Cardiff City 3 Blackburn 0. Just another result and ,to many, irrelevant.
Even to us Bluebirds, it's not as if we've won anything yet; not as if we've clinched that promotion to the Premiership which has eluded us for so many seasons of almost-wons, especially that Play-off Final v. Blackpool at Wembley.
Yet, for the first time this season ,on Easter Monday, I actually dared believe we could do it, that we wouldn't follow the Spurs in our tradition of end-of-season collapses.
Despite the fact that Blackburn are a club in crisis with a caretaker manager, they have a sufficient number of players of both class and reputation to be respected: top scorer Jordan Rhodes, Leon Best who has played well in the Premier with Newcastle and the experience of Scott Danns and Danny Murphy, both accustomed to the higher league.
On paper ,at least, they are stern opponents. In reality, they achieved one disallowed goal, one shot which hit the bar and little else.
Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay at last altered our formation and accomodated both Kim Bo Kyung and Jordan Mutch, big money buys who have promised much (forgive the pun) but delivered less.
Mackay's 4-1-4-1 system proved a masterstroke. Whittingham, who has faded badly as the season went on, was relegated to the bench for the first time and Gunnarsson filled the holding role he does so well, with his extra running and tackling power. Kim and Mutch were given the freedom to dominate midfield.
Both were superb in the first half till the latter tired, but Kim ran the game throughout with a brilliant display of movement and passing and he never shied away from a challenge. A neglected player, he proved his point and, if we make it, will be crucial in the Premiership, as will the complimentary Mutch with his forceful, direct approach.
Bellamy and Conway always threatened on the wings, while Fraizer Campbell was full of pace and running up front in a solo role which Mason filled even better when he came on as sub.
Every player had an excellent game and, yet again, left-back Taylor was outstanding both defensively and with his timely overlaps and dangerous crosses.
New loan signing Leon Barnett should be snapped up end of season, as he reads the game well and has the kind of pace we generally lack at centre-back. His distribution was invariably effective.
More cause for optimism comes from the fact that our squad is a young one. With the exception of Bellamy, Marshall and captain Hudson, the average age is about 24.
Unlike any other season, we have great strength in depth. The fast and tricky Noone didn't even get on, while Joe Mason (hero of the valiant League Cup Final defeat to Liverpool) came off the bench to score a fine goal and make the penalty.
In recent months, Mackay has become rather obdurate and inflexible in his Dave Jones-style adherence to 4-4-2. The Blackburn game changed all that and - although we may need two holding players if we make it
( Swansea style) - the way we played football was a joy to witness.
Swansea fans still like to think of us as imitators of Stoke's tactics and - though we do score a fair share from set pieces - we made more chances than any other game from open play.
Apart from Gestede and Helguson ( who plays much less often), we don't possess the aerial, physical players which Stoke rely on in abundance and we certainly aren't a team to wreck the opposition with cynical challenges (which Blackburn are!).
With Kim in control, our play is full of movement and subtlety, enabling the likes of Bellamy and Campbell to thrive.
Maybe my excitement's premature and we'll go to Watford next Saturday and the Championship's top player Vydra will bring us crashing down to earth in a fall from great height.
However, I'd like to think my optimism's not misplaced, even though we are experts at blowing it.
GETTING USED TO HEIGHTS
Like a roofer,window-cleaner or scaffolder
I'm getting used to the heights.
They are frightening and I'm always
staring down at the opposition.
I should be in my element,
a bird, after all, and not mythical.
My blue camouflage with sky behind,
yet my wings made of paper.
I'm accustomed to falling
every season like a lemming.
I catch glimpses of the horizon :
tall, bright towers of stadiums.
If it happens, there'll be a causeway
and we'll stride in our thousands.
Even to us Bluebirds, it's not as if we've won anything yet; not as if we've clinched that promotion to the Premiership which has eluded us for so many seasons of almost-wons, especially that Play-off Final v. Blackpool at Wembley.
Yet, for the first time this season ,on Easter Monday, I actually dared believe we could do it, that we wouldn't follow the Spurs in our tradition of end-of-season collapses.
Despite the fact that Blackburn are a club in crisis with a caretaker manager, they have a sufficient number of players of both class and reputation to be respected: top scorer Jordan Rhodes, Leon Best who has played well in the Premier with Newcastle and the experience of Scott Danns and Danny Murphy, both accustomed to the higher league.
On paper ,at least, they are stern opponents. In reality, they achieved one disallowed goal, one shot which hit the bar and little else.
Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay at last altered our formation and accomodated both Kim Bo Kyung and Jordan Mutch, big money buys who have promised much (forgive the pun) but delivered less.
Mackay's 4-1-4-1 system proved a masterstroke. Whittingham, who has faded badly as the season went on, was relegated to the bench for the first time and Gunnarsson filled the holding role he does so well, with his extra running and tackling power. Kim and Mutch were given the freedom to dominate midfield.
Both were superb in the first half till the latter tired, but Kim ran the game throughout with a brilliant display of movement and passing and he never shied away from a challenge. A neglected player, he proved his point and, if we make it, will be crucial in the Premiership, as will the complimentary Mutch with his forceful, direct approach.
Bellamy and Conway always threatened on the wings, while Fraizer Campbell was full of pace and running up front in a solo role which Mason filled even better when he came on as sub.
Every player had an excellent game and, yet again, left-back Taylor was outstanding both defensively and with his timely overlaps and dangerous crosses.
New loan signing Leon Barnett should be snapped up end of season, as he reads the game well and has the kind of pace we generally lack at centre-back. His distribution was invariably effective.
More cause for optimism comes from the fact that our squad is a young one. With the exception of Bellamy, Marshall and captain Hudson, the average age is about 24.
Unlike any other season, we have great strength in depth. The fast and tricky Noone didn't even get on, while Joe Mason (hero of the valiant League Cup Final defeat to Liverpool) came off the bench to score a fine goal and make the penalty.
In recent months, Mackay has become rather obdurate and inflexible in his Dave Jones-style adherence to 4-4-2. The Blackburn game changed all that and - although we may need two holding players if we make it
( Swansea style) - the way we played football was a joy to witness.
Swansea fans still like to think of us as imitators of Stoke's tactics and - though we do score a fair share from set pieces - we made more chances than any other game from open play.
Apart from Gestede and Helguson ( who plays much less often), we don't possess the aerial, physical players which Stoke rely on in abundance and we certainly aren't a team to wreck the opposition with cynical challenges (which Blackburn are!).
With Kim in control, our play is full of movement and subtlety, enabling the likes of Bellamy and Campbell to thrive.
Maybe my excitement's premature and we'll go to Watford next Saturday and the Championship's top player Vydra will bring us crashing down to earth in a fall from great height.
However, I'd like to think my optimism's not misplaced, even though we are experts at blowing it.
GETTING USED TO HEIGHTS
Like a roofer,window-cleaner or scaffolder
I'm getting used to the heights.
They are frightening and I'm always
staring down at the opposition.
I should be in my element,
a bird, after all, and not mythical.
My blue camouflage with sky behind,
yet my wings made of paper.
I'm accustomed to falling
every season like a lemming.
I catch glimpses of the horizon :
tall, bright towers of stadiums.
If it happens, there'll be a causeway
and we'll stride in our thousands.
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