CHAMPIONSHIP - Game 24/46 - at VICARAGE ROAD
WATFORD (0) 2
De Merit 49, McAnuff 95
CARDIFF CITY (1) 2
Johnson 34, Whittingham 56
City celebrate going 2-1 ahead
Pic from away end by Mike Morris of http://www.cardiffcity.com/
CARDIFF CITY choked and were sickened - and it wasn't on their turkey - as they allowed Watford to equalise in the final seconds in the firth minute of added time when only three minutes were displayed - when ex-City man Jobi McAnuff an oh so lucky point saver in a game which The Bluebirds fully deserved to win having comprehensively outplayed the league leaders on their own patch but failed to make it sufficiently count.
Players are far too well paid for what they do and part of the job has to be several games over holiday periods when better crowds can attend but spare a thought for them, particularly with families. Cardiff's players had to train Xmas morning, return home for lunch and then travel to Watford late afternoon for an overnight stay before this Boxing Day midday start. Roads would have been quiet but it would still have been a breakfast time start - if not earlier - for the 156 mile trip from Sloper Road to Vicarage Road and another ground that has been a bogey for Cardiff - no win since 1970 but only 8 visits since until today.
Christmas Festivities, family parties and visits plus an early work start tomorrow meant I wasn't one of the 600 travelling Bluebirds in the 17,014 crowd who were heard throughout on Radio Wales commentary but I had a good supply of ale to tuck into and savour a magnificent and memorable City display.
City made one change with Jimmy Floyd-Hasslebaink on the bench, two games in 4 days and unconvincing form playing a part, and Steve MacLean given a chance. Otherwise it was as you were as City sought their 4th win in 5 Championship games - this after 4 wins in the first 18 matches! - with Schmeicel, McNaughton-Johnson-Loovens-Capaldi, Whittingham-Rae-McPhail-Ledley, MacLean-Parry. Subs were Oakes, Blake, Hasselbaink, Purse, Ramsey,
Watford manager Ady Boothroyd and City's Dave Jones are the two longest serving Championship managers but total only 5.5 years service between them. Boothroyd, of course, took Watford to the Premiership last season and aims to get them back there next term. They are top but are stumbling Cardiff City style. Matching Cardiff's blistering start to last season, they headed the Championship by 9 points just 7 weeks ago with a strong squad but they've collapsed with only 8 points from the last 24 to head the table by 2 points only from West Brom and Brizzle Zity. Home form stinks - one point only from 5 home matches ahead of City's visit - so will they be swallowed up as we were?
The Hornets side were Lee, Doyley-DeMerit-Jackson-Stewart, Smith-O'Toole-Francis-McAnuff, King-Ellington. Subs included Matt Poom, Danny Shittu, Darius Henderson (scorer of 2 at Parc Nin) and Lionel Ainsworth on loan from Hereford where he made a big impact.
The opening few minutes were quiet, was Radio Wales' football pundit Malcolm Allen annoyingly talking about City's recent sold player - a Chris GUNTHER (Gunther? Anyone heard of him?) - with the home side pressing but Glenn Loovens and Roger Johnson seemed to be quickly in control of Ellington and King and, with that platform built and Watford looking shaky and far from fluent, Cardiff were able to push on.
Early attacks were easily repelled as City's naive tactics were high crosses and long throws, not the best way to play in Parry and MacLean, whilst corners and free-kicks could not beat the first defender.
Just after the quarter hour, ref Hegley substituted himself, with questions of whether it was injury or illness, but as unusually he hailed from the same county - Hertfordshire - where The Hornets are based, it would have been a short journey home.
City fairly dominated but, as often happens in these situations and one of the failings of the side, is that they have plenty of possession and territory without creating clear openings or shots at goal. Rae could have done better as keeper Richard Lee flapped at a corner then Ledley brought a good stop from the keeper after a clever one-two but from the resulting corner, The Bluebirds deservedly went in front with a goal that had been on the cards for a long while and very simple it was.
34 minutes - Ledley's drilled corner was powered home off the head of ROGER JOHNSON in the centre of goal just 6 yards out. That;'s the sort of goal we usually give away!
The Bluebirds pulverised the home side from the restart - Watford subbing Francis for Williamson - but again showed their lack of killer instinct with Rae, MacLean, Ledley Parry and especially Whittingham when he looked favourite to score all getting shots off in various positions but there were numerous more breaks where Cardiff let themselves down via offside, one poor pass or one pass too much.
The most one-sided imaginable, Kasper - just as last Saturday - didn't have a single save to make which tells City's dominance but only had one goal to show for complete domination and had the home side booed off for a calamitous 45 minutes where they barely put 2 passes together.
Half-Time: WATFORD 0 CITY 1
City paid the price for failing to make or take their opportunities as Watford failed found some determination, pushed Cardiff back and equalised within 4 minutes of the restart. Another simple goal after City scrambled away a couple of early crosses, Stewart hit the ball to the far post, Ellington - for the first time - rose above Loovens and his header evaded everyone allowed Captain DE MERIT to bundle into an unguarded net.
The script should dictate The Hornets would now buzz all over City and provide the Christmas Happy Ending but like an Eastenders wedding video, City had other ideas to spoilt the party as they picked up the pieces and get going again.
McNaughton tried an ambitious long range drive - I do like how City have suddenly got an appetite for shooting after hardly ever trying efforts outside the box for much of the first half of the season - then Whittingham wasted a break trying to adjust feet delaying his effort after Johnson headed him in behind the defence. However it was a temporary reprieve as 56 minutes, Cardiff were back in front.
City again broke in midfield, the ball ran to McPhail running towards the end containing City fans who played in PETER WHITTINGHAM who smashed home arrow-like 25 yards right inside the post. YESSSSS, GET IN THERE! Meantime, Malcolm Allen on Radio Wales produced a few more chuckles as he said McPhail could have switched the ball left foot to right and shot himself. McPhail switch left to right and shoot? How much Christmas booze has he had?
Watford threw on Henderson for King and the game was more end to end but Cardiff still seemed to be having the better of things and had reverted to failing to get the killer third goal. MacLean and Parry had, but didn't take, good opportunities and some farce too as MacLean produced a penalty appeal but the replacement ref must have bottled by awarding a drop ball in the penalty area?
And still the chances came for City. Parry burst away and badly challenged in the box, Allen claiming he should have gone down for the penalty - or another drop ball?? - then MacLean didn't get a shot away. Loovens couldn't quite match Johnson's efforts from a corner than a Parry piledriver brought a superb stop from Lee then the same player fired over on a for versus three break.
Cardiff were continuing to outplay their hosts as Watford had their last throw of the dice with Man Mountain Danny Shittu was thrown on as an extra striker for the final six minutes. From the restart, Shittu nearly scored within seconds, his first touch came back to him right in front of goal but he headed straight at a very grateful Schmeicel for his first save, goal apart. City reacted immediately to that change with Purse put on as an extra defender, MacLean sacrificed.
The final moments were a bombardment on City's goal but they seemed to be riding it but the replacement ref was to play a vital part. Jobi McAnuff was denied be Schmeicel in the 90th minute but just how did two minutes added time in the first half somehow last five minutes and three minutes in the second period take almost seven minutes?
Right at the death, Schmeicel made an outstanding save with his trailing leg but the resulting corner had Cardiff unable to clear, the ball found McANUFF and he lashed home through a crowd. There shouldn't have been enough time for that - Dave Jones apparently going ballistic - but City then attacked and one final chance saw Joe Ledley blocked. A great point, everyone would have been delighted with this result at midday but at 2pm, it felt like defeat and was a sickener. My sympathies go to those who then faced that 155 mile trip home, I bet it's a horrible one after that.
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