Lead over third place extended as free scoring Cardiff go twelve unbeaten.

3 Responses to Lead over third place extended as free scoring Cardiff go twelve unbeaten.

1. Dai Woosnam says:

   February 18, 2026 at 9:05 am

   Gosh Paul, we started slowly. We need to be switched on from Minute One at Home Park, in what I think will be our toughest test of the season. Hope to God he does not pick Chambers in defence… he was a liability last night.
   As for Glen Williams giving NG a 9 and ‘star man’ status: he should have deducted a point for that stupid foul you allude to… the one that gave them the free kick that led to their goal.
   Talking of which… when we form a wall across the pitch to defend a free kick taken from the touchline, we do seem quite vulnerable. Chambers let his man go into the space unhindered for their goal, and we had another hairy moment in the second half. What do you reckon the problem is?
   DW
2. Huw Perry says:

   February 18, 2026 at 11:51 am

   Thanks Paul.
   Great summary and that’s exactly as I saw it too.
   Not as crisp and assured as Saturday, it can’t complain when we score 4 goals can we?
   As you and Dai mention it was a slow start and the crowd a bit flat on a very cold evening. Credit to the Wimbledon fans though who turned up in good numbers and equally good voice throughout the match.
   Credit also to their team also who were a marked improvement on some of the recent visitors to CCS. The stats did not lie and they gave us a few anxious moments, but we are blessed with talent and firepower throughout the team – and bench – and another short purple patch of play did the job again.
   There were periods again, admittedly shorter than Saturday, when we have a momentum and quality which makes us virtually unplayable. Still leaving some goals out there though, but our heads never drop and this team are an absolute credit to their manager and coaching team.
   The improvement in players such as Joel C and Tanner in recent weeks is great to see, whilst Wintle, Robertson and Turnbull all look comfortable and excel in whichever midfield role is asked of them. Also good to see Fish back last night as sure he has felt a bit left out of it in recent weeks, but he was a very solid presence at the back.
   Just need to cut out the needless free kicks/ petty fouls though and protect possession a bit better – but guess I am nitpicking now!
   Plymouth will be a tough one as they are flying and scoring for fun, but hopefully we can keep things going and maintain that cushion at the top.

   Tanner was a consistent outlet
3. steve Perry says:

   February 18, 2026 at 1:38 pm

   Ta Paul, for your report on the AFC Wimbledon (h) game. What a cold night that was under the black Cardiff sky. As you wrote we were a little slow in getting going. Though we had large portions of the game, the quality of the final ball in the first period conspired against further goals than the younger Colwill’s lovely finish direct from a right-wing corner, whilst Wimbledon were no slouches and could have scored another goal or two with more precision at the top end of the pitch. As the warmth of the Grandstand beckoned, the visitors brought the scores level from Ng’s needless freekick.

   City needed to improve their game in the second half. This they did. City upped it by about 30% and scored two richly deserved goals in the first 15 mins. Ng’s header, again from a corner, and Tanner’s first finish of the season, really put us out of sight. Kellyman’s wonderful goal, stemming from an Ng pass into space which Robinson drifted out to collect before his reverse pass to the Chelsea loanee, ended with a beautiful goal into the far corner of the net.

   The score of 4-1 did not flatter us though the visitors would be unhappy that two of our efforts came from corners where the finisher was unchallenged. That said, we completed the game rarely having to move out of second gear. SofaScore, incidentally, scored 9 of our players 7/10 or above (four being 8/10 above).

   Mr Mather was certainly not the worst referee we’ve had this season, though the churlish might draw our attention to the challenge on Ashford and a foul in the box which both went unpunished. As it was he did his best to keep the game flowing and was not the centre of attention due to his inadequacy.

   Two further gripes about football today and last night in particular. The number of, ‘teddy bear picnics,’ we now see with a player going down injured so that a gaggle of his team-mates can get instructions form the bench must be outlawed. Secondly, the number of players going to ground clutching their heads has mushroomed since the protocols were brought in. And to cap it all the two worst incidents, by a country mile, I’ve seen this season, Salech (Stockport) and Davies (Rotherham) were ignored / missed.

   Well, a win is a win in anybody’s language and we move on.