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It won't be remembered as a classic in the pantheon of great South Wales derbies, but nobody on the Cardiff City side of the divide will care as their team secured the first ever set of Premier League bragging rights in the Welsh capital.

A goal from Steven Caulker, just after the hour mark, was enough to hand victory to Malky Mackay's men, with Swansea falling some way short of the lofty standards they have set previously at this level.

After all the hype, all the fever pitch build-up, the encounter never really lived up to expectations - as is so often the case with derbies - and the atmosphere was even a little subdued at times.

But again, nobody in the Cardiff camp will care a jot about that tonight.

This was not just a downing of fierce rivals for the home side, it was three precious points to go towards their quest to stay in the top flight.

The Swans will doubtless recover, but they will head home this evening knowing that they didn't do themselves justice in a game that means so much to supporters.

Gallery: All the images from the South Wales derby

Their plight was compounded by the late sending off of goalkeeper Michael Vorm for a foul on substitute striker Fraizer Campbell, full-back Angel rangel forced to go between the sticks as Michael Laudrup had used all his replacements.

As expected, Swansea began the game with some patient passing and the first chance fell to striker Michu in the fourth minute when he controlled a cross by Jonjo Shelvey and swivelled in the penalty box, only to fire over the bar.

It wasn't long before the Spaniard had his second sight of goal, seizing on a misplaced pass by Bluebirds midfielder Gary Medel and working goalkeeper David Marshall with a long range left foot strike.

Cardiff got their first sniff of a chance in the 19th minute when Steven Caulker headed a Peter Whittingham free-kick across goal, and his central defensive partner Ben Turner came close to connecting.

Shelvey was fortunate to escape a booking for a careless kick on Jordon Mutch just before the half hour mark, but Craig Bellamy's effort on goal deflected wide.

At that stage any fears among home fans of a possession monopoly by Laudrup's side were proving groundless, with Cardiff having their fair share of the ball and territory.

But there was little to get excited about from there until half-time, with clear cut opportunities absent for both sides.

There was a sense as the second half began that a spark was needed, an injection of urgency and creativity all round.

Five minutes in and Peter Odemwingie came within a whisker of diverting a Medel free-kick goalwards, a chance that was quickly followed with full-back Kevin Thoephile-Catherine squaring a dangerous ball from the byline across the Swansea box.

It was the hosts' best spell of the match and there were penalty appeals in vain when Don Cowie went down under a challenge by Ashley Williams as he tried to get on the end of a Bellamy cross-header

From half-time there had been a sense that Cardiff were building something, and in the 62nd minute they got their reward.

Theophile-Catherine did well to win a corner after chasing a long Medel ball, and when Bellamy swung the set-piece in, captain Steven Caulker rose all too easily to thunder a header into the bottom corner of the net against the club with whom he spent a season on loan from Spurs.

Cue bedlam among 90% of the crowd, and a decision by Laudrup to send Ivorian striker Wilfried Bony into the fray in place of the ineffectual Michu.

Swansea were far from out of it and immediately created a couple of half-chances that fell victim to offside decisions.

Bony's movement pulled Cardiff defenders around uncomfortably at times, but nobody in a white shirt managed to test Marshall to any great extent.

With the goal advantage, the Bluebirds needed only to keep their pattern and discipline and Medel was always a re-assuring presence for them in front of the back four.

Swansea substitute Alejandro Pozuelo came close to an equaliser with a stinging late shot Marshall had to palm away.

But reduced to 10 men for the bulk of injury-time, the visitors couldn't find the leveller.

Cardiff City: D Marshall, K Theophile-Catherine, S Caulker (c), B Turner, A Taylor, D Cowie, J Mutch (A Gunnarsson 54), G Medel (K Bo-Kyung 86), P Whittingham, C Bellamy, P Odemwingie (F Campbell 75).

Swansea City: M Vorm, A Rangel, A Williams (c), C Flores, N Taylor, L Britton (A Pozuelo 70), J Shelvey, N Dyer, J De Guzman, W Routledge (A Vasquez 81), M Michu (W Bony 63).

Referee: M Dean

Att: 27,463