Champ Game 36: Bristol City 1 Cardiff City 1 - match report

Two out of form forwards who were each on an 8 game non-scoring grabbed late goals in an otherwise drab, low key and unremarkable Severnside Derby as Brizzle Zity and Cardiff shared the honours for the 2^nd time this season. 1-1 it was at Trashton Gate - Nicky Maynard opening the scoring with a cracker on 71 minutes but Cardiff, so often on the receiving end of late goals, rescued themselves through Ross McCormack goal-poaching with 3 minutes remaining at Trashton Gate.

The result took City back into the play-off frame and leaves The Wurzels with a mountain to climb if they’re to make it but both sides looked a long way from Premiership outfits. Cardiff were out of sorts, started slowly and only got momentum once they fell behind so will be happier with the draw – that now makes it a ridiculous 11 in 19 league awaydays this season.

City made 4 changes from the team who looked jaded and clueless falling to a shock loss at Norwich in midweek. Back from injury came Kevin McNaughton and Jay Bothroyd, starting in goals was loan debutant Stuart Taylor (City’s 4^th goalie of this campaign) while Steve McPhail was handed his first start since his 2^nd red card of the season at Swansea back in November.

CARDIFF CITY: Taylor; McNaughton-Johnson-Gyepes-Capaldi; Whittingham-McPhail-Ledley-Parry Chopra-Bothroyd. The Subs read: Burke-McCormack-Eddie Johnson, Rae-Comminges meaning still no keeper on the bench (maybe Dimi is injured after all) and players like Purse, Quincy and Scimeca out of the 16.

Bristol City had a poor first half of the season but have rallied strongly collecting 22 points out of 24 from Boxing Day to Valentine’s Day before hitting the inconsistencies affecting most of the front runners with 7 points in 6 games since but they were coming into this encounter of the back of a 2-0 midweek home victory over Coventry. Further bad news hit them, however, as Lee ‘Fatty’ Trundle found himself unwanted by Leeds where he had been on loan and sent him back to the Carrot Crunchers. Somewhat predictably, he wasn’t good enough for the bench.

BRISTOL CITY: Basso, Carey-McCombe-Fontaine-Orr, Williams—Johnson- McIndoe-McAllister, John-Maynard

For the 1,600 Cardiff fans in attendance, it was a “bubble trip” meaning coach only, meet the police on an estate and then get escorted into the ground and away afterwards. £40 for the privilege of doing that on a Sunday morning turned me off it and save my money for the later away games without restrictions.

Drab was used as an adjective to describe the first half but that’s being kind, it was rarely that good! City started slowly but had the better chances once they got a trickle of momentum and came closest as Gabor Gyepes did well to meet a free header at a corner but put over but Roger Johnson did better, his bullet header has Basso beaten but he was denied by Stein clearing off the line. Bristol responded with Taylor saving well from Fontaine with the home side upping the pressure before the interval.

Half-time: BCFC 0 CCFC 0

Bristol carried on where they left off and, sadly, so did Cardiff. City were disjointed, the wide men weren’t getting in the game, Chops and Bothroyd were average in their rare best moment but City survived a couple of scares with Gyepes and Johnson once more looking imperious.

However the pressure got greater, Bristol making attacking changes and when a goal finally arrived, it was hardly a surprise. A cracker as MAYNARD, who needs to understand the offside rule, ran across City’s back line getting McNaughton and the two centre halves and firing an unstoppable shot before Capaldi got to him leaving Taylor helpless.

City looked down and out but it was the point where they decided to start playing and creating pressure. Eddie replaced a still injured looking Bothroyd, McCormack replaced the anonymous Parry and Burke replaced the equally anonymous Whittingham, the 3 subs had more impact than many of those who started.

You did wonder if Cardiff were going to get any reward as Eddie Johnson shaved the post with a flying header from a Capaldi cross, Gyepes hit the bar with another header but Joe fired poorly when a defensive error sent him clear while two McCormack free-kicks amounted to no more than back passes to Basso.

However three minutes remained when Eddie Johnson was fed and almost repeated when Maynard did as he cut across the Bristol defensive line before firing, Basso spilled his shot and dived on the loose ball but never took control and with one hand on it, in charged ROSS McCORMACK to stab the ball home sending bouncing City fans into ecstasy.

This was a poor game, unbelievably scrappy but Cardiff again proved why they are o hard to beat. 10 games to go and 6 at home including the next 4 starting with Watford at Ninian Park on Wednesday. Time to get winning boys!

P GD PTS
1 Wolverhampton 39 23 74
2 Birmingham 39 14 71
3 Reading 37 29 64
4 Sheff Utd 38 18 63
5 Burnley 38 7 61
6 CARDIFF CITY 36 17 60
7 Preston 39 3 60
8 Bristol 39 7 58
9 Swansea 38 12 57
10 Ipswich 38 8 54