" Match Report Cardiff City v Leeds Utd 5/1/11 "

I could not meet up with the forum members at the Ninian pub due to the heavy traffic outside Cardiff. I thought I left in plenty of time but obviously I was wrong. I will need to take this into account for our next midweek home game. When I eventually got to the CCS the weather did not give me a good welcome. Welsh rain does seem to be the worse and the slight wind throwing it about made it for a miserable night. So it was off to a bad start to watch a team that have been just as bad. Will things turn around tonight? Well it certainly didn’t feel like the elements wanted it to.

I eventually got to my seat a bit later than usual but in time for the team announcement. I hesitated a bit when I hear the name Paul Quinn was in the starting 11. My mind started to wonder what sort of team DJ was to put out. After it all sunk in I came to the conclusion this was a desperate measure but sometimes you have to dare to win.

Heaton kept his place in goal which must have been touch and go against Marshall. The big surprise was next, Quinn was at right back with Naylor holding onto left back. So what about MacNaughton, surely he is not dropped. Well no as he was to partner Hudson in central defence. It was clear to most that MacNaughton was to help out the struggling Naylor. It felt a desperate measure and we were going to have to see how it worked out with crossed fingers.

Oli partnered Whittingham in central midfield with Bellamy on the left wing and Burke the other side. Keogh once again partnered Chopra up front. A line up with a difference at the back so an interesting 90 minutes was ahead of us.

It was Cardiff who took the initiative from the start down the Bellamy wing that forced 3 corners in the first 3 minutes. However it was Leeds who had the first effort at goal. A dazzling run down the Naylor side left a Leeds striker with a chance on goal. From just outside the area his shot sped across the goal and wide. After that the Cardiff goal was hardly trouble for the rest of the half.

Cardiff once again took the game to the Leeds half and made good progress down the Bellamy wing. Some good link up play between Keogh and Bellamy was playing dividends, one such move producing the opening goal on the 11th minute. Keogh and Bellamy worked well down the left wing again and the ball found Whittingham just outside the area. The Leeds defence went to sleep and Whittingham found Bellamy unmarked in the area in space. Bellamy slotted the ball under the ex Cardiff goalkeeper Kasper for the opening goal.
From the restart Cardiff gave away a free kick just outside their penalty area. Tensions rose as the ex Cardiff hot shot Ross MacCormack lined up an effort. Fortunately it went straight into the ball and away for safety. Cardiff then applied intense pressure on the Leeds goal

Most of Cardiff progress came down the Bellamy wing but the ball was played most of the time in the Leeds half due to the forwards getting back and chasing the Leeds defence down. This caused the Leeds back line to pass the ball back to Kasper who then cleared only for the Cardiff to regain possession. From that Cardiff went on to create a couple of chances that saw some fine save by Kasper from effort by Burke and Bellamy. However the best chance in this period fell to Naylor.

Another productive move down the Bellamy wing left Whittingham with space and time to pick out Naylor in the Leeds penalty area unmarked. With only Kasper to be at Naylor snatched at his effort and the ball went flying over the goal.

Cardiff continued to pressure going up to half time with their slick passing and hounding at the Leeds defence. However from all this pressure somehow Leeds managed to win a corner. From the corner a Leeds player managed to lose his marker and glanced a header towards goal that sailed over the bar. It was a reminder what could happen if you don’t take your chances. The referee brought the half to an end with the Cardiff 1 up.

From the restart it was all Cardiff again with some dazzling runs by Bellamy down the left wing. One such run saw Burke head over the bar while another saw an outstretched foot by Hudson forced the ball towards the Leeds goal from close range. Hudson’s effort was easily saved by Kasper but even if the Leeds keeper was suddenly taken away by some alien force I doubt the ball would have managed to cross the line such was the power in the effort.

By now the Leeds manager had had enough and made 2 substitutions. Off went the ex Cardiff favourite MacCormack and the Leeds winger who was being marked by Quinn. This winger was actually an inform player but all credit to Quinn he had down a good job on him. However the replacements had an immediate effect on the game.

The next attack and Leeds had Cardiff on the back peddle. From midfield Leeds broke and the ball found one of the Leeds replacements with space down the Quinn defence line. Quinn failed to close down allowing the Leeds man a shot on goal that was palmed away by Heaton. Cardiff failed to clear their lines allowing Leeds to bounce. From just outside the area the Leeds striker Snodgrass curled a powerful shot pass the outstretched Heaton for the equaliser.

This equaliser happened on the 58th minute and for the next 20 it was all Leeds. Cardiff failed to regain their composure and had to a renewed Leeds. However Leeds were restricted to long shots in this spell for any chance of a winner as their crosses into the Cardiff area were of poor quality or easily defended specially by the growing in statue of Hudson. Leeds best effort from this spell came from a 30 yard effort that Heaton comfortable got his body behind.

It must be said that by now Cardiff did not look like getting a winner and when MacPhail replaced Burke it felt like DJ was now playing for the draw. Some said he did that deliberately to save his job. An argument for another day perhaps?

Whittingham went out wide to make way for Macphail. Macphail then went about bringing balance back into the team and basically killed off the Leeds resurgence. However the Cardiff attacking line was struggling to get going again and the game was heading for a stalemate. Then out of nothing came a goal.

Whittingham picked up a ball in central midfield just inside the Cardiff half. He lumped a long ball forward that caught the Leeds defence dozing. Chopra was quickest to the pass and with his outstretched leg lifted the ball over an advancing Kasper and into an empty net. From nothing Cardiff had retaken the Leeds.

For the last 10 minutes the game then opened up. Leeds pressed forward for an equaliser but where once again restricted to long shots, one such effort forcing Heaton to palm a shot around the post. Cardiff in return started to make progress down the Bellamy wing but the best chance came right at the end when Keogh found himself in the clear with only Kasper to beat.
As Keogh advanced on the Leeds goal he had the choice of passing the ball sideways to Chopra or Bellamy, blasting the ball or chipping over the advancing Kasper. However he seemed to take a time with this and was eventually forced to try and slid it under the keeper who in the end comfortable saved for a corner.
From the resulting corner the referee blew for full time and Cardiff had won a desperately needed 3 points.

Summing up: A mass improvement from the last 2 games. Mainly from the front men who chased down the Leeds defence line. This took a lot of pressure of our defenders who I felt did a good job, the dare won the day. However it can be argued that it was a lucky win in the end. Deserved yes going on the first half performance along but how many of us thought we had another goal in us after the Leeds equaliser? It was a winning goal from nowhere but sometimes that is the luck you need.

Cheers Ian, Really enjoyed Reading it

good report.......bet you enjoyed writing that one up compared to the watford and bristol ones

Cheers Ian, Really enjoyed Reading it

Huh Annis you never said that about mine

agree with macphail being brought on to get the draw ,cheers ian keep up good reports

Cracking report Ian ..It is nice to read a winning report for a change
Hopefully we get the same result Saturday. ..great read as usual.

yeh good read nice one

Thanks Ian

Cheers Ian. By the time i finished my first day in my new job and got down to Cardiff it was 7:30, cutting it very fine. Great 3 points, just what we needed.

Fair post

cracking report as always well done on that matey

Thanks Ian, I look forward to Your Norwich Report.