As Chris Martin was mobbed by red shirts in front of Section 82, time was passing in slow motion. Underneath a pile of bodies screaming in ecstasy he probably didn’t waste a second wondering why he’d waited until now to score his first home goal since the opening day of the season.
This game wasn’t all about Martin, it wasn’t even all about the team or the continuing upturn in home performances, it was about the waving arms all around Ashton Gate that were there to witness the first Servernside Derby double over Cardiff City since 2002/03.
In front of the biggest crowd of the season at Ashton Gate, City brought three stunning moments of swift quality that would have won them many more home matches this season if they hadn’t waited until halfway through the year to produce it. Martin’s were the finishes that he’s graced many a Championship ground with in the past two decades. Fired in with pace and lethal precision.
For all the moving pieces in this Robins team with defensive changes, attackers at wing-back, injuries swapping for more injuries, this was a stable performance.
The players were up for the hustle of the derby and brought the so desired composure to separate themselves into a state of calmness when the decisive moments were in the path ahead.
The streamlined celebrations into the far corner of the ground were the deserved moments of joy that City fans have waited for this season and the release of energy and passion that the players felt was just as apparent.
It wasn’t one to miss at Ashton Gate and here’s the finer points from the match…
Matty James' injury boot
City’s injury issues aren’t exactly taboo right now, you can’t ignore them. Factor in a small squad and no apparent determination to engage in the transfer window beyond one, maybe two, reinforcements and there is a genuine cause for concern.
Matty James has been one of the latest to spend time on the treatment table and it doesn’t look like he’s any closer to a return. Admittedly Pearson did say as much earlier in the week when speaking about his trusting on-field coach. The site of him in an industrial injury boot won’t ease any apparent fears that the Robins are slightly undermanned in the middle of the pitch.
In reception, James was seen in his tracksuit after the matchday 18 had already taken their place in the changing rooms.
He was involved in a light conversation and didn’t look in pain, yet the worry will perhaps be greater for the fans that had to watch as more naturally forward-thinking duo Han-Noah Massengo and Alex Scott were the guard in front of Max O’Leary’s defence. Not that they did a bad job at all, of course.
Even more agonisingly still, perhaps his foot injury is much worse than first thought because the site of this extra protection is usually only seen for longer term layoffs. The innocuous hit taken at home to Barnsley at the end of October has now kept James out for six games (and counting) and looks to be taking its time to heal.
King confusion
Not to be too dispiriting on the injury front but City might be without their two key midfielders for a little while. Andy King’s exit from the game was strange and didn’t look right.
As the ball went off the field for a City throw-in by the halfway line it looked as if Pearson was telling his captain for the day to calm down and take his time. Then, quite bizarrely, King punched the ball into the Lansdown Stand and went to speak his boss as the game stalled around him.
King shook his head as he walked back onto the pitch and sat down injured. Cardiff players were bemused at the situation as the 33-year-old looked to be cooling and slowing the match down but frantically behind him on the bench was Jay Dasilva ripping his bib off and getting ready to come on.
King was helped up by his teammates and shunted off the pitch by referee Gavin Ward and the Cardiff players whilst City’s own backroom team continued to delay the game so Dasilva was ready to come on.
When he did get up, King was straight down the tunnel and had a storming frown on his face. Pearson did reveal that King had hurt his hamstring, but the way the midfielder left the field wasn’t in standard fashion.
No matter what happened, it didn’t look smooth or comfortable for any party, and City can only hope that if it is another injury to King, that he was removed before anything could spread too seriously.
Flint and Pack's reception
Can it really be any sort of derby without some serious animosity? Whether that’s entirely between the fans, and there was a fair share of that going around as it is, or because there’s a brave someone that dared to cross the unspoken barrier or boarder to the other dark side.
That’s where Aden Flint comes in. Somewhat a City hero for his dominating performances and outstanding consistency over five years at Ashton Gate. His 246 games with a three-season spell of missing less than 250 minutes is spectacular for any level. Add in 14 goals in a season and it’s not hard to see why he was a fan favourite.
That’s more than in the past though and there’s nothing like the rigid tension of a derby to make fans’ memories of a player disappear completely from their minds for 90 minutes. With the prickly atmosphere between the fans already sparking before the game with loud jabs here and there, Flint’s early headers were crucified by the City support.
As is the centre-back’s trade he didn’t spend too long on the ball so it wasn’t too off-putting for Flint, but Marlon Pack, on the other hand, is expected to be a playmaker for the Bluebirds. His prolonged time on the ball was backed by the loudest boos of the season for large periods of the first half.
Pack played an impressive 283 games over six years for City but his move in 2019 - albeit largely against his will - made this abject to the home faithful.
As the Robins moved into the lead and the ground started to bounce with jovial feeling, Flint’s last few touches were cheered like goals. As he stumbled to kick the ball out of play in the need to stop Antoine Semenyo burning past him again, he was serenaded by the lower portion of the Lansdown Stand that enjoyed his misery.
His final act was a late header that trickled to the sideline next to Pearson and once more abruptly ended any momentum that the chasing visitors could muster.
It should also be noted that at full-time, Pack made a point of recognising and applauding the City fans and even signing autographs, something which has further wound-up the Cardiff faithful.
Pearson praise
It’s hard not to be happy for Pearson. He’s had a tough, tough time of things and the peaking and trough-ing of this season along with two bouts of Covid would have been enough to distract anyone from the rigours of the Championship.
Not for the first time this year though, he was rewarded for bravery in selection and let the emotions run at full-time.
Almost mirroring the scene against Barnsley when he imitated the Angel of the North in relief at getting his first home win, the manager once again pivoted in front of his bench and spread his arms, almost cracking a mere smile to show he enjoyed it.
With over 21,000 inside the stadium it’s hard to imagine that there weren’t a lot of fans seeing Pearson’s side in person for the first time and they would have been treated to one of his team’s most free flowing showings.
Often this season Weimann and Martin have looked disjointed and whilst they both have their benefits to the team they haven’t had the chemistry to work together and were often too far apart to connect.
Semenyo’s impact has thus been more than just high levels of output, with goal contributions in five of his last six matches, he allows Martin and Weimann to play their own natural game without too much worry about where the other one is.
This is what Pearson deserves immense credit for. The small tweak to play three strikers but adjust their position has hugely improved City’s goalscoring instincts.
He has been forced to stick with a back three due to injuries and stuck with the midfield pair that prefer to go forward than backward, fortune favours the bold.
Though it would be unfair to say City were fortunate to get a victory. They were comfortably the better team in the second half and ought to have been truly out of site because even a two goal lead with four minutes to play isn’t enough to stop the momentary panic in the final embers of a game at Ashton Gate.
The point here is more that Pearson deserves to celebrate. He might have been pigeonholed into some of his choices, but rather than shrinking he has a team that he has repeatedly said feels more like it’s his.
He can trust the players to fight throughout matches and therefore, when City are forced to be more attacking and take the game to their opponents, it paid off.
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