Planet Swans ArchivesThe Swansea city manager suffered a roller coaster day at the Liberty from the highs of going ahead through the lows of falling behind and then fighting back again right up to the disappointment at the end that they could not make their man advantage count.
Martinez though took the positives as ever from an entertaining encounter especially the way his side fought back from the disappointment of a goal just either side of the half time interval.
“To concede a goal before half-time and then a penalty straight after was a huge test of character,” Martinez told he Western Mail after the game
“But I was delighted with the way we responded because we were ourselves and kept playing.
“We scored a great goal, a typical Swansea move that our fans have seen time and time again this season and last season, but it was almost the worst thing to happen because we didn’t dictate things as much as we had done before it.
“And after the sending off where they had a reason to get behind the ball and be solid I was pleased with the way we adapted.
“But in the end probably created enough chances to win the game and that we didn’t is the disappointing thing.
“We knew Cardiff would be compact after the sending off and be very hard to break down and the way we adjusted tactically helped things.
“But ultimately it was down to the personality of the players to get on the ball and make things happen and I thought we were unfortunate not to get the winner because that personality and our play deserved it.
“So even with the disruption we have had in our squad with injuries and suspensions I am not pleased with the result. I am pleased with the performance and the way we reacted to this test, but I cannot be happy with the result.
“We dropped two points at Coventry, we dropped three points against Birmingham and we dropped two points here so I cannot be happy.
“But I know there are reasons and I’m delighted with how we’ve reacted.
“We cannot afford to go out and bring in Premiership players and that’s why tests like this allow us to keep growing.
“It is fair to say nothing is going our way with suspensions and long-term injuries, but the squad was still very positive, we never lost our style of play and that is very pleasing,” added Martinez.
“We are a newly promoted team that is trying to keep growing and this was a huge test for us after what we’ve had to put up with in recent weeks, so I can guarantee you this football club is stronger than it was before the final whistle.
“But I think everyone in South Wales can be proud of the derby and many neutrals would have been surprised and impressed with the standard of football.”
