Lowe hits brace to leave Cardiff on the canvas
Swansea knock fight out of rivals
UNPREDICTABILITY and vengeance are aspects guaranteed in a crunch derby clash.
Both flowed in abundance as a Swansea side fashioned for its water-tight defence showed an unusually toothless Cardiff attack how to score goals.
A Jamal Lowe brace secured all three points but his second goal — an exquisite curled shot from outside the box — was the standout moment in a match notable for Cardiff’s woeful attacking and questionable challenges from both sides.
Cardiff centre back Curtis Nelson’s arm clattered into Andre Ayew’s face to leave the forward wriggling on the floor for minutes and Joe Ralls received a second yellow for a tackle more suited to WWE on Korey Smith.
It was nearly as dangerous as the impact that performances such as this could have on the home side’s points tally at the end of the season.
Jubilant Swans boss Steve Cooper lauded Lowe’s match-winning performance as his side jumped up to third place. ‘We don’t have any doubts with Jamal,’ he said. ‘He’s a great addition to the team and such a humble lad. He can have good days and be a threat like he was today. He has made us a better team and has done so again today by scoring a couple of goals.’
On his side’s dominant performance, he added: ‘Our positioning on the pitch was excellent, we found the spaces very well. Our position [in the table] meant nothing today, this is just about a derby game that we had to win.’
Cardiff manager Neil Harris was left reflecting on whether he had to take a share of the blame for playing an unchanged side for the fifth game in a row. He said: ‘I was disappointed the way we kept the football, the decisions we made. I take responsibility for the performance and result today. I look at myself — did I make the right team selection? Fifth game in a row, did we have the energy levels?’
It took Swansea just six minutes to take the lead, Lowe catching a scuffed half volley in the area after a defensive ri cochet t o beat goalkeeper Alex Smithies.
Cardiff’s only real chance of note in the first period was a Harry Wilson free-kick that sailed over the bar.
It all felt rather deceiving to see the Bluebirds so flat in a fixture with bragging rights up for grabs and in which they were defending an unbeaten four-match run.
The simmering tension of derby day also started to reach boiling point as Marc Guehi and Kieffer Moore were both booked for an off-the-ball altercation. That needle spilled into the second half — centre back Nelson’s elbow clattering into Ayew’s face in an aerial challenge that left the striker in agony on the floor for minutes.
Thankfully he was able to continue after treatment.
This was to be just the entrée of the brutal physical clashes initiated by the home side. Ralls received a second yellow card on 67 minutes f or a horrendous hack at the legs of Smith.
The shock etched on the players’ faces reflected the fact that it was easily worthy of a straight red.
Lowe was to make the home side pay for their indiscretions five minutes later with a moment of dainty class.
The forward dribbled past two defenders to unleash a right-footed shot with the outside of the boot into the corner past Smithies. A final kick into the solar plexus of the home side. Manager Harris’s drawing board surely beckons.