South Wales Evening Post

Swans hero Gomez gets the message after seeing off Cardiff

Thursday, September 25, 2008, 08:00

JOE Calzaghe, Shirley Bassey, Lord Ninian, Charlotte Church, Jeremy Bowen, Shakin' Stevens, those blokes from Dirty Sanchez. Can you hear me Glenys Kinnock? Your boys took one hell of a beating.

If you haven't read it already, perhaps your mobile phone needs charging.

For the above text message spread around three sides of the Liberty Stadium like wildfire on Tuesday night after Swansea City humbled their capital city foes.

"The only consolation," said Cardiff City boss Dave Jones, "is that I haven't lost any points."

As consolations go, this was like discovering your house has been burgled but that they haven't taken the microwave.

Yes the Championship is more important than the Carling Cup to both Swansea and Cardiff.

But nobody can argue that the clubs' first serious collision in nine years didn't matter.

That is why every follower of both clubs wanted to be at the Liberty two nights ago and why those who weren't present watched on the box.

That is why every player in both camps wanted to play in the game, whether it was Cardiff-born Joe Ledley or Catalonia's Jordi Gomez.

Gomez has only been in Wales five minutes.

His only experience of Cardiff is the airport and, for all he knew a few months back, the South Wales derby could have been a horse race.

Yet the grin on the 23-year-old's face after his deflected free-kick arrowed into the net suggested he now has a decent idea of what victory over Cardiff means.

"I knew there was a big rivalry," Gomez said via interpreter and team-mate Andrea Orlandi, "but I didn't expect a great atmosphere like we had.

"The fans were amazing and the atmosphere was amazing, completely different from anything I've experienced in Spain.

"I feel happiness now because I have helped make the fans happy."

Smiles all round, then, after Swansea deservedly conquered a Cardiff side whose greater Championship experience failed to see them through.

The Bluebirds began better in front of a throbbing Liberty crowd, with Swansea full of nerves as early passes went astray.

But gradually they got their game going, with the magnificent Leon Britton leading the way in a midfield department where Gomez filled in admirably for the injured Darren Pratley.

Some might have feared for the left-footer, whose laid-back approach does not look made for local squabbles.

But Gomez proved any doubters wrong, drawing so many fouls from those in blue that Stephen McPhail was sent off 15 minutes from the end.

The Irishman may have been unfortunate to walk, but Swansea were not lucky to emerge triumphant.

Roberto Martinez's team were in the ascendancy for at least two-thirds of an absorbing contest and had the lead by the time McPhail exited.

After Mark Gower had been fouled, Gomez took responsibility ahead of Ferrie Bodde and then led prolonged celebrations when his 20-yard drive reared up off Gavin Rae and beyond the reach of Peter Enckelman.

"That's the most important goal I've scored," he admitted.

So important that Gomez could now do nothing in the remaining nine months of his loan stay in Wales and still be remembered fondly.

Silencing Calzaghe, Kinnock and the rest may not count for much back at Espanyol.

But in these parts, that goal guarantees hero status.

Swans hero Gomez gets the message after seeing off Cardiff

 

   






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