HARRIS IS BLOWN AWAY BY HIS SIDE
Bluebirds boss hails windswept players
CARDIFF boss Neil Harris hailed his side for the way they beat the opposition – and the conditions – to keep them well within the play-off hunt.
Second-half goals from Will Vaulks and Callum Paterson proved more than enough to see off their hosts, with Harris full of praise for the performance.
“In the first half it wasn’t a very good game. It was very scrappy,” said Harris.
“You can’t under-estimate the conditions. The pitch was very awkward to play on, and with the wind in the first half it was really tough to get any momentum.
“I thought we had a couple of moments of quality in the first half and could have done better.
“We spoke at half-time about being better on the first contacts and the second balls and having a little bit more quality and composure.
“I was very pleased with the second half because we had some real good moments of attacking football. There were two quality moments when we scored the goals.”
Barnsley started the game five points from safety after losing at Reading last time out while Cardiff began five points off the top six.
But the hosts started the game brightly, with striker Cauley Woodrow firing in a firm drive that flashed wide of Alex Smithies’ right-hand post.
Cardiff’s first effort of note came when Albert Adomah broke free on the right-hand side of the area and fired in a shot that Brad Collins did well to beat away at his near post.
The visitors had a great chance when Joe Ralls sent over a low cross to Junior Hoilett who lifted the ball over from a good position.
Cardiff had an appeal for a penalty turned down when Paterson appeared to be felled in the area by Collins.
But they weren’t to be denied later in the contest.
In the 65th minute Vaulks put the visitors ahead when he fired into the net following a goalmouth scramble after Adomah caused problems for the Barnsley defence.
Paterson then added a second goal a minute later when he received a through-ball from Morrison, went one-onone with Collins and slipped the ball past the oncoming keeper.
Barnsley boss Gerhard Struber sent on Elliot Simoes in the closing stages in a bid to add a fresh attacking dimension to his side.
But he failed to make any difference – which left the manager frustrated.
“I was disappointed with the result and the performance in the second half,” he admitted. “I think we showed our fans two faces in this game. In the first half we were okay and in the second we stopped completely our plan. We forgot our style to play.
“They were ready for this fight, played many long balls and won the aerial duels.
“Our strength is to play in good positions and play quick and we forgot everything in the second half.
“It was tough to take.”