Plane sailing for Bluebirds
ADEN FLINT proved to be Cardiff City’s air chief marshal once again as they shot down Millwall by ruling the skies.
The Bluebirds centreback scored with two headers and Sean
Morrison nodded in the clincher after Benik Afobe had pulled a goal back for the Lions.
All eight of Cardiff’s their goals so far this season in the league have been headers and Flint is the Championship’s leading scorer with four.
He managed to get his nut on two crosses against Peterborough in midweek and it was Flint Force One whose headers left Millwall grounded here.
The action above terra firma might have produced a fourth Cardiff goal if Wales striker Kieffer
Moore found the net rather than the crossbar before half-time.
Don’t tell anyone in the Welsh capital about the debate, growing in momentum, over whether or not heading should still have a place in a world of increasing concern over player welfare. All the goals came in the second half, to leave Cardiff boss Mick Mccarthy a happy man.
It was a victory over the club where he began his managerial journey.
Mccarthy said: “We are certainly good at scoring from crosses – that’s for sure. But they all count, don’t they?
“I’m not bothered. Keep winning games, that’s the name of the game.”
Flint broke the deadlock in the 66th minute when he glanced home from a Ryan Giles free-kick.
Impressive winger Giles, on as a sub, then supplied the cross from which Flint made it 2-0.
Afobe pulled a goal back when his shot took a deflection.
But
Morrison proved that he can also get his head around a problem when he met Marlon Pack’s long throw to make it 3-1.
It leaves Millwall – whose travelling fans again booed Cardiff players who were taking the knee – still looking for their first win of the season.
Lions manager Gary Rowett admitted: “We spoke a lot about needing to stand up to Cardiff and their set-piece in the 48 hours before the game, and then once again at half-time.
“To concede three set-piece goals wasn’t great, although we had defended well up to that point.”
FLINT SPARKS VICTORY Bluesbirds star opens the scoring
CARDIFF CITY: Phillips 6, Morrison 6, Flint 7, Nelson 7, Sang 8, Ralls 7, Pack 6, Bagan 7, Colwill 6 (Bacuna 62, 6), Moore 6, Harris 6 (Giles 62, 7).
Unused Subs: Smithies, Vaulks, Murphy, Collins, Ng.
MILLWALL: B Bialkowski 6, Cooper 5 (Mahoney 73, 5) 7, M Wallace 6, Ballard 6, Malone 8, Kieftenbeld 6, Evans 6 (Smith 70, 5), Romeo 6, Saville 7, Afobe 6, J Wallace 7.
Unused Subs: Long, Thompson, Bradshaw, Pearce, Mitchell.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Aden Flint. Towering defender who is casting a long shadow as a goalscorer.
REFEREE: James Linington 7.