Saturday, August 29, 2009

Championship: Doncaster Rovers 2 CARDIFF CITY 0 report

SUMMARY
CARDIFF CITY and Michael Chopra may have started the season on fire but they were firmly extinguished at Doncaster's Keepmoat Stadium today as the complete unpredictability of the Championship when anything happens and anyone can beat anyone occurred again. Omens meant nothing - going into this encounter, Cardiff were free-scoring, unbeaten and top of the league. Doncaster were struggling, had only scored 2 all season, hadn't won a game and had never beaten any top of the table side at their new ground. Yet City were well beaten and can have nocomplaints other hold hold an inquest into why they didn't turn up on the pitch until the game was already out of reach.

17 minutes after kick-off, Cardiff found themselves without an injured Jay Bothroyd, two goals down and played off the park for the entire half. The second half finally saw City wake up but only a bit and chances missed meant there wasn't even a consolation goal for the 1,200+ travelling fans in what was a deeply disappointing afternoon and display. However City remain second (for now - Newcastle are still to play this weekend) going into the fortnight's international break which still sets up a drooling clash next game with Newcastlevisiting the new stadium on September 13.


TEAM NEWS
Donny had one or two absences but the 11 starters were generally their first choice side on a mission to make up for their 5-1 midweek home hammering vs Spurs in theCarling Cup. Not sure you'd swap any of them for their Cardiff counter-part. DONNY: Sullivan; Chambers-Roberts-Shackell-Lockwood; Oster-Spicer-Stock-Woods; Coppinger-Hayter.

Dave Jones made one change from the side that demolished Bristol City last weekend as Paul Quinn found himself squeezed onto the bench with TonyCapaldi , available after suspension, at left back which Quinn covered last week while DJ decided to keep Adam Matthews at right back instead of return Quinn to his natural role. CITY: Marshall; Matthews-Hudson-Gerrard-Capaldi; Whittingham-Rae-Ledley-Burke; Bothroyd-Chopra: Subs included new £250k signing Solomon Taiwo joining Enckleman-Etuhu-Gyepes-Magennis-McPhail-Quinn.


MATCH REPORT


This was a game whose result was decided almost before it had begun. The game started at a frantic pace but Doncaster were passing and moving the ball better - they were doing a Cardiff on Cardiff. Within a 8 minute spell, the destiny of the game was decided.

On 9 minutes, City were rocked as Jay Bothroyd was taken off to be replaced by Etuhu with Dave Jones making post-match comments suggesting there may be a problem behind the knee and that he was unhappy with Bothroyd's preparations. Not sure what that was about but I'm sure more will come out. Etuhu ran and worked hard but common consensus was that Cardiff had no Plan B without Jay being the pivotal outlet for the forward play.

Three minutes later, the absence told again as a Donny corner saw LOCKWOOD have a free header which went in off the far post. He was the player Bothroyd would have marked at set pieces. This was the first time City had fallen behind in any game this season.

Then, on 17 minutes, a lucky Donny goal but one that completed a 12 pass move. The end of it though saw a sliced effort headed for the corner flag, Stock kept it in, anothermishit shot had the ball hit an offside looking HAYTER and hold up perfectly for him to fizz a shot into the top corner giving Marshall no chance again.

The rest of the half saw Donny buzzing and outplaying City although Marshall wasn't really tested. However neither was Sullivan at the other end, Cardiff managing just a solitary corner and frustration for that 45 minutes in which Jones criticised too many of his players for not being up for the battle and starting at full pelt. Didn't he say the same things after the side clung onto a point atBlackpool a fortnight ago - the only difference being we hung onto a draw that day?

Half-time: DONNY 2 CITY 0

Cardiff were brighter in the second half and had chances to have recovered. However their play was more frantic than the recent quality we have been enjoying but Michael Chopra will wonder how he missed a virtual sitter to add to his blazing start as well as a couple of half chances andEtuhu will feel the same. In the last minute, he somehow headed over a Ledley corner standing almost on the line. Taiwo was given the last 20 minutes for Whittingham and Magennis the final 10 for Burke but it changed nothing.

However City remain second (for now - Newcastle are still to play this weekend) going into the fortnight's international break which still sets up a drooling clash next game with Newcastle visiting the new stadium on September 13.

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