-3-3 formations that looked a lot more like conservative 4-1-4-1 setups when they weren’t clearly in possession. With both teams much more concerned with not losing the game than winning the game in the first half, there weren’t any clear chances. Michu hit the first half’s only shot on target for either team in the 10th minute.
Steven Caulker -- who got his Premier League debut while on loan to Swansea -- broke the deadlock on a corner in the 62nd minute. Why Wayne Routledge was the closest man to him is a mystery, but he rose up to meet the ball and directed a brilliant header into the back of the net.
An otherwise dull game got spicy in stoppage time when Michel Vorm left his penalty area in an attempt to win the ball from substitute Fraizer Campbell, who had gotten in behind the defense. His clearance attempt was terrible, resulting in him putting his studs into the chest of Campbell. He was sent off after Swansea had made all three of their substitutions, resulting in Angel Rangel putting on the goalkeeper's shirt.
Rangel was forced into a save on the ensuing free kick by Peter Whittingham and made it to keep his team’s chances of a draw alive, but Cardiff held on comfortably for all three points.
Cardiff: Marshall, Taylor, Caulker, Turner, Thopile, Cowie, Mutch (Gunnarsson 54’), Medel (Kim 88’), Whittingham, Odemwingie (Campbell 75’), Bellamy
Goals: Caulker (62’)
Swansea: Vorm (red 90’), Taylor, Chico, Williams, Rangel, Britton (Pozuelo 71’), Shelvey, Dyer, De Guzman, Routledge (Vasquez 81’), Michu (Bony 65’)
Goals: None
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