City’s play-off hopes chopped down by Forest
CARDIFF City’s play-off hopes took a dent after James Garner’s first-half strike earned Nottingham Forest victory in the Welsh capital.
The Manchester United loanee converted just before the half-hour mark to take the wind out of City’s sails.
And despite a second-half onslaught, which culminated in stand-in captain Aden Flint heading the best chance they had over the bar from just five yards out with minutes left on the clock, Forest held firm.
Despite being unable to create too many clear-cut chances, the Bluebirds will feel they were the better team, especially after the break, but that will be of little consolation in the wider context of this play-off race.
The big news before kick-off was that Sean Morrison was unavailable owing to injury, meaning Flint was passed the armband.
Meanwhile, the visitors will have been delighted to bring a luckless sixgame run to an end with a victory to take back to the East Midlands.
But the loss of the skipper didn’t appear to unsettle the hosts too much in the opening exchanges, which were lively to say the least.
The first real chance came with just seven minutes on the clock when Harry Wilson latched on to a Kieffer Moore flick-on before releasing Leandro Bacuna in the box, but his low effort was saved brilliantly by Brice Samba low down.
Ten minutes later it was Cardiff on the attack again and a lovely cross from Joe Ralls, who was again deployed at left-back, was met by an onrushing Tom Sang, but his header crept narrowly over the bar.
Alex Mighten and Sammy Ameobi looked bright for the visitors, the latter on one occasion cut inside on to his left and fizzed a shot away, only for Flint to bravely stick his head in the way and deflect it wide.
But, before Forest’s goal, City probably looked the most likely, which is why it was such a gut blow when Garner converted.
Cyrus Christie had fashioned
enough space on the right-hand side to whip a low cross in and Garner, unmarked near the penalty spot, connected beautifully to smash home the opener.
Cardiff, to their credit, picked themselves back up off the floor and took the game back to Forest and their aerial and set-piece threat was clearly a concern for the visitors, but the Forest defence would not be breached.
The Bluebirds’ best chance before the half-time break actually fell to Will Vaulks, who smacked a half-volley from 25 yards, only to see it whistle just a matter of millimetres wide. It would have been some strike, but, as we all know, he is more than capable of those.
The hosts then shot out of the traps after the break and were firmly on the front foot, but gilt-edged chances were at a premium.
The closest they came was when Bacuna threw his laces through a ball which fell kindly to him on the edge of the box, but it was sent squarely into Row Z.
But they continued to bang on the door and the heat was ramping up on Forest.
Amid a goalmouth scramble, the ball dropped at the feet of Moore, who
hit one low and hard from point-blank range, but a stunning and unlikely block from Christie denied him.
McCarthy knew he had to act and made a triple substitution, introducing Jonny Williams, Josh Murphy and Sheyi Ojo, and changed the shape to push one of his defenders into midfield.
But the game just seemed to be slipping away from them as the desperation for that equaliser set in.
There, was, though, one more moment which arrived just five minutes before time.
Murphy sent in a delightful cross and Flint, unmarked, rose highest and met it five yards out, but, inexplicably, sent it over the bar.
Another huge chance went begging. And that proved to be that in the final analysis.
A big setback in Bluebirds’ quest for the top six and just their second defeat under manager Mick McCarthy.
Cardiff City: Phillips; Nelson, Flint, Brown; Sang, Vaulks (Colwill 84), Pack, Ralls (Williams 71); Bacuna (Murphy 71); Wilson (Ojo 71), Moore (Harris 84). Subs: Smithies, Ng, Hoilett, Watters.
Nottingham Forest: Samba; Christie, Worrall, McKenna, Blackett;
Yates, Garner; Ameobi, Cafu (Colback 87), Mighten; Grabban (Taylor 72). Subs: Smith, Ribeiro, Mbe Soh, Freeman, Murray, Korvinovic, Knockaert.
Referee: Gavin Ward.
Yesterday’s other results:
Bournemouth 3 Middlesbrough 1, Bristol City 0 Stoke City 2, Derby County 2 Luton Town 0, Millwall 1 Rotherham 0, Preston 1 Norwich City 1 , QPR 3 Coventry City 0, Watford 1 Sheffield Wednesday 0, Wycombe 1 Blackburn Rovers 0, Barnsley 1 Reading 1, Birmingham L Swansea L.