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Bristol City winger Jamal Campbell-Ryce erases painful Cardiff memories
Jamal Campbell-Ryce
For Jamal Campbell-Ryce, scoring his first Bristol City goal against arch rivals Cardiff in front of a passionate Ashton Gate crowd represented payback in full.
Not only did the winger's neat 55th-minute strike seal a magnificent 3-0 success – City's first in nine Severnside derbies – it also helped erase painful memories of last season's humiliating 6-0 home drubbing at the hands of the Bluebirds.
Newly-arrived from Barnsley in the January transfer window and eager to impress, Campbell-Ryce endured a debut to forget on a night of shame for City players and fans alike.
No wonder he celebrated as though he had won the lottery after bursting through a shell-shocked defence to score the third goal that confirmed a change in the balance of Anglo-Welsh power.
Already leading through first-half strikes from the in-form striker Brett Pitman and midfield maestro Lee Johnson, City required the comfort of a third goal before they could begin to truly enjoy their revenge.
Restored to the starting line-up in place of the injured Danny Rose, Campbell-Ryce was more than happy to oblige, wrong-footing Bluebirds centre-back Mark Hudson and beating highly-rated young keeper Tom Heaton with a blistering shot that found the bottom right-hand corner of the net and raised the Ashton Gate roof.
"To beat our local rivals is one thing, but to do it with so much class is something special," admitted the Londoner, who remained on the pitch after the final whistle to milk the applause from ecstatic supporters.
"I made my debut in that 6-0 defeat last season and it was a truly humiliating experience. It means a lot to the lads to pay them back like that and I think it's laid to rest what happened last year.
"It feels good to have done it for the fans, because we know this game is massive for them. They always tell us this is the game that really matters and the one they always want to win.
"It was lovely to give them such an emphatic win and a great performance. I thought we could easily have scored five or six goals."
This was arguably City's best performance of the season and it was as unexpected as it was welcome, following a disappointing return of one point from three games over the Christmas period.
Comprehensively beaten at Hull and Reading and held by lowly Crystal Palace, a City side missing its most experienced defenders through injury had reason to be fearful of a Cardiff outfit boasting some of the Championship's most renowned attacking players.
But in the final analysis, Craig Bellamy, Michael Chopra and Peter Whittingham proved no match for opponents who put heart and soul into restoring lost pride.
From front to back, Keith Millen's Robins were fully committed in the tackle, aggressive in their running and prepared to close down Cardiff and then utilise the pace at their command to hit them on the break.
Surprisingly fragile in defence for a side lying second in the table prior to kick-off, the Bluebirds contrived to make sufficient wrong decisions throughout the game to earn a tongue-lashing from disgruntled manager Dave Jones.
Thirsty for revenge after losing four of the last five meetings between the clubs, City were in the mood to take maximum advantage of any hesitancy on the part of opponents still reeling after conceding four goals at Watford last time out.
Sure enough, the home side forged a deserved lead after just three minutes, Albert Adomah feeding Jon Stead, whose deep centre was turned in at the far post by the fast-arriving Pitman, who has now scored seven goals in as many games to hasten City's escape from relegation trouble.
Cardiff learned nothing from falling behind and conceded a second goal in identical circumstances six minutes before the break.
On this occasion, it was Johnson who popped up at the back stick to profit from more incisive approach play from Adomah and the admirable Stead, who made two goals and was left wondering how he had not scored himself.
As befits a side blessed with an array of big-money attacking talent, Cardiff created chances themselves, Hudson and Chopra squandering the best of them during a brief spell of Welsh ascendancy towards the end of the first half.
But City's makeshift defence was immense, especially the combative Cole Skuse, who ensured danger man Bellamy scarcely had a sniff.
The back four was protected by a midfield unit that gave their rivals no quarter and Marvin Elliott bestrode the pitch like a colossus to edge a bone-crunching contest with Seyo Olofinjana, while Johnson brought all his considerable experience to bear on proceedings, demonstrating sound instincts and no little savvy to ensure his side enjoyed sufficient possession to relieve any pressure exerted by a Cardiff side that moved the ball at pace without creating many clear-cut chances.
Most of those came at the other end and the inspired Heaton thwarted rampant City on three occasions before Campbell-Ryce put the outcome beyond reasonable doubt.
Abandoning his usual station on the left flank, the Jamaican international took the direct route to goal, running at a back-pedalling defence before leaving Hudson for dead and summoning a finish that not even Heaton was equal to.
He afterwards admitted: "The overriding feeling when I saw the ball hit the back of the net was one of relief, because it has been long overdue.
"I've been disappointed in myself for not scoring as many goals as I should. I do it in training every week and I should be doing it in games as well.
"People are always telling me I have the ability and, hopefully, I'll find myself in those sort of positions a bit more often and score a few more now I've got my first one.
"It is something the gaffer and the backroom staff talk to me about and they are always encouraging me to jink past defenders and get in a shot. It's something I need to try and do a lot more."
Jamal Campbell-RyceFor Jamal Campbell-Ryce, scoring his first Bristol City goal against arch rivals Cardiff in front of a passionate Ashton Gate crowd represented payback in full.
Not only did the winger's neat 55th-minute strike seal a magnificent 3-0 success – City's first in nine Severnside derbies – it also helped erase painful memories of last season's humiliating 6-0 home drubbing at the hands of the Bluebirds.
Newly-arrived from Barnsley in the January transfer window and eager to impress, Campbell-Ryce endured a debut to forget on a night of shame for City players and fans alike.
No wonder he celebrated as though he had won the lottery after bursting through a shell-shocked defence to score the third goal that confirmed a change in the balance of Anglo-Welsh power.
Already leading through first-half strikes from the in-form striker Brett Pitman and midfield maestro Lee Johnson, City required the comfort of a third goal before they could begin to truly enjoy their revenge.
Restored to the starting line-up in place of the injured Danny Rose, Campbell-Ryce was more than happy to oblige, wrong-footing Bluebirds centre-back Mark Hudson and beating highly-rated young keeper Tom Heaton with a blistering shot that found the bottom right-hand corner of the net and raised the Ashton Gate roof.
"To beat our local rivals is one thing, but to do it with so much class is something special," admitted the Londoner, who remained on the pitch after the final whistle to milk the applause from ecstatic supporters.
"I made my debut in that 6-0 defeat last season and it was a truly humiliating experience. It means a lot to the lads to pay them back like that and I think it's laid to rest what happened last year.
"It feels good to have done it for the fans, because we know this game is massive for them. They always tell us this is the game that really matters and the one they always want to win.
"It was lovely to give them such an emphatic win and a great performance. I thought we could easily have scored five or six goals."
This was arguably City's best performance of the season and it was as unexpected as it was welcome, following a disappointing return of one point from three games over the Christmas period.
Comprehensively beaten at Hull and Reading and held by lowly Crystal Palace, a City side missing its most experienced defenders through injury had reason to be fearful of a Cardiff outfit boasting some of the Championship's most renowned attacking players.
But in the final analysis, Craig Bellamy, Michael Chopra and Peter Whittingham proved no match for opponents who put heart and soul into restoring lost pride.
From front to back, Keith Millen's Robins were fully committed in the tackle, aggressive in their running and prepared to close down Cardiff and then utilise the pace at their command to hit them on the break.
Surprisingly fragile in defence for a side lying second in the table prior to kick-off, the Bluebirds contrived to make sufficient wrong decisions throughout the game to earn a tongue-lashing from disgruntled manager Dave Jones.
Thirsty for revenge after losing four of the last five meetings between the clubs, City were in the mood to take maximum advantage of any hesitancy on the part of opponents still reeling after conceding four goals at Watford last time out.
Sure enough, the home side forged a deserved lead after just three minutes, Albert Adomah feeding Jon Stead, whose deep centre was turned in at the far post by the fast-arriving Pitman, who has now scored seven goals in as many games to hasten City's escape from relegation trouble.
Cardiff learned nothing from falling behind and conceded a second goal in identical circumstances six minutes before the break.
On this occasion, it was Johnson who popped up at the back stick to profit from more incisive approach play from Adomah and the admirable Stead, who made two goals and was left wondering how he had not scored himself.
As befits a side blessed with an array of big-money attacking talent, Cardiff created chances themselves, Hudson and Chopra squandering the best of them during a brief spell of Welsh ascendancy towards the end of the first half.
But City's makeshift defence was immense, especially the combative Cole Skuse, who ensured danger man Bellamy scarcely had a sniff.
The back four was protected by a midfield unit that gave their rivals no quarter and Marvin Elliott bestrode the pitch like a colossus to edge a bone-crunching contest with Seyo Olofinjana, while Johnson brought all his considerable experience to bear on proceedings, demonstrating sound instincts and no little savvy to ensure his side enjoyed sufficient possession to relieve any pressure exerted by a Cardiff side that moved the ball at pace without creating many clear-cut chances.
Most of those came at the other end and the inspired Heaton thwarted rampant City on three occasions before Campbell-Ryce put the outcome beyond reasonable doubt.
Abandoning his usual station on the left flank, the Jamaican international took the direct route to goal, running at a back-pedalling defence before leaving Hudson for dead and summoning a finish that not even Heaton was equal to.
He afterwards admitted: "The overriding feeling when I saw the ball hit the back of the net was one of relief, because it has been long overdue.
"I've been disappointed in myself for not scoring as many goals as I should. I do it in training every week and I should be doing it in games as well.
"People are always telling me I have the ability and, hopefully, I'll find myself in those sort of positions a bit more often and score a few more now I've got my first one.
"It is something the gaffer and the backroom staff talk to me about and they are always encouraging me to jink past defenders and get in a shot. It's something I need to try and do a lot more."