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Swansea City vs Cardiff City. Sky Bet Championship.

Swansea.com StadiumAttendance18,209.

Swansea City 3

  • N Dyer (9th minute)
  • D Pratley (16th minute, 61st minute)

Cardiff City 2

  • J Bothroyd (32nd minute)
  • M Hudson (35th minute)

Pratley brace sees Swans soar

Image: Pratley: Scored brace

A Darren Pratley brace helped Swansea beat local rivals Cardiff in a five goal thriller at the Liberty Stadium.

Pratley hits brace in five-goal thriller to send Swans into ninth

A Darren Pratley brace helped Swansea beat local rivals Cardiff in a five goal thriller at the Liberty Stadium. The home side went ahead in the ninth minute when Ashley Williams headed a free-kick back across goal to Nathan Dyer who headed home from close range. Paulo Sousa's side then doubled the advantage on 16 minutes after Craig Beattie had been felled by Mark Hudson in the box and Pratley latched onto the loose ball to fire home. But Jay Bothroyd pulled one back for the Bluebirds on 32 minutes when chesting down a fantastic throughball from Chris Burke and slotting past Dorus De Vries. Hudson then got the equaliser three minutes later when heading home unmarked at the far post from a Ross McCormack free-kick. In the second period, McCormack hit a superb free-kick from 25 yards against the bar on 58 minutes. But three minutes later, Pratley restored Swansea's advantage when volleying home a fantastic cross from Fede Bessone. The home side then held on to leave Cardiff still longing for their first derby triumph since 1997, while the Swans now sit in ninth in the Championship table.

Injury problems

Both sides were hit by injury problems ahead of the eagerly-anticipated clash, most notably Cardiff who were without the division's top two goalscorers in suspended Michael Chopra and Peter Whittingham, along with midfielder Stephen McPhail. Meanwhile, Swansea were already missing Mark Gower when influential defender Garry Monk was forced out shortly before kick-off having picked up what was believed to be a calf injury in the warm-up. But that was soon put to one side as the game got under way and, with a pulsating atmosphere ringing around the Liberty Stadium, Bluebirds keeper David Marshall saved well to deny Beattie. The home side were all over Cardiff in the early stages and it came as no real surprise when they took an early lead after just nine minutes when Dyer headed home from close range. Dave Jones' side were getting completely overrun in midfield with Swansea marauding forward at every opportunity and it was soon 2-0. Bessone, promoted from the bench due to Monk's injury, found Beattie in the area and he duly knocked the ball on for Pratley to volley home and send the majority of the 18,209 crowd into dreamland. Swansea's blistering start had left the visitors, and 1,800 travelling fans, stunned.
Turned around
But a remarkable opening half-hour was completely turned around within the space of three minutes. Bothroyd latched on to Burke's throughball to fire home in style and grab a lifeline with the visitors' first real chance of the game after 32 minutes. And it was soon 2-2, with Hudson choosing the perfect moment to head his first goal for the club from McCormack's free-kick and ensure a breathtaking opening 45 minutes finished all square. McCormack's well-taken set-piece proved crucial in the first half and he almost made a direct contribution in the 58th minute when his free-kick rebounded off the crossbar. Yet an action-packed encounter once again swung Swansea's way just after the hour mark when Pratley ghosted in at the near post to convert Bessone's inch-perfect cross. Clear goalscoring opportunities became limited as the encounter wore on with both sides feeling the effects of a breathless first half. Cardiff inevitably pushed forward in the closing stages and set up a frantic finale but Swansea held firm, with an emotional Sousa left congratulating his players on the pitch at the final whistle.

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