Slade defiant as Bluebirds tame Wolves
RUSSELL Slade hit back at his critics after watching his Cardiff side outline their promotion credentials by beating a Wolves side tipped for the play-offs.
Kenwyne Jones and Sammy Ameobi got the goals for the Bluebirds as they picked up their first win of the season against Kenny Jackett’s men.
Jones, making his first start of the season, capitalised on an error by Carl Ikeme by nodding Fabio’s cross beyond the advancing Wolves’ keeper.
The giant striker was forced off by an ankle injury after the break, and substitute Sammy Ameobi wasted little time making an impact as his deflected shot from Kagisho Dikgacoi’s knockdown flew into the net for his first goal in Cardiff colours.
Manager Slade has had to put up with plenty of stick from the Cardiff City Stadium faithful since his appointment ten months ago, but there are signs his men are starting to turn the corner.
“Everybody thought I would be down the road by the end of August I guess,” said Slade, who also revealed Jones’ injury will need a scan to determine the severity of the problem.
“We are in a good place at the moment and are playing the way I want us to.
“It was important we got out first win and it will build confidence. It is clear to see we are progressing.
“It was pretty even in the first period but we managed to draw first blood which is important.
“The goalkeeper was committed and Kenwyne just had to get something on it and it went in.
“From there we controlled the second half and Sammy showed us glimpses of what he can do.”
While Slade was beaming, Wolves boss Jackett was distinctly unimpressed by a performance that saw his side fail to register a single shot on target.
“I felt we had a lot of the ball, we dominated the first half but we never really hurt Cardiff,” he said.
“The stats show we did not have a shot on target and that tells its own story.
“Converting possession into chances, making sure you go past people, committing people and having a hunger to do that is a big thing.
“I think Carl could have stayed on his line for their first goal.
“We had a two against one situation in terms of defenders and attackers competing for that header and it would not have gone in had he stayed on his line.
“It was not as if it was a powerful header as the challenge between the three defenders took the pace off the ball.”