CARDIFF CITY 1 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 1:
LEE Tomlin was the late hero for Cardiff City as his free-kick managed to maintain the Bluebirds’ undefeated home record this season in a 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday.
The visitors took the lead through an early Julian Borner strike and dominated the first half.
But it was very much a tale of two halves as the Bluebirds banged down the door after the break and, eventually, it was Tomlin who breached it with a beautiful free-kick to level the game.
To all intents and purposes, Neil Warnock looked to have named what many would consider his preferred starting line-up.
He finally had the chance to recall Neil Etheridge to the side, he employed a strong-looking midfield three of Marlon Pack, Joe Ralls and Leandro Bacuna and paired up his most dynamic wing partnership in Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Josh Murphy.
Sheffield Wednesday’s goalkeeper Keiren Westwood also picked up an injury in the warm-up.
The heavens completely opened before kick-off, too, and Warnock always loves those sorts of conditions. So it all just added to that feeling it was going to be a Cardiff City night.
But the visitors shot out of the traps and City were sent in a bit of a spin.
Wednesday’s three midfielders rotating with fluid ease and their Cardiff counterparts struggled to cope.
To boot, former Bluebird Kadeem Harris was making light work of Lee Peltier on the left flank and Cardiff found themselves firmly perched on the back foot.
The Owls’ opener came before 20 minutes were on the clock and it was only what they deserved.
Harris once again was the architect, fizzing in a dangerous shot towards the back post before Borner got a deft flick on it to take it past the hapless Etheridge in the Cardiff City goal.
The Canton Stand cried out Danny Ward’s name and, with just 34 minutes gone, Warnock listened.
Bacuna was hooked, much to his anger, and City employed an unfamiliar 4-4-2.
But Wednesday’s football was slick and purposeful, while Cardiff’s only real glimpses came in the form of the set piece.
Harris once again proved a nuisance, thudding his whipped freekick into the crossbar just before the break. The Wednesday fans roared at the half-time whistle, City fans were, for lack of a better word, stunned.
Cardiff, by hook or by crook, managed to force their way into the game in the second period. Free-kicks continued to pile up and City’s balls into the box threatened to yield goals, but that clinical edge we saw against QPR just wasn’t there.
Joe Ralls was handed a golden opportunity with a free-kick just 20 yards out, but he unleashed a Dan Biggar-style conversion 10 yards over the bar and Cardiff City Stadium let out a collective groan.
It was a far more commanding second period, the Bluebirds might even feel aggrieved a penalty wasn’t given following a couple of handball shouts.
By the end City were hammering down the door – it was becoming a siege by means of set piece for Cardiff and Wednesday were clinging on.
Gavin Whyte missed a golden chance to tap home a Josh Murphy cross at the back post and Ward saw a couple of opportunities go begging.
But it was the set piece that proved decisive and substitute Tomlin was beneficiary, whipping his set piece over the wall and dipping into the corner of the goal to ensure the Bluebirds came away with a point.
In truth, City might have felt they could have won it when Whyte’s late shot was saved expertly by Cameron Dawson at the near post.
It was a gruelling evening in the hammering down rain, but in what Warnock has called the toughest week of the season, his side have come through relatively unscathed.
Now Millwall and Swansea City await.
TEAMS –
Cardiff City (4-3-3): Etheridge; Peltier, Morrison, Flint, Bennett; Pack, Ralls, Bacuna (Ward 34); MendezLaing (Whyte 76), Glatzel (Tomlin 76), Murphy. Subs: Smithies, Paterson, Nelson, Hoilett
Sheffield Wednesday (4-51): Westwood; Palmer, Borner, Iorfa, Fox; Reach, Hutchinson, Bannan (Nuhiu 73), Luongo, Harris (Murphy 79); Fletcher Subs: Lee, Pelupessy, Odubajo, Forestieri
Referee: Keith Stroud Attendance: 22,486