It took a quarter of a century, but Cardiff City finally got to a hat trick of Boxing Day victories in the new Millennium this afternoon with a tight, but deserved, 1-0 win over Exeter City in front of a crowd of over 22,000 at Cardiff City Stadium.
Reaction to the game has been pretty negative on the message board I’ve visited which seems somewhat harsh to me. I mentioned above that it was a tight match with a lot less of the thrills and spills that have been the norm for home matches this season, but a look at Exeter’s record, particularly away from home, should have told people what sort of match it was going to be.
Exeter tend to lose their away games (it’s nine out of eleven in the league with six straight losses now I believe), but they’ve conceded just thirteen on their travels and their figure of twenty let in overall was one less than we’d conceded.
Our visitors today did what it says on the tin, they were resilient, disciplined and well organised defensively, but offered little going forward and so their habit of strongly contested away games which they lose by the barest of margins continues.
We’d conceded eight goals in our last three home matches amid talk of dodgy defending, but, admittedly against opponents that didn’t offer as much of a threat as Huddersfield, Doncaster and Chelsea, there wasn’t much you could criticise Perry Ng, Calum Chambers, Dylan Lawlor and Joel Bagan for as they helped make it a quiet afternoon for Matt Turner who claimed his first league clean sheet.
Ryan Wintle and Alex Robertson were paired together again in central midfield with man of the match contender Amari Kellyman continuing to prove himself a more than capable deputy for Rubin Colwill in the number ten position and it was Cian Ashford and Isaak Davies out wide providing support for Yousef Salech.
City made what was to be a misleadingly positive start to the game as Exeter’s impressive young goalkeeper Joe Whitworth tipped a Robertson free kick from about thirty yards around the post. Whitworth then blocked a Chambers header from a corner without knowing too much about it as City searched for, but failed to get, the early goal that may have made it a very different type of afternoon to how it worked out.
Having weathered that early pressure, Exeter settled into the game and were probably enjoying their best period of the match when City next threatened as Davies beat his marker to get away a shot which forced another good save from Whitworth.
Apparently, the half time stats showed Exeter winning something like twelve tackles to our two. This was a big element in helping them force City back as the half wore on. Jack Aithchison forced Turner into his one serious save of the afternoon, but our most anxious moments came from a goalmouth scramble that began with us being caught out for at least the fourth time this season by a corner rolled to the edge of the penalty area for someone to run on to and shoot. Fortunately, this time the Exeter player involved decided to take a touch before attempting his shot, but even so, there was still a fair amount of play pinballing about in our penalty area before the danger was averted.
City came out looking more business like after the break and had wrested the initiative off their opponents when they struck with the decisive goal in the fifty third minute.
In many ways, it looked quite a simple goal, but there were so many times when it all could have gone wrong if the two individuals involved had not responded in such a skilful manner.
Dylan Lawlor was the architect of the goal with a run out of defence with the ball and he then had the vision to spot Alex Robertson’s run from deep and deliver the perfect pass for the midfielder to run onto. There was still much for Robertson to do, but his first touch was exemplary and he then had the calmness to switch the ball onto his left foot and place it beyond the advancing Whitworth into the net from about fifteen yards. On first viewing, there seemed some doubt as to whether Robertson was offside, but, having now seen a replay of the goal, it’s clear he is onside – Robertson timed his run to perfection.
Taking the lead gave City a degree of control, but Exeter’s continuing defensive efficiency meant that this was not reflected by many signs of them doubling their advantage.
Salech headed over from the one real chance he had to show his aerial prowess and he must still be wondering how he didn’t score after Ashford and Robertson combined delightfully to see the former dummy a defender before rolling his shot against an upright. No matter though, it seemed all Salech had to do was make contact with the ball to make it 2-0 and he did this as he instinctively stabbed it towards the goal only for Whitworth to make his best save of the afternoon by diverting the ball over.
City brought on Chris Willock, Joel Colwill, David Turnbull, Ronan Kpakio and Will Fish as they kept Exeter at arm’s length for most of the second half.
Indeed, it wasn’t until added time that there were any serious alarms for the home team as sub Reece Cole’s snapshot flew narrowly over and a mistimed punch by Turner some fifteen seconds before the final whistle caused some Cardiff consternation before the ref brought proceedings to a close.
It was a rare afternoon where all of the teams at the top won and it was looking quite concerning at half time for City as Lincoln, Bradford and Bolton were all ahead. It had all changed by the time the games reached the ninety minute mark as there had been equalisers in all three matches involving our closest challengers. We were on the brink of moving five points clear at the top , but all three teams were able to score in added time (Bradford against a nine man Wigan) to record wins which left the position at the top of the table very much as you were.
Paul,
Thanks for your fine report. I agree with most of it. Just one or two queries for you to ‘put me right’ on.
Btw, before I start… congrats for getting me checkmate with your killer 9th comment in our last post…
Looking again at my recording of yesterday, did Lawlor really ‘spot Robertson s run’ so much as ‘Robertson spot Lawlor’s pass’?
That is to say that I like you watched the recording because I too had wondered if he was offside… but was pleased to see him holding back from his run to stop going early and being caught offside. Robertson is almost level with Sweeney at the moment the ball leaves Lawlor’s foot, and accelerates into a run proper only then, to beautifully control the long pass… and administer the coup de grace.*. Clearly this was a pre-arranged move and Robertson was waiting for the moment to beat the high line.
More long passes into green space in the opposition half would be more than acceptable.
Thank you for noting that hopeless punch by our keeper in the dying seconds. That could have been fatal. Let’s hope Trott is fit for the next game.
Just watched both my favourite Argyle blogs on the Boxing Day debacle. Cornish John thought the sending off of Joe Ralls was a diabolical decision… but Pieface and Sam Downes both hailed it as a wise decision by the referee, since the double jeopardy rule only applies to penalties, if the offending player has made an attempt to play the ball.
Joe alas did not… he pulled the guy down by his shirt… this getting both red card and penalty against him.
*if I hear another football commentator mispronouncing this as ‘KOO-DE -GRAH instead of the correct ‘GRASS’… I swear I will go nuts. This nonsense came from America (those wonderful people who gave us Vincent Van GO…)
DW
Again, thank-you Paul for your report on yesterday’s fixture. I would agree with you that it was a, ‘tight,’ game however, not for the first time this season, we had ONE striker against the opposition’s three centre backs. This has contributed to that fact many times this season.
If you’re starving even a bit of mouldy old bread will be savoured. Cardiff City v Exeter this Boxing Day was no Michelin feast, nor even a pie and chips from the local chippy, but with our recent record on that day even a mouldy crust of a performance would do. Perhaps I’m being a bit harsh, Turner had only one save to make, but for all our possession (60%); passes (535) and passing accuracy (87%) our 4 shots on target (and one goal) was scant reward for virtual total domination. Though, in fairness, the visiting keeper stopped four or five, ‘certainties.’ This was more of a beefburger from your local, I guess. It satisfies in part for a time but is quickly forgotten.
The goal, when it came, was above the standard of the game. A peach of a through ball from Lawlor, instant control from Robertson and a deft left foot finish. Had the visiting goalkeeper not committed himself to the ludicrous futsal, starfish position so prevalent today he could have saved it. So be it! “One-nil to the Cardiff!”
So we come once more to the second striker conundrum. Yes, if we play a second striker, we would take a player away from somewhere else. But that is against a backdrop of having SEVEN PLAYERS IN NOMINALLY DEFENSIVE POSITIONS, in the Third Division, where the finishing is not as clinical as in the Championonship. Two holding central defensive midfielders, sitting in front of the defence (Wintle and AN Other), is excessive for me (at least at this level). Admittedly the PL might be a different matter but the Third Tier is not the PL. The question I would ask is would Toshack have scored the number of goals he did (was it 100 in 4 seasons?) without Clark alongside him (and vice versa) or Chopra without Bothroyd?
Permit me, readers, this Christmas time one or two meanderings.
Dai, yes, Plymouth did sport a lighter green kit once upon a time. In fact, I believe it was in 1968 (may be wrong), they wore the best kit I have ever seen in over 65 years of football (at Ninian Park incidentally). Their green shirts (white/black band); green shorts and black socks was BEW-TEE-FULL! I have a really vague recollection that they wore the white version of the kit the following season.
https://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Plymouth_Argyle/Plymouth_Argyle.htm
On things Plymouth, their, ‘Pie Man,’ brings to mind the City striker Dai Thomas and the chant, “Who ate all the pies?” It’s strange what sticks in your mind decades on.
To conclude with some sad news. In an age where the term, ‘greatness,’ is thrown about like confetti, and thus devalued, it is sad to report the death of a true great … one John Robertson, winger of excellence, who played for that great Brian Clough iteration of Nott’m Forest. Anyone who ever saw him play will need no persuading as to his ability. But for those who didn’t …
https://x.com/i/status/1087047108388143104
https://youtu.be/L6YReenEqts?si=FrYJuDMdQZ77E7c1
What mince-meat he’d make of the modern PL full back who, 95% of the time, simply follows inverted wingers across the 18 yard line. What a player Robertson was.
It was on April 23rd 1977 that Cardiff City played a Division 2 game at the City Ground, Nottingham. The home team were on the verge of promotion whilst City were trying to claw their way to safety. It was like the Alamo; attack and defence. The only problem was that Nott’m F did all the attacking and City all the defending. Yet miraculously a Sayer goal (on 25 mins) secured the points for the Bluebirds. John Robertson played in that game. It was a privilege for me to watch him mesmerise the opposition that sunny afternoon, even if that was us, such was his masterclass of wing play.
A shout-out to Paul and his MaYA comment on that season and game …
https://mauveandyellowarmy.net/197677-and-city-recover-from-a-stuffing-at-home-to-record-an-amazing-win-at-the-city-ground/
A must read article on the man …
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6693576/2025/12/25/john-robertson-tribute-nottingham-forest/?source=emp_shared_article
As Henry Winter has recently written: “The Nottingham Forest legend, who has passed away aged 72, was a joyous, skilful winger who made kids fall in love with the game and reminded adults what the game was really about: beating an opponent with skill and delivering. Above all, Robertson made the game look easy and made it fun to watch.”
Yes, John Robertson was a true great.
RIP John Robertson [1953-2025]; May his memory be a blessing.
I love to see someone put the same effort into his comments that Paul puts into his original reports. Whether I agree with the comments is by-the-by.
And I have no hesitation in saying that Steve Perry is a real star… and does very nearly as many hard yards as Paul.
As it happens on the ‘two up front’ thing, I am in TOTAL agreement with Steve… although I would gently suggest he reads Paul’s rather clever final 9th comment on the Lincoln page. It did not exactly defeat our argument, but it did make me pull up to a screeching halt somewhat… and make me have a serious rethink.
Paul’s masterstroke was in telling us we were the top scorers in the division* and if we kept the scoring rate up, we would be destined to end the season with 85 goals. So his argument goes ‘if it ain’t broke, etc., etc.’
I would counter of course by saying that we have the second highest wage bill in our division… and there’d be something wrong if we weren’t amongst the top scorers.
But let’s face realities: Steve and I do not have a monopoly of ‘the truth’ on the ‘two up front’ thing. There is indeed a case that could be made for the single striker… but it is a rare man who can carry off the role.
And Yousef is no Drogba, Diego Costa, Mark Hughes, Benzema, etc… all strikers who could play as well with their backs to the goal as facing it.
Now a word to endorse both Paul and Steve’s high praise of John Robertson. I recall being with my schoolmaster brother-in-law Islwyn on the Bob Bank watching this tubby Forest winger work his magic… and us both raving about him as we drove back to our homes in Mornington Meadows in Caerphilly (where I lived from 1975-1999).
He was one of several fine left wingers I recall in my youth who did not conform to the identikit version of footballers with alpha male photogenic physical excellence. The names of Jimmy Leadbetter, Tosh Chamberlain, and our own Derek Hogg spring to mind…
Will sign off now… oh but before I do, a word to my compadre Steve. Although I have a dear wife who offers to finance any online subscription I wish to take up, I determinedly try to pay my own way and not live in her pocket. So unlike 3 of my siblings, a sister in law and brother in law, and several nephews snd nieces, and crucially dear Steve here, I am not in receipt of anything like the handsome teachers’ index-linked private pension. So I have to jump paywalls.
And I am sure there are others in the MAYA universe who grated/gnashed their teeth when faced with a link to The Athletic that was unclickable for them.
So for them I present the same article with the paywall now hurdled.
https://tinyurl.com/29ezfu9z
*and well done Steve for reminding us that in Old Money we are in the THIRD DIVISION.
And one thing for sure, we would not be anything like top scorers in the Championship… indeed the team would emphatically be bottom half in terms of points won.
TTFN,
Dai.
Thanks Paul for usual excellent summary.
Thanks also to Dai and Steve for their usual erudite words. All very well put and adding lots of colour to this community!
Feeling totally inadequate with my more basic comments, so will keep it short:-
Firstly, good to secure a Boxing Day win as I am sure we are all very familiar with the old sinking feeling of great anticipation, big crowd and rubbish performances in too many recent years.
Good to get a secure clean sheet after recent defensive wobbles.
Agree that a moment of true quality with the Lawlor/ Robertson link-up. Another in the fine catalogue of quality goals in recent weeks
Kellyman now really beginning to look the part in that Rubin position – he really is a class act.
Also hope Trott returns asap as, solid though Turner is, as well as the dodgy punch I also thought we missed something with general distribution from the back without Trott’s variety of tricks and kicks.
Thanks for a fine reminder Steve of the talents of John Robertson. What a player! Very fond memories of watching Forest in their pomp and he was instrumental in their success in the Clough era.
Paul – haven’t seen Mornington Meadows in print for many a year. Brought a smile to my face as an ex- Caerphilly native myself. Happy days?
Happy New Year to all and let’s hope for another 3 points tomorrow night and try and keep that momentum going.
As usual, thanks for the replies. On the subject of two up front, I’ve nothing to add except that Dai may recall that when the subject came up last season, I was all for giving it a go because playing one striker clearly was not working for a team that was destined to finish bottom of the Championship as we played out the season with just the one guy up front. This time around, we are almost certainly going to go into the New Year at the top of our league and although Huddersfield have now overtaken us as top scorers in League One, goalscoring is not a problem for us, so I don’t see that there is a need to change things around.
Huw, I agree about Trott, apart from the Cup game with Wimbledon when Turner had a bit of a mare, I don’t think he’s let us down, but he’s no Nathan Trott and we aren’t quite the same with him missing,
Dai, you hit on an interesting angle with your remarks about whether Lawlor really did pick out Robertson’s run on Boxing Day. I think he did, but is that because knowing what sort of player Lawlor is, I give him the benefit of any doubt – if, say, a Jason Perry or a Darren Purse had played exactly the same pass with exactly the same result, I would probably have said there was an element of luck involved and the pass was not intentional. I’ll stick with what I said in my piece about it being a goal where two highly skilled players combined perfectly to score, as Steve remarked, a goal out of keeping with the quality of the game, but I’ll also acknowledge that I may be wrong in thinking that.
Steve’s comments about Plymouth kits from the sixties got me thinking and I recalled that I’d watched this fairly recently;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUwC22HHihE
which shows that Argyle wore Steve’s favourite kit into the 70s (although it may have been a change kit by then given they were playing Fulham). I remember watching Plymouth wear the green and white kits Steve mentions at Ninian Park – I have a memory of them wearing the green when they lost heavily (4-1 is in my mind) and they also wore it in a a 1-1 draw on the opening day of a season (67/68?) when the score was 1-1.
A thank you to Steve for the John Robertson article and to Dai for providing a version of it with the paywall removed. It was a really good article which set me thinking more about Robertson and only added to a feeling that I’ve had since the announcement of his death that, without really realising it when he was in his pomp, he was one of my favourite players.
So, here’s just a few random thoughts about John Robertson. First, his career at Forest had, putting it mildly, plateaued and he was going nowhere at the club really until Brian Clough arrived (or maybe that should be Peter Taylor because I have read that it was him who really recognised the extent of Robertson’s talent). Secondly, I was never a great admirer of Clough’s most successful Forest team as I thought they were very much a counter attacking outfit which preyed on opposition errors and, although things changed to some extent in that department with the arrival of Trevor Francis, there was only Robertson who provided the flair and ability to lift the team above them being a hard working outfit somewhat lacking in the “x factor” – you could certainly understand why the instruction to the other 10 was often “get the ball to Robbo”!
Thirdly, I’m not sure about the Ryan Giggs comparison, Giggs would often beat his full back by sheer pace, I don’t think I ever saw Robertson do that. In fact, although I saw him beat countless full backs down the years, it was hard to work out how he did it. In that respect, he was a little like Barry John and Mark Ring from another sport as they used to glide past opponents in a way which owed little to pace and left you thinking “how did they manage to do that?”. Although he wasn’t fat like Clough and Taylor sometimes made him out to be, Robertson was hardly built for speed and, on the face of it, full backs should have been in for a fairly easy ninety minutes when they faced him. However, it never worked out like that, especially for a few years in the late seventies. Opponents sometimes doubled up on Robertson, but it made no difference – he’d leave his markers trailing in his wake and he’d do it through sheer skill and natural ability (I think!).