by Mark Denham, from Cardiff City Stadium

Snapshot

Michael Chopra's injury time strike won a dramatic South-Wales derby for Cardiff City on Saturday evening.

The Swans had gone ahead midway through the first-half courtesy of an Andrea Orlandi inswinging corner that directly beat David Marshall at his near-post. The visitors played some neat football in the first period, but conceded on the stroke of half-time when Chopra nipped inside his marker Tate to strike home past Dorus de Vries for his first of the game.

The second half was nervy and Swansea arguably had the better chances to win it. But their poor finishing ultimately cost them, as Chopra raced through inside the area to fire home his second goal with seconds of the match remaining. It was sweet victory for the Bluebirds and their fanatical home support, who erupted with joy at the final whistle.

Chronological report

The Bluebirds kicked-off the fifty-second South Wales league derby, from left to right attacking the Grange End. They were on the attack immediately, backed by a feisty and extremely loud home support and had a golden opportunity inside two minutes when Ross McCormack looked to curl the ball past Dorus de Vries from the left of the penalty area. His effort beat the 'keeper but drifted just the wrong side of the upright.

The Swans had seemingly been rattled by the fierce atmosphere in Cardiff City Stadium and the first ten minutes had been dominated, in the main, by the Bluebirds. The game started at a rate of knots, but after the frantic start, eventually settled. McCormack had another opportunity after seventeen minutes, again curling wide in a similar fashion after picking up and running with a superb David Marshall kick out.

Swansea eventually started to come into the game though and had chances through Cedric Van der Gun and Andrea Orlandi inside the area. It was Orlandi who ultimately sent the travelling fans into raptures, as his viscous in swinging corner beat Marshall at his near post to give the Swans the lead.

GOAL: CARDIFF CITY 0-1 SWANSEA CITY (Orlandi, 29).

The visitors began to control the affair after scoring, Darren Pratley in particular marshalling a well-drilled Swans midfield. The Bluebirds were struggling to get the ball in the last ten minutes of the half and Swansea could have been two-up on forty-one minutes had Van der Gun put more power behind his shot inside the area.

But against the run of play, and two minutes from the interval, Cardiff equalised. Adam Matthews found time on the ball on the right hand side and floated it towards the towering Jay Bothroyd inside the area. The big man leaped and nodded down for Chopra, who slipped inside his marker to strike home at the near post. Cardiff City Stadium erupted, but the goal did come with a cost as Bothroyd took a nasty blow to the face from an Alan Tate swinging arm in the build up to the goal.

GOAL: CARDIFF CITY 1-1 SWANSEA CITY (Chopra, 43).

Chopra had the chance to put City ahead going into the interval but couldn't quite finish, the on-rushing de Vries doing just enough to put the striker off his shot as he looked for his second. Bothroyd returned the field after his knock, and the half played out in a similarly frantic style to which it opened with Cardiff seemingly re-taking the upper hand.

HALF TIME: CARDIFF CITY 1-1 SWANSEA CITY

Swansea continued to play their neat passing style of football during the opening exchanges of the first-half and almost retook the lead in a similar fashion to how they scored their first. Again a dubious corner decision was awarded in their favour and Orlandi whipped in a ball which Marshall struggled with at his near post. Fortunately he managed to get some contact this time, and the bouncing ball was cleared by Whittingham when it was begging to be tucked away.

But on fifty-two minutes the Bluebirds had a golden chance to re-take the lead. Neat play on the far right between Gavin Rae and Adam Matthews allowed Chopra to beat David Edgar and drill a ball across goal that was again crying out to be finished by one of the many on rushing Bluebirds attackers but ultimately wasn't.

Substitution Cardiff City - Joe Ledley on for Gavin Rae (63 mins).

Joe Ledley's return brought a rousing reception from the Bluebirds' faithful, but although the game was becoming an intriguing affair, little was happening to trouble neither De Vries nor Marshall. Swansea were looking to use the wings more as the game went on, as opposed the more direct route of using Pratley and Leon Britton through the middle as they had done in the first-half.

Substitution Swansea City - David Cotterill on for Nathan Dyer (68 mins).

Substitution Cardiff City - Kelvin Etuhu on for Ross McCormack (69 mins).

Substitution Swansea City - Shefki Kuqi on for Gorka Pintado (75 mins).

Substitutes Kuqi and Cotterill linked up well in a Swans counter-attack, the former beating Matthews to the ball before laying on the latter to strike at goal. Cotterill's effort was well hit, but Marshall was in the right place to gather.

Kuqi was having an impact since replacing the ineffective Gorka Pintado and out-foxed Darcy Blake with eleven minutes to go. The Finn cut inside the penalty area and played a superb ball across to the far post, but no Swans player was in the vicinity to tap home another golden chance.

Substitution Swansea City - Mark Gower on for Cedric Van der Gun (84 mins).

Swansea looked the most likely to nick the game in the last five minutes, the visitors' midfield pressing the Bluebirds and looking the more ambitious to go for three points. Kuqi almost won it for the Swans with a free-header from a Cotterill free-kick, but Marshall reacted superbly well and on instinct alone to save with his feet.

Substitution Cardiff City - Aaron Wildig on for Stephen McPhail (90 mins).

But in injury time, Michael Chopra sent Cardiff City Stadium wild. The striker was left unmarked inside the area and latched onto a loose header following great determination by substitute Wildig to strike home past a helpless De Vries. There was no time for the Swans to reply, and the result sent the home faithful wild with excitement as the referee blew to signal Cardiff's first win over Swansea for thirteen years.