Champions Burnley see off Eddie Newton inspired City in 91/92.

Posted on February 15, 2011 by The other Bob Wilson

The arrival of Rick Wright at the back end of the 1990/91 season had transformed the outlook at Cardiff City. Home gates had occasionally dipped below 2,000 during the seasons we spent in the basement when we weren’t chasing promotion and there were constant money worries at a club which I would say was at it’s lowest ebb since it joined the Football League in 1920. The Barry based businessman changed all that though, culminating in what was arguably the most successful season in our history in 1992/93 as, for only the second time, City finished as Champions of their division – the Welsh Cup was also won that year.

The arrival on loan in March 1991 of midfield player Kevin McDonald, who had been part of Liverpool’s double winning team only five years earlier didn’t have the desired effect on results, but it did send out the signal that, for just about the first time in more than a decade, City had the resources to match their ambition. In saying that mind, the summer months of 1991 saw plenty of talk from Mr Wright about what he was going to do do, but nothing in the way of action on the transfer front and a young team featuring the likes of Allan Lewis and Robin Semark were beaten 2-1 at Ninian Park by Lincoln City on the opening day of the 1991/92 campaign.

Wright’s response to this setback was dramatic as first team coach (it was emphasised by the club that he wasn’t the manager!) Eddie May was allowed to spend around £200,000 on three new players by the time the team played again four days later, against Bournemouth in the League Cup. Northern Ireland international Paul Ramsey, an aggressive midfield player who became team captain, arrived from Leicester for £40,000 while another Northern Irishman Paul Millar cost £65,000 from Port Vale with the plan being that he would accompany Carl Dale, bought for £95,000 from Chester, up front but, in the event, while Dale became City’s best striker in years, Millar proved to be more effective as a combative midfield player with a terrific lefted shot.

City's 1991/92 squad - this picture was taken before the arrival of Messrs Ramsey, Millar and Dale.

Although all three newcomers were to prove themselves to be quality players at basement level, results were still patchy with too many drawn games ensuring that the first half of the campaign was spent in mid table. A run of one defeat in fourteen matches in all competitions built up momentum though and when struggling Maidstone United arrived at Ninian Park on new Years Day 1992, City were handily placed in ninth position having been unbeaten in eight league games.  However, a few of our our players performed like they had come to the ground straight from their New Year’s Eve celebrations and a 5-0 defeat which, actually, could have been a lot worse than that but for some good saves by young keeper Gavin Ward, ensued.

A 1-0 home win over Hereford (courtesy of a Carl Dale goal well into added time) and a goalless draw at Lincoln went some way to erasing memories of the Maidstone debacle, but City were struggling to create chances so, once again, Rick Wright came up with the cash as a couple of loan signings who would make an instant impact were brought in. The missing creativity was provided by Chelsea youngster Eddie Newton who would become a regular in the Londoner’s midfield soon after his return from Cardiff. With the work ethic to back up his flair and talent, Newton was too good really for the level we were playing at and I would say he is still one of the best loan signings we have ever made, but if it was the Chelsea man who took all of the plaudits, the contribution of the hard working Gerry Harrison, signed from Bristol City on a two month deal, on the flanks should not be ingored.

Newton and Harrison made their debuts on a miserable January afternoon against a Chesterfield team who had no answer to a City side playing with a style and panache not often seen at this level – the 4-0 scoreline being an accurate measure of the difference between the two teams. That win got the locals excited and this was reflected in two more 8,000 + crowds that turned up at Ninian Park to, firstly, listen to a fogbound 3-2 win over promotion contenders Mansfield and then watch a routine 3-0 win over struggling York.

The excellent Eddie Newton - not so sure about that haircut though.

With the team also picking up points away from home, City now had an impetus behind them – they were in fifth place going into the much anticipated home game with leaders Burnley on 29 February. Burnley, managed by ex City defender Jimmy Mullen were destined to win the league by a margin of six points, but there was a genuine optimism around that City could be joining them in the third tier and the biggest home league crowd for eleven years was present to see their team play well and generally have the edge in an absorbing battle.

The visitors were grateful to their on loan from Hearts goalkeeper Nicky Walker for keeping them on level terms on more than one occasion, but Burnley had the resilience of Champions and struck twice in the last five minutes. Adrian Randall silencing the home crowd with a low shot and then, as City piled forward looking for the equaliser, top scorer Mike Conroy finished off an incisive counter attack to inflict  a harsh defeat on City – back in those days it was almost taken as read that City would “bottle it” when a big crowd turned up at Ninian Park, but that wasn’t the case on this occasion, they had played well, but come up against a confident and well motivated team.

A 2-1 win over Walsall three days later suggested City had got over what was a big setback, but it’s impact could be gauged by the side then going six games without a win. Harrison had returned to Bristol City now and, by the time City returned to winning ways with a 4-0 home win over lowly Halifax, Newton’s time at the club was almost over as well. His Ninian Park swansong came in a 3-1 win over Barnet on Easter Monday that saw him chaired off the pitch by City fans wanting to thank him for his contribution over the past three months. That win kept us in the chase for a Play Off position, but a 3-1 defeat in Newton’s last match, in front of 12,000 in the reverse fixture at Burnley, left them with too much to do and they finished up three points short of the last Play Off place.

A year later City fans were celebrating promotion and a Championship as, having added the likes of Phil Stant, Kevin Ratcliffe, Nick Richardson and Derek Brazil to their ranks, they powered their way to the title. That word “powered” is significant thouhgh because that was how I thought they ended up winning so many of their games – there can be no doubt that the 92/93 side were the better team, but, when Eddie Newton and co got it right in 91/92, I reckon they played the  better football.

29 February 1992

Cardiff City 0 Burnley 2

City Ward; Perry, Baddeley, Gibbins, Searle; Harrison (Griffith), Newton, Ramsey, Blake (Gorman); Dale, Pike

Burnley Walker; Measham, Farrell, Davis, Jakub; Harper, Randall (1), Deary, Eli (Lancashire); Conroy (1), Francis; sub (not used) Bray

HT 0-0

Att. 16,030

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1-0 to the Car-ar-diff.

Posted on February 13, 2011 by The other Bob Wilson

“After the Lord Mayor’s show” has been an overworked term in the past forty eight hours or so. It was used in the media before yesterday’s match, I used it myself during it as City struggled to break down the massed defence of a team in a wretched run of form and afterwards it was there again as the debates over a second successive 1-0 win clinched with a goal in the eighty fifth minute started. Given the highs of last Sunday and the more mundane fare (in terms of intensity anyway) on offer yesterday, it’s use is perfectly understandable on lots of levels, but, on reflection, maybe it’s more accurate to use “after the Lord Mayor’s show” in relation to the performance of one or two of our players rather than the side as a whole?

I say that because I don’t think we played too badly yesterday – our finishing and final ball could have been better, but, by often switching the ball from flank to flank with long passes in the first half, I thought we put in the groundwork which led to a very tired Scunthorpe side being eventually unable to deny us any longer as the ball continuously kept on coming back at them from about the seventy five minute mark onwards.

Usually when a game is going the way it did against Scunthorpe, I tend to get quite negative about our chances of making the breakthrough and accept that it was just not meant to be, but I never felt like that yesterday. I was sure that a goal was coming and, although my belief in the team took a knock when Jon Parkin’s effort was ruled out by what, from the television pictures, looked a dubious looking offside decision against Jay Bothroyd, my determination to “keep the faith” (another well over used term!) was rewarded  a minute later when Seyi Olofinjana bundled in (with the aid of a deflection off a defender’s head?) the winner.

It may have been scruffy, but who cares - Seyi Olofinjana's late header clinches the win.

Scunthorpe manager Ian Barraclough claimed his side were worth “at least a point” after the game, but, while defeat must be hard to take when your team were so close to taking a point which just might have kickstarted the revival that his seemingly relegation doomed outfit need so desperately, twenty one goal attempts to five and ten corners to nil tells it’s own story. The outcome might have been harsh on a side who had defended so resolutely, but, for me, it was, undoubtedly, the right one.

So much of City’s build up play was very good, but the fact that visiting keeper Josh Lillis was barely extended despite those twenty one goal attempts says all you need to know about finishing which lacked precision. I thought Chris Burke did well when he came on, but his shooting, as well as his reaction to good chances against Reading and Swansea, betrayed a lack of confidence in front of goal at odds with what we saw from him last season.

The main culprit though was Craig Bellamy who, despite numerous attempts, never came remotely close to hitting a shot as sweetly as he did at Swansea. Speaking as someone who has defended Bellamy against some of the criticism he was getting earlier in the season, I thought he was one of the players who the “after the Lord Mayor’s show” criticism could be aimed at – in my view he was generally poor yesterday and the team actually seemed to improve after he went off. The same could be said of Michael Chopra who, after looking in good form since the turn of the year, had one of those games which has you questioning his worth to the team – it was like the Nottingham Forest match in November revisited for Chopra yesterday, but I hope Dave Jones doesn’t react in the same way as he did back then by dropping the player because yesterday wasn’t at all typical of his recent form.

I would say though that the good performances outweighed the bad ones yesterday – Paul Quinn was impressive at right back and played with a confidence gained by having an extended run in the team, while in midfield, one misplaced pass which could have had disastrous consequences apart, Aaron Ramsey again showed that while there may be debates about whether he is ready for an Arsenal return yet, he is a class act at this level. Alongside Ramsey, Seyi Olofinjana continued the improvement he had shown at the Liberty Stadium and there was much more than just his goal that was good in his game, but the most satisfying individual contribution for me was Jason Koumas’ cameo after replacing Chopra.

It was interesting to see virtually the whole team go to Jason Koumas to celebrate the goal - recognition and appreciation of someone who is emerging from a crisis of confidence perhaps?

Koumas had looked more confident and bright even before he provided the cross which led to the goal, but when he did that he made what was his first major contribution in a league game this season. From his own perspective, I can understand Ian Barraclough’s disappointment that his players allowed the cross to be put in, but it was a quality ball which just demanded to get the response from attacking players that it did. It came about because Koumas came up with a reminder of his 2005/06 form as he created that little bit of space for himself and, having done that, he was able to rely on his inate ability which, whatever he has been through over the past few years, has never gone away.

Who knows, that cross may just turn out to be an all too brief reminder of what Koumas is capable of as his contributions sink back to the level that has typified his second spell at Cardiff, but at least now there is something positive from the 20110/11 Jason Koumas that City fans can file away for the future. A month or so ago, I read on a messageboard that the club had given up on Koumas for the season as his problems on and off the pitch were really taking a toll on him, but that didn’t tie in with the pictures I saw of him training with new signings Dekel Keinan and Aaron Ramsey last month or his inclusion on the substitute’s bench since the Reading game. Hopefully, there just might be more of the same to come from Jason Koumas over the coming months and what a bonus that would be if there was.

Finally, having been prattling on for months on here about our lack of clean sheets and 1-0 wins, we have now had two of them on the trot. Now I know that keeping out a Scunthorpe side who have not found the net in four of their last five away matches and whose attack generally looked to have forgotten what to do when they got within range of our goal might not look to be anything special, but it is certainly a step in the right direction. The same can be said of our new found ability to win tight games which are decided by a single goal – it’s a knack that took us too long to discover, but, having done so, it’s essential that we keep it over the coming months.

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