Cardiff pay for careless, wide open, start in away game.

Posted on November 1, 2026 by The other Bob Wilson

Cardiff City had one of their soft and naive away day afternoons today (or they did for the first half an hour at least) and, if you combine that with a repeat of Bolton where we put nearly all of our ten on target goal attempts too close to the keeper and the final scoreline of 3-0 in favour of Wolves looks pretty typical away fare for us in 26/27.

However, there was a bit more to this game than that, we showed at times the sort of progressive, attacking play that has earned us plaudits through the season, but it only came after we’d given ourselves a mountain to climb by conceding twice in the first fifteen minutes. 

Therefore, it’s probably true to say that Wolves were happy to let us have the ball in advanced areas as long as they defended well enough – the frustrating thing is that the home side weren’t always assured in their defending and there were the chances to get back into the game, but this was another day when our finishing was just not good enough.

Ten on target shots out of thirteen is quite impressive, as is the opposition goalkeeper being forced to save nine of them, but, with the possible exception of the one to tip Yousef Salech’s late header on to a post, none of José Sa’s saves could be called difficult.

Wolves also had thirteen goal attempts, but, in contrast to Sa, Nathan Trott only saved one of the four on target efforts they came up with. In fact, the match stats in some ways suggest a game we dominated:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cqrky864x8n6t#MatchStats

However, this was a case where that old line about lies, damned lies and statistics was proved to be correct because although 3-0 flattered Wolves, you have to say the better side won today.

That said, I’m not convinced Wolves are the real deal when it comes to automatic promotion on this evidence. What they do have are individuals with well above Championship levels of talent and, certainly early on, they attacked with speed and style.

A less pleasing side of the Wolves game plan was that they were as cynical a side as I’ve seen when it came to the ludicrously entitled “good fouls” in the modern game which are given away when it’s felt that an opponent is getting away from you.

Certainly, it’s hard to imagine a Wolves player being suckered into the sort of challenge we saw from Ollie Tanner on eleven minutes today.

Tanner’s way too late, token attempt at a tackle gave the home team’s impressive left back Hugo Bueno the opportunity to power forward some forty to fifty yards and clip over a cross which allowed Wolves’ star man Fer Lopez to stoop and bury a header beyond the advancing Trott from around the penalty spot.

While it looked like a devastating counter attack watching it live, I did wonder about a possible offside especially as Calum Scanlon immediately looked to the linesman for an off side flag, as, indeed, did the scorer.

Replays showed that Lopez looked offside and I’ve seen a picture on social media tonight which shows he was about a foot offside.

Tanner’s shoddy defending was part of a sloppy beginning to the game by the winger who has been playing so well recently. On the other flank, Chris Willock, in for Cian Ashford In the only change to the side which had started against Birmingham, had an under hit shot saved by Sa while the game was still goalless, but, that apart, he, like Tanner and a few others, started off in a low key, “off with the fairies” manner which you just cannot afford in an away game – let alone one against a top four side.

Joel Colwill was another who took a while to get going, but I thought he went on to be maybe the biggest single reason why the match did not end in the massacre it threatened to be early on – I’ve remarked about how Joel seems to find away games more challenging, but here I thought he was our best player.

To be fair to Tanner and Willock, they both improved as the game went on, with the former not doing badly at left back as BBM rang the changes, which included a first team debut for Charlie Holt, in a vain attempt to change the course of the game.

Four minutes after Lopez’s opener, Wolves again prospered down our right with Rafiki Said, another impressive performer, crossing for the completely unmarked Adam Armstrong to head in powerfully from around the same spot Lopez had scored from.

Offside or not for the first one, both of the goals had been far too easy.

Of course, it doesn’t help that we have so many defenders injured or suspended and there was no Callum Robinson again today (BBM wouldn’t elaborate as to exactly why) and it seems that Isaak Davies has some sort of injury because he was absent from the squad as well.

However, none of this should be an excuse for the mental sloppiness too many of our players showed early on and that sloppiness extended to passing which was not precise enough when counter attacking opportunities presented themselves in the first half especially.

City began to suggest that they could get back into the game as it closed in on half time and Tanner hit a well struck volley too close to Sa as we pressed for a goal.

Within thirty seconds of the restart, Joel Colwell broke through the defence, but the resultant shot again was too close to the keeper as were later efforts by Joel again and Alex Robertson.

It felt like things could get very interesting if we could get the game’s third goal, but, just before the hour mark, we self destructed again as Jack Moylan (having possibly his quietist game since signing for us) lost Ladislav Krejki at a Kieran Trippier corner and scored Wolves third headed goal with no opponent close enough to make his task any harder.

The one step forward to our usual two steps back on the player availability front came with the return of Rubin Colwill after a couple of months out – it seemed he was on the pitch for about ten minutes before he got a kick, but he did okay once he was able to get involved.

Sa wasn’t too convincing when he had to dive for shots and Moylan followed up a fumble from a shot by sub Cian Ashford I think it was to net, but it was typical of the sort of day it was to see the flag go up (probably correctly replays showed) to deny us even a consolation goal.

It was a bad day few days all round, the under 18s also went down 3-0 at QPR this afternoon, while Cambrian were beaten 2-0 last night at Colwyn Bay in the Cymru Premier with the one slight consolation being that they didn’t concede nine for a third straight away league game!

In the Highadmit South Wales Alliance Premier Division Treherbert Boys and Girls Club were beaten 2-1 by second placed Tara Steel Athletic, but at least Treorchy Boys and Girls Club maintained their recent improvement as they got themselves a couple of places off the bottom of Division One (East) with a 0-0 draw at Cwm Welfare.

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Seven decades of Cardiff City v Wolverhampton Wanderers matches.

Posted on October 30, 2026 by The other Bob Wilson

New signing from Manchester City Charlie Holt made a strong impression in his first game in City colours when he was instrumental in getting the under 21s into a winning position against Coventry at Leckwith in a disappointing 2-2 draw on Tuesday evening.

I say disappointing because City experienced a fade out in the final quarter of a game they had been fully in control of at 2-0 up during a first half where they played really well.

While the turnaround didn’t coincide exactly with Holt’s withdrawal around ten minutes into the second half, we certainly looked a better side when he was on the park. At 17, Holt was able to cope physically with under 21s football in a way that many of our young players of his age struggle to. 

I get that you shouldn’t read too much into just one game, but, on that limited evidence, Holt looks ready physically for first team football and technically he impressed with his range of passing and ability to cope with a press while playing the number six role. Again, it’d be wrong to get too carried away after just one game, but Holt looks like a definite step up from the young players we usually pick up from Premier League teams.

Going back to Tuesday’s game, Hayden Allmark put us ahead with a far post volley from a Jake Davies cross and Herbie James’ good finish has us two ahead against a team that were second best by some distance at the time.

However, sloppy defending allowed Coventry to quickly reply and once they had equalised midway through the second period, the visitors took control as we completely lost our way. Despite this, the fact that we were so much better than our opponents for most of the the match means this should have been a win.

On to tomorrow’s visit to Wolves which is the first of a trio of matches within a week against the teams relegated from the Premier League last season. It’s also the third of what should be a quartet of matches against sides sitting in the division’s top four. Following our loss at Blackburn in the first match after the international break, few would have given us a chance of getting anything at Middlesbrough, but our draw there followed by a deserved win over a Birmingham side in great form at the time means that we can travel to the Midlands with some degree of confidence.

Wolves sit fourth in the table with, like us, two wins and a draw in their last three matches, but I don’t think I’m being harsh here when I say the one word summary of their season so far may be underwhelming. 

Whether this is fair is arguable, as Wolves won only three times last season while compiling just twenty points – that’s a very poor return which suggests that life at the lower level may not be as comfortable as many thought it would be.

Nevertheless, Wolves should be favourites for Saturday’s game against a team that only has two points out of a possible eighteen on their travels – anything other than a home win would represent an improvement on last week’s impressive win over Birmingham as far as we’re concerned.

On to the quiz, the answers to which will be posted on here on Sunday.

60s. This lanky centreback is a Londoner and made a few appearances for the club that was probably closest to the area of the capital he was born in before his move to Wolves midway through the decade. He was mostly a regular selection as he clocked up close to two hundred league matches at Molineux. His next move saw him head north to wear stripes for a club in decline and he left them four years later following another relegation. His final move as a full time player saw him turn out for a team thats ground is shared with a prominent rugby side these days, but can you name him?

70s. This locally born midfielder began and ended his playing career with Wolves. Never a regular starter during his three seasons at Molineux, he spent a year playing for a team from Oregon before returning to the Midlands to play for a team that would have looked identical to Wolves if you were watching the two clubs play each other on a black and white TV during parts of this decade. It was at this club where he probably played the best football of his career and he become their Player of the Year in one of his four seasons with them. He stayed in the Midlands to play for another team you would have struggled to identify if you watched that black and white TV again before going on to play for a variety of sides from home and abroad, including one in Wales. His playing career ended at Wolves during their bleakest time. Our man also went into management taking charge of two non league clubs, one of which was a Welsh coastal outfit who play in green and black. Who is he?

80s. Destroy fleet in Cambridge or Wolverhampton! (5,7)

90s. Lurch into England international for a month at Molineux?

00s. During one of Dave Jones’ seasons in charge of Wolves they had nine players on their books who would have, or had already had, a spell at City. How many of them can you name?

10s. Which former Wolves player from this decade has been in the news this week for something that happened to him while he was out walking his dog?

20s. Ex Chelsea man from Tenerife turns up in South American capital!

Answers

60s. Southwark born John Holsgrove played for Crystal Palace, Wolves, Sheffield Wednesday and Stockport (who share their ground with Sale RFC) during an eleven year career.

70s. Barry Powell won England Under 23 caps in his first spell at Wolves, but it was no real surprise when he signed for Portland Timbers and then Coventry. Powell next played for Derby before playing for a variety of clubs including Burnley and Swansea. He ended his playing days back at Wolves during their brief spell in the old Fourth Division before having short stays with Aberystwyth and Hednesford.

80s. Floyd Streete.

90s. Dave “Lurch” Beasant spent a month on loan to Wolves in 92/93 during his time with Chelsea.

00s. Michael Oakes, Lee Naylor, Kenny Miller, Nathan Blake, Mark Kennedy, Kevin Cooper, Steven Bywater, Ryan Green (who never played a first team game for City during his spell on loan here from Millwall in 2002) and Sean Connolly (who Dave Jones appointed as a physio at City following his retirement.

10s. Jermaine Pennant, who had a loan spell at Wolves during 12/13 required more than fifty stitches after being attacked by a German Shepherd dog this week. Pennant’s own dog came to his rescue as it fought the attacker off.

20s. Pedro Lima.

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