by Ashley James and Mark Denham

Snapshot

November's result at the Liberty Stadium was repeated on Sunday as the Bluebirds and Swans drew 2-2 at Ninian Park.

It was Swansea who took the lead on eleven minutes when loan signing Nathan Dyer evaded the tackle of Mark Kennedy to score after being well put through by Jason Scotland. Cardiff came in to the game a lot more following the goal and had superb chances to equalise through Joe Ledley, Paul Parry and Darren Purse; the score would however, remain 1-0 to the visitors going in to the interval.

Swansea had a superb chance to double their lead minutes after the restart when Dyer's shot was cleared off the line by Purse. Following some good pressure, it was the Bluebirds who did score on fifty-four minutes when Michael Chopra tucked home the easiest of finishes after the ball was laid on a plate to him by Jay Bothroyd. Swansea subsitute Joe Allen looked to have won it for the Swans with an eighty-ninth minute strike from outside the area, though Ross McCormack's injury time penalty levelled the scores in the most dramatic of fashions after Ashley Williams had felled the Scot inside the area.

Team News:

Cardiff made three changes from the game against Sheffield United last time out; Club Captain Darren Purse returned to the starting line-up for the first time since our visit to the Emirates Stadium back in January in the place of Gabor Gyepes who missed out through suspension. In the centre of midfield Gavin Rae dropped to the bench which saw Stephen McPhail start for only the second time since his second sending in the last Welsh derby back in November. While out wide Paull Parry returned to the starting XI in the place of Chris Burke who dropped out all together.

Chronological Report:

Cardiff fans got an early wish in the last ever Welsh derby at Ninian Park with Alan Tate trotting over in front of the Grandstand to take an opening minute throw-in. To say abuse was handed out would be a gargantuan under-statement. As expected the pace of the game was a frantic one early on and it was Swansea who did the opening carving - Jason Scotland got down the left and played the ball inside to Jordi Gomez, Kevin McNaughton got in an early block on the Spaniard and Paul Parry tracked back well to help out and looked to hack the ball up-field, as it did so he also seemed to catch Gomez's standing foot but the ref said not as the no.14 hit the floor.

Swansea had the share of the opening period and drew the first save also on ten minutes when Roger Johnson's glancing headed clearance fell to Mark Gower on the edge of the box who cut inside Joe Ledley and hit a firm shot straight at Stuart Taylor.

Swansea's early pressure paid dividends after just eleven minutes in fact when Nathan Dyer sprinted up the right flank and played in Scotland inside him, he returned the favour with a nice lofted ball which fell to Dyer who had continued his run into the box and slotted home past the stranded Stuart Taylor.

Cardiff City 0 - 1 SWANSEA CITY (Nathan Dyer 11mins)

The goal, rather than deflate Cardiff, actually seemed to fire them into and first time looked dangerous in possession. Parry sent over a deep cross from the right that a back-tracking Ross McCormack eventually collected on the opposite touch-line, he cut inside along the by-line and sent a nasty ball into the near post which was attacked by Michael Chopra but cleared by the strong Ashley Williams.

Unsurprisingly the visitors were rfusing to rest on their laurels and Gomez struck a rasping free-kick straight at Taylor from twenty-five yards while a minute later a piece of invention from Gomez nearly doubled their advantage. Leon Britton carried the ball over half-wayand played the ball wide to Gower, he played the ball inside to Gomez who controlled the bouncing ball on the edge of the box and looked to clip the ball home with the outside of his right foot and only missed by inches.

Cardiff responded with some flowing football of their own and for the first time opened up the Swansea defence. The ball was worked out wide to Parry via Jay Bothroyd and he cut inside from the right and fired in a low shot which Dorus De Vries smothered easily at the near post. A minute later Parry did the same cutting inside amongst three defenders and making himself some space with a deft turn, this time he didn't connect cleaning though and his shot was again dealt with simply.

Cardiff were beginning to get on top for the first time and were gifted a chance in the twenty-first miunte by a needless free-kick conceded by Swans captain Garry Monk. Ross McCormack struck it from twenty-five yards which De Vries beat away low to his left which feel straight to Parry who hit his first time shot wide under pressure from Tate at the back post.

Cardiff were now fully matching their visitors for the intricacy of their inter-play and it should have lead to an equaliser in the twenty-fourth minute. Chopra collected the ball from Joe Ledley at the edge of the box before turning Williams inside and out and slipping the ball back across De Vries only to watch it bounce back off the foot of the far post. The rebound fell to Jay Bothroyd at the edge of the box who rifled a shot towards the top corner that De Vries turned away with a magnificent diving save to his right.

On the half-hour mark Cardiff carved open the visiting defence once more when McCormack ran at the back four and played a lovely, delicate ball inside to Chopra whose knock down landed at the feet of the surging Ledley ten yards out. Unfortunately that's where the ball stuck which allowed Williams to get back an make an important block to prevent Joe sliding the ball home past De Vries.

The first-half was brought to a close by two heavy challenges amazingly hadn't occurred until the forty-fifth minute. Chopra slid in heavily and slightly late on Gomez near the right touch-line, this also lead to an unsavoury moment where referee Mike Dean went to ground clutching his face. While it wouldn't be right to insinuate from my vantage point that it was caused by a projected object but it did certainly seem so from the reactions of officials and players. On the opposite flank Darren Pratley flew into a challenge with jay Bothroyd but both he and Chops escaped punishment in the form of a card.

Half Time: Cardiff City 0 - 1 Swansea City

It was the visitors who started the brighter in the second-half and fired out of the blocks nearly doubling their advantage within two minutes. Jordi Gomez was again the catalyst as he controlled with a neat touch in midfield and struck a shot from the edge of the box, this was beaten away by Taylor into the path of the quicksilver Nathan Dyer who clipped the ball past Taylor only for Darren Purse to race back and sweep the ball off the line.

Cardiff had been pressing and their pay-off arrived in the fifty-fourth minute as Kevin McNaughton got forward brilliantly down the right he laid the ball off to Parry who whipped a cross to Bothroyd at the back post. Everyone seemed to stop for off-side as the baig-man controlled and composed himself except for Chopra who was there to collect Jay's square ball just a yard out and tapped the ball in from barely a yard.

CARDIFF CITY 1 - 1 Swansea City (Michael Chopra 54mins)

Ross McCormack was integral to everything Cardiff were doing going forward and he nearly opened the door for City to take the lead on the hour mark. He collected the ball on the right, flicked the ball over the head of one defenders sublimely and lifted a ball over to Chopra at the back post who took on an audacious volley from a difficult angle and executed said shot rather poorly.

Swansea City Substitution: Joe Allen for Mark Gower (66mins)

Cardiff City Substitution: Peter Whittingham for Paul Parry (66mins)

Swansea indiscipline gave Cardiff another chance in the seventieth minute when Roger Johnson was upended by Alan Tate on the edge of the area, the very edge; we're talking touching paint-work edge. Chopra touched the ball off to Bothroyd who drilled it low which Jason Scotland deflected importantly wide.

Cardiff were again on top of an end to end game packed with good football and were inches away from taking the lead eight minutes later. A deep run from Ledley got himself into the box and he looked to finish low across De Vries who again saved his side with a finger-tip pushing wide of the far post.

Swansea City Substitution: Albert Serran for Angel Rangel (79mins)

Cardiff City Substitution: Gavin Rae for Michael Chopra (81mins)

Gavin Rae was involved immediately as he collected the ball wide on the right follwing a delightful turn and run by Bothroyd, he returned the favour to Bothroyd who tumbled in the box prior to receiving the pass but the ref waved away the protests.

Swansea City Substitution: Gorka Pintado for Nathan Dyer (86mins)

Cardiff were looking more and more likely to snatch a late winner only to be sucker-punched at the other end by the Swans. Local product Joe Allen controlled the ball on the edge of the area and turned himself into space before dispatching the ball into the bottom corner.

Cardiff City 1 - 2 SWANSEA CITY (Joe Allen 86mins)

Cardiff City Substitution: Eddie Johnson for Mark Kennedy (89mins)

To be fair to Cardiff the heads never dropped and in the final minute the players were justified for their positive response when Ross McCormack tumbled under Garry Monks challenge in the box. The little Scot has proved on numerous occasions this year already that he's made from sterner stuff than the rest of man-kind and tucked away the penalty with aplomb sending old lady Ninian into rapture.

CARDIFF CITY 2 - 2 Swansea City (Ross McCormack Pen 92mins)

Still though both side refused to lay down and admit parity as Scotland turned well on the edge of the area and laid the ball back to Alan Tate who beat Taylor with a dipping shot but fortunately also the cross-bar.

Cardiff had one last chance for glory and in the ninety-fifth minute nearly made history as the electric McCormack got clear down the left and lifted a ball into Jay Bothroyd who looked to direct a header into the far corner but like Tate also cleared the bar with the effort.

Full Time: Cardiff City 2 - 2 Swansea City

Cardiff City: Taylor, McNaughton, Purse, R. Johnson, Kennedy (E. Johnson 89), McCormack, McPhail, Ledley, Parry (Whittingham 66), Bothroyd, Chopra (Rae 81). Subs not used: Heaton, Comminges.

Goals: Chopra, McCormack (Pen)

Swansea City: De Vries, Rangel (Serran 79), Monk, Williams, Tate, Dyer (Pintado 86), Britton, Gomez, Pratley, Gower (Allen 66), Scotland. Subs not used: Bessone, Butler.

Goals: Dyer, Allen.

Referee: Mike Dean

Attendance: 20,156

Fans Man of the Match: Jay Bothroyd

Building Management Solutions Man of the Match: Stephen McPhail