Danny at the double!
WARD BAGS A BRACE AS BLUEBIRDS ROUND OFF PRE-SEASON IN SOME STYLE REPORT:
Canada against Jamaica in the Gold Cup earlier this month, the winger very nearly doubled Cardiff’s lead with a fine individual effort, although his curling effort went wide of former Bluebird goalkeeper Neil Alexander’s far post.
Hoilett’s fellow winger MendezLaing netted the opener in the dying embers of the first half at Shrewsbury, and he should have done the same in the Welsh capital, but he was unable to keep his shot on target from 18 yards out.
Warnock sent on Bruno Manga, Kadeem Harris, Brian Murphy and Ward for the second half, and the latter came close to scoring his first goal for the Bluebirds just six minutes into the second half having used his pace to get in behing the Livingston defence, but Alexander just about managed to claw the striker’s effort away.
But the former Rotherham man was soon celebrating his first goal for his new club as he linked up with Harris before lashing home from close range at the second attempt to put Cardiff 2-0 ahead.
There’s no doubt Zohore will be the star striker this term having scored 12 league goals between December and May last season, but Ward certainly gave Warnock food for thought as he rounded off a lovely move from the hosts that saw Gunnarsson feed Manga on the right wing, and the Gabon international put it on a plate for the striker to tap home his second of the game.
Having already claimed an assist, Manga soon turned scorer as he rose above the Livingston defence to head from Matthew Kennedy’s corner to put the Bluebirds in complete command.
So as the rain mercifully stopped in the final stages of the game, the Bluebirds will have been smiling as they looked up to the skies when the fulltime whistle was blown as they got in their final prayers for their dream of promotion into the promised land of the Premier League to come true this season.
Cardiff City: Etheridge (Murphy 45), Halford (Manga 45), Bamba, Morrison, Bennett, Ralls, Gunnarsson, Mendez-Laing (Richards 74), Hoilett (K Harris 45) (Kennedy 62), Tomlin (Pilkington 71), Zohore (Ward 45).
Subs not used: Damour. Livingston: Alexander (Maley 76), Knox (Longridge 45), Lithgow (Robinson 58), Byrne, Pittman (Todorov 45), Mullen (Peters 72), Jacobs (Cadden 58), Carrick (Mullin 45), De-Vita (Mackin 67), Halkett, Gallagher.