With me posting messages on City matches on Sunday mornings, I’ve fallen into the habit of forgetting to mention the Cardiff City Women’s team because they play their matches a few hours later in the afternoon.
With them losing two games early in their season, it looked like they would not be involved in a title race which looked like it was coming down to a tussle between the North duo, Wrexham and TNS. However, City extended a winning run that has elevated them into third position, not too far behind the top two with an ultimately comfortable 3-1 win over Swansea last weekend despite falling behind to a thirty five yard howitzer.
An own goal had City level before half time and they hit the front with Haile Richards from the penalty spot in the 83rd minute and then three minutes later, Shannon Evans made sure of the win with a header from a corner.
As for City’s first team, they face the side fancied by many to lift the title come May, West Ham. It’s a mixed blessing that the game is being played at Cardiff City Stadium where we remain unbeaten because with three wins and three draws from their six away games, the Hammer’s away record is top of the table standard, but, with them down in eighth place and their manager Nuno Santos coming under pressure, it’s the three home defeats they’v e already suffered that is holding them back.
I was quietly confident that we could beat Birmingham, but, until you know what your centreback pairing is going to be as City potentially could be without Perry Ng, Dylan Lawlor, Calum Chambers, Kristian Bielik, Will Fish and Alex Robertson due to injury, Isaak Davies was not in the squad on Saturday and no reason has yet been given for this Callum Robinson still seems to be on the naughty step and Gabe Osho is serving the last game of his suspension.
So, it’s hard to know what to expect tomorrow – my mind goes back to a 4-1 win over the Hammers in a night match at about this stage of the 04/05. season when we were in a similar position to where we are now, but I think that the most likely outcome will be that we suffer a first home league defeat.
On to the quiz, I’ll post the answers on here on Thursday.
60s. This centreback had a brilliant claim to fame. As a graduate in modern languages, he was used as an interpreter by his first club in a bid to sign the great Alfredo Di Stefano from Real Madrid in 1964 – he flew out to Madrid as part of the club party in what turned out to be unsuccessful negotiations. Apart from West Ham, all of his clubs were based in his native country. He signed for West Ham after being a long term back up to a club legend and, more or less, had the same role during his three years at Upton Park. He moved from West Ham to another East End, before finishing up at the Rock. He passed away at 65, another footballing motor neurone disease victim, can you name him?
70s. Name the Cardiffian who played in the same West Ham sides as Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst.
80s. Did this striker con a World Cup winner?
90s. Are Inca warriors involved in physical exercise.
00s. Scorches famous frontman?
10s. Accompaniment at Mornflake Stadium?
20s. Taciturn speed merchant maybe!
