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Page last updated at 10:01 GMT, Friday, 2 April 2010 11:01 UK

Cardiff City care about derby - Dave Jones

Coca Cola Championship - Cardiff City v Swansea City
Venue: Cardiff City Stadium Date: Saturday, 3 April Starts: 1720 BST
Coverage: Full commentary on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra & online, live text commentary online and score updates BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sport website. Live on Sky Sports 1


Jones aware of derby importance

Cardiff boss Dave Jones says claims that he does not care about the south Wales derby are "rubbish".

Jones goes into Saturday's crucial play-off clash with arch-rivals Swansea City looking for his first derby win at the fifth attempt.

"There's a bigger picture than than one or two games during the season and that's how we focus on it," said Jones ahead of the biggest ever derby.

"If that's playing it down, then I can't change anybody's mind."

Cardiff face the unwanted prospect of having the derby league double done over them on Saturday, which neither side have achieved since the first meeting in 1929.

The Bluebirds were beaten 3-2 in a thrilling encounter at the Liberty Stadium last November.

And last season, when the two sides met for the first time after a nine-year gap, both matches ended in 2-2 draws while Swansea beat them 1-0 in the Carling Cup.

That prompted criticism from a section of Cardiff fans and the media, but Jones has brushed it aside.

"When you lose a game it's easy to say they've got no passion and they've shown no desire," he said.

"They are all the standard tick-box things that are thrown around by all the 'experts'.

"But in truth, I don't give two monkeys about what they think and what they say because they are not involved in what we're trying to do, they're not involved with what we say."

Cardiff are the form team going into the sell-out clash at the Cardiff City Stadium having taken 13 points from their last 15, while Swansea have won just one in seven.

But the Bluebirds have mounting injury problems with four players picking up injuries in Tuesday's 2-1 win over fellow play-off rivals Leicester City.

However, Jones praised his often injury-hit side for keeping them in the play-off hunt and urged them to collect another three points as they look to secure a play-off place.

"At the end of the day, the biggest thing for me is three points, then the bragging rights and everything that goes with it," said Jones.

"The one [3-2 defeat] result hasn't made a massive difference to what's gone on during the season because we're up there and they're up there - it all adds to it."

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see also
Saturday night fever
31 Mar 10 |  Championship
Cardiff 2-1 Swansea
03 Apr 10 |  Championship
Swans boss targets derby history
02 Apr 10 |  Swansea
Ban warning ahead of derby match
02 Apr 10 |  Wales
Edgar fearless of Chopra threat
01 Apr 10 |  Swansea
Allen hoping for derby goal glory
31 Mar 10 |  Swansea
Key injuries blight Cardiff drive
01 Apr 10 |  Cardiff
Swansea 3-2 Cardiff
07 Nov 09 |  Championship
BBC Sport Wales coverage
03 Oct 11 |  Wales


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