By Steve Tucker
Western Mail

Swansea City's Jordi Gomez was the toast of the Liberty Stadium last night and admitted his winning strike in the South Wales derby was the most important goal he had ever scored.

The 23-year-old is on a season-long loan from Spanish out-fit Espanyol, but his 57th minute free-kick against Cardiff has now written him straight into Welsh football folklore.

"I do not know much about the history or what will happen in the future," admitted Gomez.

"I did know there was a big rivalry between Swansea and Cardiff and the atmosphere was incredible out there.

"I had not experienced anything like that before in Spain.

"I was very happy to score and help us win after we'd had some results which had not been so good recently for us.

"It was the most important goal I have scored so far and just a great moment to be able to make our fans so happy and then to be able to celebrate with my teammates.

"I thought the fans were amazing. I am very pleased with it all."

Gomez,who has been finding it hard to break into manager Roberto Martinez's plans, stepped in to took last night's vital set-piece ahead of team-mate and dead-ball specialist Ferrie Bodde.

"Well Ferrie takes free-kicks and so do I," said Gomez.

"The only important thing about the situation was that I took it this time and I managed to score from it. It was a great feeling."

Gomez is now hoping to use his instant hero status as a springboard to more first-team football at Swansea.

"I will keep working day in and day out, but in the end all these things are the manager's decision," added Gomez.

"In Spain the game is slower and the players not as physical as they are here, but I am hoping to adapt as quickly as possible.

"As for after my loan, well I will not think about that now until the end of the season."

Swans midfielder Leon Britton, who left the Liberty clutching the man of the match champagne, said he was delighted with his first taste of a South Wales derby victory and now wants more of it this season.

"The aim now is to win all three games against Cardiff, it has to be, but anything could happen. It will be tough, but we always go out their believing we can win," said Britton.

"This was a tough game, Cardiff are a good team and for the first 20 minutes were better than us.

"Then we came onto them and started to dominate and I thought in the end we thoroughly deserved to win.

"The atmosphere was electric out there.

"I had heard a lot about the South Wales derby.

"I would not believe what it was like until I played in one and they were right.

"Some of the noise at times was making the hairs on the back of my neck stand-up.

"We knew how important this game was for our fans and we are delighted to give them something to cheer about and the bragging rights until November at least when we play against Cardiff again."

And Britton believed the margin of victory should have been greater especially when the Bluebirds Stephen McPhail was sent off.

Britton added: "It opened up a bit after the sending off and we had the chances then to really finish things off."