As I often say, football has such a habit of making me, and millions of others, look like idiots. Take this evening’s game between Cardiff City and Hull City for example, the suggestion from some was that Cardiff, the team that cannot keep clean sheets with a defensive selection severe migraine, as opposed to headache, would have to play an all out attacking game to stand any chance of getting anything from the fixture – usually, City need to score at least two to win, but with their defensive absentees, that would, no doubt, have to be three this time.
To be fair to myself, I never thought City going all gung-ho in a game between the teams in twenty first and twentieth positions in the table where a draw would leave left both teams four points above the best placed of the three sides in the drop zone was ever likely.
This was a game which some were saying was pivotal to City’s season and I always had this down as a tense, tight affair with the problem for me being that we were bound to let in one goal at least and so the best I could see us getting was a draw.
I wouldn’t have been to disappointed with one point from such an important game, but it turned out to be three as we kept only our second clean sheet in the league since that draw at West Brom back in October.
I was right about it being tense and tight though as one goal early in the second half proved enough to win it and the truth was that it was only in the final minutes that a Hull team which had won four out of its previous five away matches put our goal under any threat. City’s makeshift back four turned in a collective performance that was better than many seen by our first choice back line this season.
Mind you, if Hull centreback Alfie Jones had found the net from an unmarked position eight yards out, as he should have done, rather than direct his header straight at Ethan Horvarth for what was the recalled American’s only real save of the night, then I think Omer Riza would really have got it in the neck from City fans. I say that because for the majority of the match it seemed that his team were happy to stick everyone behind the ball and invite Hull to break them down.
I said earlier, that I never expected a gung-ho ho approach from City, but I was surprised how defensively minded we were even when we didn’t have a lead to protect.
That said, it was true that City, when they did commit men forward, caused the visiting defence problems and the stats show that Riza’s team had eight goal attempts to four, with four of them on target whereas that Jones header was Hull’s only on target effort.
So, cautious or not, I’d say City deserved their win and I think it’s fair to add that only the most demanding supporter would fail to be satisfied with a return of four points from two games against relegation rivals following the limp display on the ground of another one of the sides at the bottom a fortnight ago.
In the end, City’s team did not look quite as patched up as had been feared. The absence of Will Alvez was a surprise, but that was compensated for by the return of Alex Robertson to the bench, while Calum Chambers and Callum Robinson were fit enough to start – Joel Bagan was another injury doubt who was able to be named as a substitute.
City lined up with Horvarth in for the injured Jak Alnwick, with a back four of Andy Rinomhota, Will Fish, Perry Ng and Callum O’Dowda (who took over the captaincy). Chambers was accompanied by Sivert Mannsverk in midfield, Chris Willock and Cian Ashford were on the wings with Robinson in the centre behind Yousef Salech.
There was the obligatory non event of a first half in City home games before a better second period, but even after half time, it was hardly a great watch as much of the ‘action’ consisted of Hull probing away patiently,but never really getting anywhere againzst a disciplined and effective showing by City out of possession. Of course, given our record this season, you were always waiting for the mistake that would undo all of the good work, but, although Rinomhota went through a five to ten minute period where his mistakes offered Hull some hope, it never came.
By the standards of recent first halves at Cardiff City Stadium, there was ever so slightly more to get excited about from City than normal. They moved the ball brightly and pretty quickly fo set up a couple of shooting opportunities for Robinson who scuffed the first one into the side netting and got a better effort away which drew a save out of ivor Pandur although our top scorert may have been better served looking for a colleague. Ashford was a lively presence on the wings, he gave Hull captain Lewie Coyle quite an awkward evening and in time added on at the end of the half, he ran from halfway to set up Salech who gave Pandur a more difficult shot to save as he palmed out a well struck effort from twelve yards.
In response, Hull had plenty of possession, but, apart from half hearted claims for a penalty when Kyle Joseph went down as Horvarth dived at his feet, they offered nothing in terms of a goal threat.
As they have done in a few home league games lately, City started the second half strongly, Ashford did well again to earn a free kick twenty yards out and Ng’s shot drew the save of the match (not a very high bar there mind!) from Pandur as he turned the ball around the post.
City kept up the attacking momentum though and a fine ball by Mannsverk picked out Willock whose cross saw Salech challenge a defender as the ball dropped to Robinson stood near the penalty spot who got a good contact on his volley, but it needed a slight deflection off Hull midfielder Regan Slater to beat Pandur.
It had looked like a game that would be decided by one goal and, from then on it’s true to say that City’s main aim was to make sure that it was. Hull made three substitutions almost immediately and City responded by bringing on Isaak Davies and Robertson for Robinson and Willock.
Further substitutions saw Bagan go into midfield to replace Chambers, Anwar El-Ghazi on for Salech and, towards the end, Rubin Colwill for Ashford as you definitely got the impression that a fair number of those in the match day squad would not have been involved if injuries had not bitten as deeply as they had.
There was a cross from Hull that Matt Crooks looked sure to score off until Ng, who was excellent tonight, managed to throw his body in the way to make sure the ball flew just wide for a goal kick and Joe Gelhardt made a mess of a decent shooting opportunity from twenty yards, but it was a testimony to the patched up defence that it was more what was at stake than anything the visitors were doing to suggest an equaliser was coming which made for the tense atmosphere late on. 1-0 wins may not always be the best to watch, but Ive always thought that seasons are built on them and the fact that this is only the second one we’ve managed in the league this season tells its own story.
City are up to thirty six points then and a bonus for them was that a Middlesbrough team that had lost its last five games went to Stoke and won 3-1, so we go above the potteries side, as well as Hull, to nineteenth.
A quick mention of two other games played today, City’s under 21s came back from going an early goal down to draw 1-1 at Bristol City with Rocco Simic getting the goal. There was also a great result for the Welsh women’s team as they drew 1-1 with Sweden, who are ranked in the world’s top ten, at Wrexham in the Nations League following their 1-0 loss in Italy on Friday – Kayleigh Barton’s penalty pegged back the Swedes who had led for over an hour after going ahead early on.
