Swansea City boss Luke Williams praised his players and hopes a 2-0 home victory over fierce rivals Cardiff City in the South Wales derby on Saturday can provide momentum for a positive end to the Championship season.
The Swans took the lead against Cardiff on 34 minutes at the Swansea.com Stadium through Luke Cullen’s strike before Jamal Lowe sealed the points with a 95th-minute goal. Williams’ side were in control throughout the contest, with 20-11 shots and 55% possession, as recorded by Whoscored.
It was a welcome victory for Swansea, who came into the Cardiff match following a 1-1 draw at Watford and a 1-0 loss at Bristol City away. The Swans’ victory over Cardiff also gave Williams’ side the bragging rights for a fifth time in six previous encounters with their South Wales neighbours.
When speaking to the official Swansea City website about the triumph over Cardiff, Williams outlined how the positivity is growing between the players and fans. Moreover, the Swans’ boss feels that such a strong performance has been building recently as the Welsh outfit are unbeaten in four of their last five.
“We have a platform to build on, in terms of performances, but also in terms of the connection with the fanbase,” said Williams. Hopefully the two things can continue to grow together.
“We have been improving and this is the performance where we maintained our levels for longer.”
Williams also praised his players for holding their nerve in such a high-pressure environment and the 43-year-old backed his side to keep building and finish the 2023/24 campaign strongly.
“You have to take into consideration the emotion and atmosphere, so to produce that is great.
“It’s huge respect to the players that they can perform like that and now we have a chance to continue that.
“Our form has been pretty good, now we have a chance to build and finish the season really strong.”
Wrtier’s View
Following a season of inconsistency, such a massive result for Swansea over their historic rivals will give the entire club a huge lift. While the play-offs appear out of reach at this stage, three wins from five Championship matches have given Swans’ fans hope of a late flourish to finish as high as possible in the standings.
The recent improvements, and hope of a positive end to the 2023/24 campaign, are a testament to Williams’ management and belief in his side. Such drive will be key for the best possible Swansea finish this season, but Williams will also be eager to build some late momentum to provide building blocks for the 2024/25 campaign.
