Spoils shared in Welsh derby

South Wales rivals could not be split in heated affair

By Rob Carragher   Last updated: 30th November 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Spoils shared in Welsh derby

McPhail: red carded at 2-1

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Swansea and Cardiff had to settle for a 2-2 draw in a wide open South Wales derby at Liberty Stadium, with Stephen McPhail and Leon Britton providing the red cards that many were predicting.

Both teams started the game with great intent, but it was the home side who broke the deadlock in the 19th minute when Darren Pratley slotted home for the opener.

Cardiff grabbed the equaliser just before half time courtesy of a powerful Joe Ledley strike from the edge of the box and then took the lead within minutes of the restart when Michael Chopra was felled by Federico Bessone just inside the box for a penalty.

Ross McCormack duly dispatched the spot kick, but with Cardiff looking in the ascendancy, captain Stephen McPhail foolishly earned himself a second yellow for kicking the ball away.

Swansea were then able to restore parity at 2-2 in the 60th minute, Gorka Pintado volleying in from a whipped corner, before Leon Britton saw red in injury time for a dangerous lunge.

Despite a number of Bluebirds defenders being in the box, Trinidad and Tobago international Scotland was able to cut the ball back to Pratley, who swept a low shot past Enckelman and into the bottom left corner of the net.

Made amends

Wales international Ledley struck weakly at home goalkeeper Dorus De Vries in the 41st minute when well placed but he was to make amends four minutes later with the equaliser.

Wayne Routledge's outswinging corner from the right was cleared to the edge of the area and Ledley was first to react with a volley past an unsighted De Vries and into the bottom-left corner of the net.

There was no let up in the tempo following the half-time break and three minutes after the interval the Bluebirds took the lead when referee Martin Atkinson awarded them a questionable penalty.

Atkinson judged Chopra's run into the area to be impeded by Swansea defender Bessone after the on-loan Sunderland striker went to ground although the contact seemed to be minimal.

McCormack took the resulting spot-kick and he coolly sent De Vries the wrong way with a low placed effort into the bottom right corner.

Swansea's task though was made easier in the 51st minute when Cardiff midfielder Stephen McPhail was dismissed for a second bookable offence after he kicked the ball away having earlier been booked for a first-half foul on Garry Monk.

Extra man

And Roberto Martinez's side made the extra man count to equalise through substitute Pintado who had only been on the pitch for three minutes after he had replaced Bessone.

Shaun MacDonald's outswinging corner from the right found the Spanish striker who stole a yard in front of his marker and then showed brilliant technique with a mid-air volley which flew past Enckelman.

The home side continued to press for a winner and Scotland should have done better in the 70th minute when he volleyed over after Owain Tudur-Jones had knocked the ball across the face goal from a corner.

It was all Swansea from that point onwards and Enckelman saved brilliantly from Pintado's 20-yard strike in the 82nd minute then parried Mark Gower's long-range attempt to safety two minutes later.

Swansea continued to press but found Enckelman in their way every time and the frustration showed in the final minutes as Britton was shown a second yellow card by referee Atkinson for a two-footed lunge on Kevin McNaughton.