Colwill's Impact in Cardiff's Draw Against Stoke City
Joel Colwill walked off the pitch with a first Championship start, a first Championship goal and a manager convinced there is plenty more to come.
The 21-year-old midfielder rose to head Cardiff City level in a 1-1 draw with Stoke City, a vital intervention that stopped the Bluebirds sliding to a third straight defeat and shifted the mood around a tense afternoon.
It was only one goal. Barry-Murphy thinks it should have been two.
Colwill, who hit seven goals last season, clipped the post with another effort as Cardiff surged after the break, his movement and energy suddenly dragging his side up the pitch.
"It was a great finish and very important for us - he carries a big goal threat," said head coach Brian Barry-Murphy, who saw his side rescued by the academy product. "You saw he got close to another goal. His movement in the box in the second half, particularly, was very good."
The change did not happen by accident. Cardiff altered the picture at half-time, and Colwill’s role changed with it.
Barry-Murphy admitted he felt the youngster had been operating too deep early on, leaving Cardiff short of punch around the Stoke area. After the interval, the instructions were clear: get higher, get closer, get dangerous.
"Joel played a little bit too deep in the first half, but in the second half he was very good, very close to Yousef [Salech]," Barry-Murphy explained. "A lot of our best moments in the box, he was on the premises, which is a big part of his role for the team."
The pressure told. With Colwill pushing up alongside Salech, Cardiff finally started to pin Stoke back, and the equaliser felt like a reward for that shift in intent as much as the quality of the finish.
All this came with Cardiff missing the other Colwill.
Rubin Colwill, Joel’s older brother and one of the side’s most influential creative players, sat out the game with an ankle problem that continues to frustrate both player and staff.
"Rubin's ankle wasn't OK yesterday. He didn't train," said Barry-Murphy. "There was talk of putting him on the bench, but I wasn't sure he would be fully fit if he was to come on.
"That was also the case on Saturday, and I didn't want to risk it because of what he's been through with the ankle."
Cardiff will hope that caution pays off. Barry-Murphy remains optimistic Rubin can return for Saturday’s trip to Bolton, when the Bluebirds go hunting for their first Championship win of the season.
If the elder brother makes it back and the younger keeps arriving in the box like this, Cardiff’s wait for that victory might not last much longer.
