REPORTERS MATCH REPORT & BBC OF CARDIFF CITY

Cardiff City notched a fourth consecutive draw in the Championship after yet another goalless stalemate against Coventry City.

By Glen Williams



The Bluebirds' status as the league's lowest goalscorers with further cemented after another 90 minutes of football devoid of attacking quality in the Midlands.

It was a game which saw the hosts have the lion's share of good opportunities, while Mark Hudson's side were made to cling on as the match edged towards its conclusion.

City were without their best striker in Callum Robinson, while Kion Etete was also absent. But even so, this was a feckless, vacuous display from Cardiff's forward players and it has happened all too often this term.

The Bluebirds had the better of the opening exchanges, with Rubin Colwill's headed effort and Mark Harris' low drive seeing them register two early efforts on target, without really troubling ex-Bluebirds keeper Ben Wilson.

However, after positive early strides forward, Coventry produced a few momentary scares of their own, the most notable of which saw Jamie Allen pickpocket Ryan Wintle in the middle of the park before latching on to a subsequent cross, however his shot from inside the box drifted just wide of the mark.

Gustavo Hamer was the next player to trouble the Cardiff goal, when his rasping drive from 25 yards was too hot for Ryan Allsop to handle the goalkeeper was forced to parry away from danger.

Cardiff were in danger of losing that early control but then conjured up an excellent chance out of nowhere. Birthday boy Mark Harris, who turned 24 on Thursday, latched on to a hopeful ball before cleverly cutting back and putting it on a plate for Jaden Philogene, but the winger miscued his shot and skied the ball way over the bar.

Coventry had the chance of the half, though, no doubt. An uncharacteristically poor pass from Perry Ng saw Hamer pounce and go through on goal. His simple pass to Viktor Gyokeres was poor and the striker had to beat Kipre to get a decent cross into the box. Ben Sheaf took the ball down near the penalty spot and stabbed a shot on goal from 12 yards out, but it shaved the outside of the post on its way out.

Colwill had the best of the chances for Cardiff in the first period, whipping a free-kick from 25 yards out just wide of the goalkeeper's left-hand post before the whistle blew.

The hosts shot out of the traps after the break and Cardiff looked second best for a period. In fact, Allsop had to pull out one of the saves of the season to maintain parity when Kasey Palmer hammered a low shot from close range, only for the goalkeeper to get down low, and quickly, to somehow keep it out.

The Sky Blues then appeared to take the game by the scruff of the neck and Cardiff lost any semblance of control. Mark Robins sensed his team was in the ascendancy and threw caution to the wind with the introduction of Martyn Waghorn, while Cardiff also made changes in the form of Gavin Whyte, Sheyi Ojo and Tom Sang.

But the truth is, only one team was ever going to win this match the more it went on. Cardiff barely landed a punch, figuratively speaking, in the second half. They scarcely even got into Coventry's defensive third.

Cardiff ended the game with Isaak Davies, making his first appearance of the season, alongside Sheyi Ojo and Gavin Whyte as a front three and did not have the quality or possession to cause the hosts' defence any kind of trouble.

It's yet another game without a win and, of course, another without a goal, in front of 2,500 brilliant travelling fans. They deserved more, but many will also be happy to take a point away from a decent team at this level.

That's now four games unbeaten to round off the year. What will 2023 bring? Thousands are on pins waiting to find out the answer to that question.

Cardiff City XI: Allsop; Romeo (Sang 70), Ng, Kipre, O'Dowda (Simpson 84); Ralls, Wintle, Rinomhota; Colwill (Ojo 67), Harris (Davies 84), Philogene (Whyte 67).

Subs: Luthra, Sawyers.

Coventry City XI: Wilson; Doyle, Rose, Panzo; Dabo (Kane 60); Hamer, Sheaf (Waghorn 73), Bidwell; Palmer, Allen; Gyokeres.

Subs: Moore, Kelly, Tavares, Burroughs, Howley.

Attendance: 21,421

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

BBC


Coventry City were held at bay by a determined Cardiff City side in a Championship game that rattled along nicely but failed to produce a winner.

It was a fourth draw in a row for the Bluebirds and a second goalless game for the division's lowest scorers and more points dropped.

Coventry had more than twice as many attempts at goal and went closest when Ben Sheaf hit the post.

Kasey Palmer brought the best out of Ryan Allsop in the Cardiff goal, while a Gustavo Hamer chip was also repelled.

Cardiff came into the game on the back of three successive draws, including the goalless encounter with Queens Park Rangers on Boxing Day, a run that has allowed them to keep just clear of the relegation places - after this result hovering just three points and three places above the drop zone.

In defence the Bluebirds have been relatively solid but in attack toothless, holding the unwanted tag of the lowest scoring team in the Championship with just 20 goals in 24 games.

Manager Mark Hudson's search for a cutting edge was blunted further with Callum Robinson and Kion Etete missing out with knocks, meaning Mark Harris led the line on his 24th birthday - searching for the present of a fourth league goal of the season.

As it stands there will be no reinforcements come January, with Cardiff operating under a transfer embargo having failed to pay the first instalment of the £15m transfer fee to French club Nantes for the late Emiliano Sala.

Hosts Coventry have just had their own transfer embargo lifted and have calmed fears of being evicted from the Coventry Building Society Arena after signing a new tenancy agreement until the end of the season.

They began the evening two points off the play-off places, despite their 3-1 defeat on Monday at high-flying Sheffield United, and ended the same way, albeit now with more teams between them and the top six.

Viktor Gyokeres had grabbed his 12th goal of the season in a losing cause in that game, with Sky Blues boss Mark Robins knowing he at least has firepower up front in the form of the former Swansea City striker.

Relive Thursday's EFL action
Cardiff had the first sight of goal of the night, but Ben Wilson comfortably held Harris' long-range attempt after being played away by Rubin Colwill.

Allsop was far less comfortable at the other end when Hamer spotted the Cardiff goalkeeper off his line, having to backpedal furiously to tip over the bar.

Coventry went close again when Palmer's daisy-cutter and then Jamie Allen's similarly low shot both went just wide of the post.

That was the pattern for much of the first half: Cardiff looking bright when going forward but vulnerable to swift Coventry counters when attacking moves broke down.

Hamer again tested Allsop's reflexes, diving to his right to palm the ball away, while Callum Doyle could perhaps have done better when rising highest at the back post to head a free-kick over the Bluebirds' bar.

Cardiff continued to live dangerously until half-time, relieved to see Sheaf's toe-poke come off the outside of the post after his initial shot had been well blocked by Jaden Philogene.

A jinking Harris run promised better things for Cardiff after the restart but could only produce a corner, leaving Wilson still largely untroubled in the Coventry goal.

Allsop at the other end continued to be the busier keeper and again showed his mettle to deny a sharp Palmer shot, while he was relieved to see a Gyokeres header sail over the bar under pressure from Cedric Kipre.

With the hour mark past, both managers began to turn to their benches to break the deadlock. Todd Kane replaced Fankaty Dabo and Sheaf later made way for Martyn Waghorn for the home side, while for Cardiff Sheyi Ojo and Gavin Whyte came on for Philogene and Colwill.

Jake Bidwell was the next to test Allsop with a downward header the visiting keeper saved at the base of his post, as Coventry continued to squeeze Cardiff.

Kane almost conjured what would have been a deserved late winner but Allsop was again equal to the task, and the visitors survived a flurry of corners in time added on to come away with a hard-won point.

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.