Championship match report: Leicester City 2 CARDIFF CITY 1

On paper, Cardiff City going into the game in 2^nd spot with four successive wins, averaging over 2 goals per game and without a goal conceded in more than 5 hours should have had few problems dealing with Leicester City in 23rd, without a win and scoring less than a goal per game. On grass, it was a different story as The Foxes avenged last season’s F.A. Cup and Play-Off defeats to the Bluebirds with a thoroughly deserved 2-1 victory … and it could have been more.

King Power – whoever they are – sponsor Leicester City and it was King Power that won the night too with classy Welshman Andy King scoring two excellent goals after the interval to turn around an interval deficit from Tony Naylor’s excellent fluke, a 35 yard hammered cross from the touchline flying into the top corner.

Cardiff were fitting square pegs in round holes and using players short on match fitness with 5 pivotal players absent who surely would have changed the game while, in central midfield, they were forced to use Rae and McPhail whom have misfired as a duo for a couple of years so no surprise it happened again. However there is no reason for despondency with City still in 2^nd and still 2 points clear of those in early season pursuit.

This was Cardiff’s 3^rd trip to Leicester in 8 months as the sides met 5 times last season in league, play-off and F.A. Cup action. City lost at Walker’s Stadium in the Championship (one of only two defeats in the previous 11 visits before this one) so the 150 or so trip is now well known to travelling Bluebirds yet over 1,000 turned up again. They were all thankful for no road problems and good weather leaving behind the all day rain and winds at home for blue skies and sun.

Seyi Olifinjana had not sufficiently recovered from a weekend foot injury, Gavin Rae replacing him was the only change from the side that beat Hull last Saturday but it effectively made Cardiff weaker again. Craig Bellamy had not recovered from his swollen knee either with Dave Jones not ready to take any risks so early in the season. Others still missing were Danny H2O, Chops and Jay-B. City: Marshall; McNaughton-Hudson-Gyepes-Naylor; Burke-Rae-McPhail-Koumas-Whittingham; Keogh.

Leicester’s poor start, they were in the bottom two pre-kick off, has put pressure on ex-Jack boss Paolo Sousa. Agent Sousa’s ability to make Swansea dull and toothless angered their fans but delighted Bluebirds everywhere and he was threatening more of the same with the Foxes. However a good weekend draw at Coventry when they were unlucky not to win combined with the return on loan of fans favourite Martin Waghorn from Sunderland sent them into this encounter with more hope and, let’s be honest, we know they’re a good side with good players.

They also made one change but it was deliberate as centre forward battering ram Steve Howard who mastered Mark Hudson when the sides last night was given the chance to do that again. Leicester: Ikeme-Neilson-Morrison-Berner-Hobbs-Oakley-King-Dyer-Wellens-Howard-Waghorn.

There were larger than usual spaces in Walkers but it’s a big ground and the crowd was 20,510. The City enclosed section behind a corner flag was packed but as an overspill happened at kick-off, they allowed us more space.

One difference this season was their fans closest to us were joined at the very back of the stand by a 20+ stone topless bloke hammering a bongo – he was Fat Boy Drum. And fair does to them, they were in good and sometimes humorous voice, getting involved in plenty of banter and made a good noise although chants about Dave Jones were out of order.

Cardiff started reasonably well looking clam and assured without creating threat but an early sign of what was to come happened as the usually reliable Kevin McNaughton under hit a back pass sending Dyer away but he was denied by Gyepes. However Dyer, possibly the best and most influential player of the night, went on to have a fantastic night skinning SuperKev with pace and skill time and again. I think he was beaten more in one night that he may be all season.

Yet it was City who took the lead on 26 minutes, possibly against the run of play, with a freak but wonder goal. City brought the ball out well from the back, Tony Naylor burst forward on the touchline and Jason Koumas spotted then found him with a wonderful pass, NAYLOR advanced to 40 yards out from goal and unleashed a whipped ball clearly aiming for the far post but it sailed through the air with power completely deceiving Ikeme and flying home. Naylor seemed embarrassed and did not celebrate … not until City fans asked him to ayatollah anyway! Any time he touched the ball for the rest of the half, cries of shooooooot went up.

Cardiff enjoyed their best spell of the game after the goal playing some delightful football, in charge as Leicester tried to attack and threatened to increase their lead with whipped Whittingham corners causing real problems, Koumas going close from distance and, another time, bursting clear through the middle but his lack of fitness told as he was caught while a superb move and a fancy bit of Whittingham skill gave the otherwise anonymous Keogh clear sight of goal but he hit straight at the Foxes keeper.

However Cardiff also survived two let offs before the interval as a Waghorn corner was missed by Marshall and headed away by a defender with Howard’s follow up header being headed of the line by Keogh. Just about on half time, Dyer beat Naughts again and his ball across goal saw Waghorn fail to make a connection at the far post.

Half-time: Leicester 0 Cardiff 1

Before the game, I’d happily have taken a point on hearing the team news. At half-time, I hoped we would hold on for a win and maybe add to the score and make it more comfortable but it turned out to be neither as Leicester significantly upped the tempo and their work-rate and Cardiff were unable to match it with inevitable consequences.

Fast and furious from the restart, Leicester truly battered us and City looked dazed. With five in midfield, we still looked outnumbered but that was also due to players who were fast running out of steam. Gavin Rae, Steve McPhail and Koumas were way short of full match fitness while Burke had one of his poorer shows and Whitts, after an impressive opening 45, could do nothing right after the break. It left Keogh completely isolated and having no chance with hoisted balls towards him while being surrounded by two centre halves of 6’2’ and 6’5.

We looked like midgets against giants and, to make it worse, City were now failing to hold the ball on the rare occasions they got it and were making mistakes everywhere you looked.

Leicester have failed to score before 52 minutes all season and, bang on cue, they equalised in that very minute. After heavy bombardment, Wellard hoisted a ball into the box and nobody covered the run of KING, ghosting into the box, whose flicked header gave Marshall no chance.

Disappointingly, there was no Cardiff response at all to the setback and Leicester seemed only to intensify their pressure. Hudson and Gyepes, so comfortable before the break, were now being beaten and with midfield barely competing, Cardiff stayed level only thanks to Marshall making a double save and then a couple more. Praying for them to run out of steam, it was clearly Cardiff who had and they were behind on 68 minutes. A sweeping move and a sweeping finish with KING placing home superbly.

Dave Jones’ bench offered minimal options and the only changes were Blake and Wildig replacing McPhail and Koumas, the departing players were out on their feet. The incoming players, especially Wildig giving everything to burst forward and support Keogh, were understandably not able to make any impact at all.

City did get forward a couple of times in the closing stages, Keogh might even have levelled had he gambled and a stuck a leg out as Chris Burke’s shot flew across goal, another effort – after he swapped sides with Whitts – flew high and wide but it was very easy for Leicester to close out the game and how they never added a third when Marshall tried a play a quick goal kick to Naylor and gave it straight to Dyer who somehow hit the post instead of netting, I’ll never know.

The mood amongst City fans was subdued, they all knew we were a well beaten side but there was great disappointment that they failed to get something from the clash having been ahead at the break and their failure to make a decent fight of it second half.

Nobody was really bad for Cardiff but nobody had a good game either, they were individually and collectively very average over the 90 minutes but with high hopes that at least two of the missing five will be back for Ipswich away this weekend, Cardiff will be in a good position to go again and they’re more than capable of that.