Boss calls for repeat of Leeds comeback
A DISAPPOINTED Neil Harris has urged his players to produce a dramatic turnaround like up at Leeds United before Christmas after his Cardiff City side fell to a sobering 2-0 home defeat by Fulham in the first leg of their play-off semi-final tie.
A tepid second-half performance from the Bluebirds allowed Josh Onomah and Neeskens Kebano to hand Fulham a precious two-goal advantage in the tie, meaning the Bluebirds have a mountain to climb at Craven Cottage tomorrow.
But Harris, who dubbed the second late goal “a right kick in the nuts”, believes his side have been written off on more than one occasion this season and wants his side to harbour that heading into Thursday’s clash.
“It’s a kick in the nuts in the sense of it’s an uphill battle now,” Harris said after the match.
“But I’ve just pointed out to the players three key things: we’ve been written off time and time again and we’ve come back stronger.
“Secondly, Northampton were 2-0 down against Cheltenham a few weeks ago and produced a semi-final comeback.
“Thirdly, we were 3-0 down up at Elland Road, a team who had just scored bundles and bundles of goals, the best team in the league by a mile, and we played the last 15 minutes with 10 men and got a point.
“We are capable of clawing this back.” City ceded all control and possession to Fulham in the second half of the match, with Scott Parker’s men enjoying the lion’s share of chances after the break.
But it was the poor defending from the hosts that allowed Fulham to really put Cardiff behind the eight-ball when Marlon Pack was shrugged off far too easily by Josh Onomah, who also beat Curtis Nelson before slotting past Alex Smithies.
“Second half, we never really got going,” Harris added. “They pressed much better, made it more difficult to build attacks. We looked a bit leggy before the drinks break, lost our way a little bit.
“I made the changes to add that bit of impetus and we finished strongly.
“But the goals . . . the first goal – if you’re the lad or Fulham coaching staff you’re saying it’s the goal of the season . . . I think it’s too easy for him to get into that position. I’d like to see us lay a glove on him around our own box.
“The second one, free-kick, yeah, great free-kick. But was it a foul?”
It means Cardiff have to claw back a two-goal advantage in the second leg of this clash to reach the final at Wembley, a feat which has never been done before.
Harris knows his side have to shoot out of the blocks quickly at Craven Cottage.
“The first goal is going to be vital,” Harris said. “You can’t hide from the fact that if Fulham get it, it’s really difficult for us.
“We can’t be too open too early. We have to chase the game, but the first goal will be key.
“Fulham are now the favourites. They were the fancied team anyway and we were the underdogs.
“But we’ve got nothing to lose, we’ve got everything to gain.”