CITY OUT-FOX LEICESTER

Cardiff City 1

Leicester City 0

After throwing away victory in the final minute against Wolves and at Burnley, it was third time lucky as CARDIFF CITY (just) clung onto an ugly 1-0 win against a poor Leicester City and a first as City (just) kept a clean sheet too.

On the pitch, the difference between the sides was Michael Ricketts clever glancing 8th minute header, his first league goal for 20 months. It was the only meaningful on target attempt by either side all night. The game was low on quality and thrills but City badly needed a win so it was mission accomplished.

Off it, talk will be about an embarrassing attendance of just 9,196, that's awful and just not right for Championship football. The club have urgently got to look how to improve it. Reasons will be strongly debated and will be many. Ultimately, thousands of lost season ticket holders inevitable means thousands of lost supporters. What caused that? Broken promises, player sales, the never ending trauma of a new stadium overshadowing the club, internal politics and wrangling all take their toll and caused the ‘buzz’ to go and an apathy to return.

The bulk of the support can now pick and choose their games and that is what they are doing. All helped by the club are also paying the price for ‘assuming’ support, ignoring countless suggestions, failing to show imagination, marketing and general fun about the place. Let's face it, the brand of football hasn't been exciting or winning at Ninian Park during the past couple of years. And to top it all, there is the harsh reality and economics about the cost of watching City play 3 times at home in 8 days.

With the club making it as difficult as possible for "pay on the dayers" with limited facilities and kiosks to get tickets at the ground, a refusal to accept payment at any turnstile and charging £3 extra for the privilege of this, it's hardly going to pull them in. If City were filling the ground, fair enough, but Ninian Park is half empty with plenty of match day staff and turnstile operators.
Where's the sense?

Anyway, let's deal with the football and City were unchanged. The side went into the game unbeaten in three but inexcusably throwing away victory in the last minute of their past two Championship games. I don't think there were any strong arguments for change but better performances were needed from our defence in general and Rhys Weston, Jeff Whitley and Kevin Cooper in particular from their displays at Burnley. Cooper has become the playing equivalent of a Director of Football – what exactly does he do? It was a home debut for loanee Michael Ricketts. The side were Alexander, Weston-Purse-Loovens-Barker, Cooper-Whitley-Ledley-Koumas, Jerome-Ricketts. Subs were Margetson-Ardley-Cox-Lee-Parry.

When Leicester somehow escaped Ninian Park with a draw a year ago after being battered and having their post hit 4 times, Craig Levein was watching in the stands having been appointed manager the evening before. The side were playing poorly and just above the relegation zone. One year on, virtually the whole side have been replaced, fans talk of things getting better but evidence is sparse. They remain around the same position and their display tonight was very poor indeed until the final minutes.

The came to Ninian in 14th place with an average record of wins over Stoke and Sheffield Wednesday, draws with Hull, Ipswich and Crewe plus bad defeats at Sheffield United and home to Luton. Hardly a team to fear.

Their side were Rab Douglas (ex-Celtic) in goals, a back four of Maybury-Dion Dublin-Johansson-Peter Gilbert (Welsh international), in midfield were Kisnorbo-Hughes-Williams-Gudjonsson and forwards were Marc De Vries and Elvis Hammond. They looked a big and physical side, they hardly ever made that count.

City started strongly and brightly and showed intent as Rhys Weston went on a 60 yard dash down and then across the pitch, exchanging passes with Koumas before finding himself in unfamiliar territory on the left wing. It told, his cross was aimless and went into the Grange End.
I can't say I enjoyed or understood why City chose to have 9 men defending inside the 6 yard box when the first corner was conceded, that seemed extreme. An early booking came for Cameron Jerome as he chased Stephen Hughes near the touchline on halfway. Hughes appeared to dramatise the challenge, the Bob Bank crowd unhappy with ref K Stroud's decision, it was to become a familiar sight and sound.

A minute later however and City were ahead. After winning their first corner of the night, Jason Koumas sent over a perfect cross evading everyone on the near side of goal but dropping perfectly for MICHAEL RICKETTS to send a just as perfect glancing downward header home from 6 yards.

Ricketts was chuffed and no wonder. The last time he scored was in the Premiership for Middlesborough in January 2004 at Leeds. That was a last minute penalty with his side already winning 2-0. Since then, he had been on a run drier than your average petrol forecourt - he had gone 46 league games without a goal, the majority admittedly as a substitute.

The confidence and lift it gave him was noticeable as within a minute of the restart he showed brilliant skill to take the ball with his back to goal under pressure, turn, flick and send Cameron Jerome racing clear on goal but the teenager looking to score for the 6th consecutive game went for power without direction and sliced into the Grange End.

Another strong opportunity came on 12 minutes when Kevin Cooper playing on the right and always cutting inside for his left foot sent over his sole cross for the night, a delicious far post curler. Ricketts got there but couldn't guide it on target and went narrowly wide.

That was pretty much the pick of the opening action. City had a couple more efforts but none to be excited about. Leicester managed just one as Hammond hit a powerful shot on the turn which flew over the bar.

The biggest scares came from City's defending. Lack of communication embarrassed them once more as a simple ball in saw Alexander and his defenders and become motionless and leave it to each other with the ball bouncing around just a couple of feet from goal, Loovens toe-poked it behind and then they all started shouting at each other. I swear the only time they talk to each other is after something has gone wrong. On half-time, again with a lack of authority at the back, Darren Purse handled a ball that spun wickedly at him right on the edge of the area. Gudjohsson wasted the opportunity by firing straight into the wall.

As the half progressed, the poorer the game became. City although hardly in trouble were struggling with Dave Jones often shaking his head with some disbelief as we struggled to put two passes together. Particularly disappointing for me was Jeff Whitley who was hardly involved and looking laboured in central midfield, Joe Ledley having to do a lot of work to make up for him, he's going through a poor spell.

Half-time: CITY 1 LEICESTER 0

Unfortunately for football lovers, If the first half was short on class skill and entertainment, the second period was devoid of it.

Rare exceptions came through Jason Koumas' corner kicks which are brilliantly delivered and cause trouble every time. On three occasions, Leicester just about survived scrambles from them. They inswing, they outswing, they drop perfectly in the danger areas, they cause nightmares for goalkeepers and defenders. Koumas hit only one poor corner all night, a refreshing change from Kav who used to hit only one good one all night and that was when he was on form.

Until a frantic closing quarter of an hour, the only shot of any note was a half hearted chip by Rhys Weston making another strong forward line but it was never going to beat the tall Douglas who took it comfortably.

Leicester gave Cardiff no trouble at all but City continued to randomly trouble themselves at the back with Purse sometimes misdirecting headers, Loovens kicking when he should head and heading when he should kick, Alexander who stays on his line when play gets close to him getting a sudden bloodrush and charging out before realising he was out of his area and having to head. Each time we got away with it.

Entertainment of the wrong sort came on the hour after Jeff Whitley was fouled near the dugout, Kisnorbo chose to have afters and appeared to throw an elbow at Whitley which missed but sparked a 20 man game of chest beating, it would be too kind to call it a brawl. Kisnorbo was booked, a little lucky, many may have shown red.

And then came the panic finish to the game. Levein showed his intent by throwing on all three substitutes with more than a quarter of the game remaining. The crowd chuckling as Ali did an Elvis impression as Elvis Hammond came off, Elvis had left the building. The style continued to be route one, as was City's in large parts.

Cardiff needed that second goal but were struggling to create although Cameron Jerome did exceptionally well to take the ball, turn with three defenders around him and send a snapshot narrowly wide but which Douglas always had covered. Koumas provided occasional touches of inspiration but wasn't involved in the game enough and was a little daydreamy, he wasn't the only one out there.

Again, City only got into trouble through poor defending that would get punished by better sides than the Foxes. With the ref's decision making and continual whistling blowing infuriating everyone, City dropping back and being far too slow to come away - and that's if they bothered to do that - it was an agonising close with the whole crowd watching the clock count down.

A simple lofted ball to the far post dropping about 5 yards from goal had Neil Alexander written all over it but once more he hesitated as did his defenders, De Vries got between them all and missed touching home by a fraction. And yes, then they started talking and shouting at each other.

The biggest let off came on 81 minutes when a ball flew to the left and De Vries hit first time across goal, a shot that appeared to be flashing across goal which Neil Alexander helped push into the net. Leicester players, the bench and the fans all went mental in celebration, City hearts sunk and then we were rescued by an offside flag. Our turn to celebrate.

City subs came as Parry replaced Cooper, Lee replaced Ricketts, the latter who had again tired and faded out of the game and went off holding his hamstring, hopefully no more than a tweak. It was all in the City half and, after all that had happened in the past couple of weeks, I'm sure most expected history to repeat but we got away with it.

Jones pleased with players at their lack of brains to take the balls to corners to run down the clock. They wanted to atone for that and went out of their way to do it with Jerome starting things off with more than 6 minutes to go. He did however also produce two penalty appeals, both denied by the ref.

There were four minutes of added time which produced one final scare as Chris Barker missed a header from a ball belted his way and handled on the edge of the area. The free kick in and a couple of crosses after it were desperately sent away.

This was not the beautiful game but it was a beautiful result. Four games unbeaten, a clean sheet at last, the club rising to 16th - one point and one place behind Leicester - and with a game in hand over most sides. What a difference three points make, it was very evident in the relief and celebrations at the close.

Hopefully City can go on from here, the confidence needed with a tough test against Crystal Palace at Ninian Park this weekend. To those stayaways, please come and give the lads some support. We've beaten Leeds and Leicester at home, we were within a whisker of doing that to Wolves, maybe it's time you give them a chance. Come on.


THE COST OF BEING A CITY FAN:

Tonight:
Ticket: £20
Programme: £ 3
New TBL Fanzine: £ 1
Travel: £ 3
Food/Drink: £ 6

Total: £33


Season-to-Date: £507