CARDIFF CITY have won their first silverware of the season ... 16 days before it start ... with a professional, richly deserved 1-0 success over Celtic to claim the Algarve Cup tournament.
Tournament or not, it was still very much a pre-season friendly lacking the pace, intensity and bite as both sides strived to get match fit for their big kick-off in a fortnight.
The Bluebirds were close to full strength with the resources they currently have. Enckleman, Whittingham and Parry on the bench and a side which was Heaton, McNaughton-Johnson-Loovens-Capaldi, Comminges-Rae-McPhail-Ledley, MacCormack-Thompson. The rest of the squad were listed as our 9 substitutes but Dave Jones gave all the starters a full 90 minutes, only Comminges coming off in added time for Darcy Blake as precaution for a knock.
Celtic meanwhile put out ,mainly a second string - only 4 players are likely to start their first league game - but they did beef it up using all 5 subs with more experience in the second half.
The Glasgow side may have had a fair bit on the ball but walked off at half-time without even testing Heaton with a cross, let alone any efforts on or off target and they were made to look second best by City were in charge in all departments and playing the more flowing, b
etter passing football even if it was largely at training pace.
Three big chances fell City's were in the first half with Thommo smashing the bar with a superb shot on the turn form an angle in 6 minutes and just being snuffed out before the interval but the goal fell to The Legend - JOE LEDLEY - on 17 minutes, a superb finish after McNaughton launched a high ball, Thommo beat the commanding Balde in the air, MacCormack flicked on with his thigh and the ball sat up just right for Joe to lash home across Celtic's keeper Brown.
Once ahead, Cardiff were happy to control the game by staying tight, organised, hard working and disciplined with some smart passing and movement at times and Celtic just weren't good enough to do anything about it.
The second half saw Celtic make those changes and try to step it up but still City remained calm and comfortable, Heaton did have a couple of saves but none of any significance. When Celtic sent off their fearsome striking due of Van Hesselink Long-name and Scott McDonald for the final 120, you wondered whether it would change but City got tighter again.
Dave Jones will be pleased with the individual and team performance of his side. Heaton in goals had very little to do did that well, shouted and organised. The back four - McNaughton, Capaldi, Loovens and Johnson played as well as they did last season, Loovens can only have impressed the watching Rangers management team as he bossed Celtic around.
Rae and McPhail showed why City can do with an extra midfielder as they dominated first half but faded after the interval - something that was observed a few times last season. .
Joe Ledley showed his class and Miguel Comminges raised eyebrows with an energy packed performance working his socks off and no mean pace either while Thommo and MacCormack linked very indeed but didn't pack enough punch emphasising why Jones needs to get his squad numbers 8 and 9 positions filled urgently.
Overall though, City will be very satisfied with their Portuguese training camp and can come home and prepare for games away at Swindon (next Tuesday) and home to Dutch side Ajax (next Friday) while Celtic will surely bring back their big guns for a bigger clash with Sporting Lisbon this weekend before heading tp Holland for another tournament next week..
Ee-ay-adio-We won the Cup!
Tournament or not, it was still very much a pre-season friendly lacking the pace, intensity and bite as both sides strived to get match fit for their big kick-off in a fortnight.
The Bluebirds were close to full strength with the resources they currently have. Enckleman, Whittingham and Parry on the bench and a side which was Heaton, McNaughton-Johnson-Loovens-Capaldi, Comminges-Rae-McPhail-Ledley, MacCormack-Thompson. The rest of the squad were listed as our 9 substitutes but Dave Jones gave all the starters a full 90 minutes, only Comminges coming off in added time for Darcy Blake as precaution for a knock.
Celtic meanwhile put out ,mainly a second string - only 4 players are likely to start their first league game - but they did beef it up using all 5 subs with more experience in the second half.
The Glasgow side may have had a fair bit on the ball but walked off at half-time without even testing Heaton with a cross, let alone any efforts on or off target and they were made to look second best by City were in charge in all departments and playing the more flowing, b
etter passing football even if it was largely at training pace.Three big chances fell City's were in the first half with Thommo smashing the bar with a superb shot on the turn form an angle in 6 minutes and just being snuffed out before the interval but the goal fell to The Legend - JOE LEDLEY - on 17 minutes, a superb finish after McNaughton launched a high ball, Thommo beat the commanding Balde in the air, MacCormack flicked on with his thigh and the ball sat up just right for Joe to lash home across Celtic's keeper Brown.
Once ahead, Cardiff were happy to control the game by staying tight, organised, hard working and disciplined with some smart passing and movement at times and Celtic just weren't good enough to do anything about it.
The second half saw Celtic make those changes and try to step it up but still City remained calm and comfortable, Heaton did have a couple of saves but none of any significance. When Celtic sent off their fearsome striking due of Van Hesselink Long-name and Scott McDonald for the final 120, you wondered whether it would change but City got tighter again.
Dave Jones will be pleased with the individual and team performance of his side. Heaton in goals had very little to do did that well, shouted and organised. The back four - McNaughton, Capaldi, Loovens and Johnson played as well as they did last season, Loovens can only have impressed the watching Rangers management team as he bossed Celtic around.
Rae and McPhail showed why City can do with an extra midfielder as they dominated first half but faded after the interval - something that was observed a few times last season. .
Joe Ledley showed his class and Miguel Comminges raised eyebrows with an energy packed performance working his socks off and no mean pace either while Thommo and MacCormack linked very indeed but didn't pack enough punch emphasising why Jones needs to get his squad numbers 8 and 9 positions filled urgently.
Overall though, City will be very satisfied with their Portuguese training camp and can come home and prepare for games away at Swindon (next Tuesday) and home to Dutch side Ajax (next Friday) while Celtic will surely bring back their big guns for a bigger clash with Sporting Lisbon this weekend before heading tp Holland for another tournament next week..
Ee-ay-adio-We won the Cup!
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