Four-midable Bluebirds fly into the top six with fine win
CARDIFF City roared back into the top six after a commanding display and a Leandro Bacuna double downed Derby County.
After a lacklustre trip to Middlesbrough, which saw them drop out of the play-off spots with a draw, the Bluebirds bounced back in resounding fashion to make it 10 games unbeaten under Mick McCarthy.
Bacuna scored in each half and Kieffer Moore headed home his 16th goal of the season as he continued his prolific form in front of goal. Will Vaulks put the gloss on it with the last kick of the game as he hammered home a stunning 30-yard strike to make it four.
And, in truth, Derby never had an answer. They were thoroughly and comprehensively beaten as Cardiff showcased once again just why they cannot be discounted in this promotion race, hitting form at peak time in the season.
Cardiff looked to impose themselves on the visitors from the off and it resulted in a nervy start for the Rams.
Wayne Rooney’s side were hellbent on playing out from the back, but Moore, Bacuna and Sheyi Ojo were all terrific in their press from the front.
It forced Derby into making a number of errors and gifted the Bluebirds a number of excellent early chances.
One such misplaced clearance afforded Cardiff a throw deep into the Derby half and Will Vaulks launched one of his missiles into the box.
The Rams defenders couldn’t deal with the threat and the ball subsequently fell to Moore at the back post, but the striker blazed his volley over the bar from just six yards out.
But it was all encouraging for Cardiff, who looked the only team likely to score during the opening exchanges.
With just quarter of an hour gone, the first big chance came. Perry Ng released Ojo with a lovely through ball and just as he looked to pull the trigger, Matt Clarke slid in and looked to have blocked it with his arm. Ojo got so caught up in appealing that the chance went begging.
It fell back to Ng though and he sent a lovely cross to the back post, but Moore’s header was narrowly wide.
A Cardiff goal was always on the cards, though, and they didn’t have to wait too much longer before Bacuna put them into the lead.
Joe Bennett fed a lovely through ball down the channel in behind the defence and Bacuna latched on to it and drilled a low shot from a tight angle with his left foot, which whizzed underneath Kelle Roos.
But not long after the ecstasy came the agony, quite literally for Bennett.
The left-back, just on the half-hour, spun and changed direction on the half-way line, unchallenged, before dropping to the floor in a crumpled heap.
There was a six-minute stoppage in play as the medical staff tended to him, but it looked a really bad one and it was no surprise he left the ground on a stretcher.
The game took a while to settle back into its rhythm thereafter, however just before the stroke of half-time it was Cardiff who came close again.
A throw-in was sent in once again and Moore fashioned himself a chance at the back post, only for Roos to deny him with a fine save. It fell to the goalscorer, Bacuna, who smashed the follow up, but it hit the inside of Roos’ leg to send it, somewhat miraculously, spinning past the post.
As Cardiff trotted down the tunnel for halftime, they should have already put the game to bed. But if they lacked that ruthless edge in the first half, they more than made up for it in the second.
They set about righting the wrongs just after the break though, notching their second goal just minutes after the restart.
Vaulks sent in a lovely, inviting corner to the near post and Moore was licking his lips as he burst on to it and thudded home his header to double the lead.
Ten minutes later, they were at it again and it was the pick of the lot.
Marlon Pack did well to win a header in Derby’s half and it fell to Sean Morrison, who cutely laid the ball into the path of Ojo.
The Liverpool loanee drove to the edge of the box before squaring the ball to Bacuna 20 yards from goal and he hammered his left-footed shot past Roos into the far corner. An emphatic finish.
It was all over from then, Derby couldn’t get out of their own half and Cardiff were rampant.
They thought they had a fourth when Ojo tapped home the easiest of chance from a corner, but he was adjudged offside as he wheeled away in celebration.
It was so comfortable for the hosts, it even afforded McCarthy the option of bringing off Moore with 15 minutes to go, handing Rubin Colwill his second senior appearance in doing so.
Jonny Williams also trotted on in the dying minutes to make his debut, too, on a near-perfect night for – Bennett’s injury aside, of course.
Just when we thought it was all wrapped up, Vaulks had the last word, drilling home from 30 yards to ensure Rooney suffered his heaviest defeat as Rams boss.
Admittedly, it might only be for an evening, with Bournemouth and Barnsley both hot on Cardiff ’s tails and due to play tonight, but shooting back into those play-off spots is another timely shot in the arm for the Bluebirds.
Cardiff City: Phillips; Morrison, Flint, Nelson; Ng, Vaulks, Pack (Ralls 87), Bacuna, Bennett (Bagan 36); Ojo (Williams 87), Moore (Colwill 77). Subs not used: Smithies, Wilson, Murphy, Hoilett, Harris.
Derby County: Roos; Wisdom (McDonald 69), Clarke, Mengi, Edmundson, Shinnie (Bird 69); Buchanan, Baningime; Jozwiak (Watson 69), Sibley (Waghorn 69), Gregory. Subs: Idem, Forsyth, Byrne, Kazim-Richards, McDonald, Knight.
Referee: Dean Whitestone.