LATE DANNY JOY FOR THE BLUEBIRDS!
BRISTOL CITY 0 CARDIFF CITY Ward 85 1
ADRAMATIC late goal from Danny Ward earned Cardiff City a vital victory over Bristol City in the Severnside derby. It was a bitty game, but one which showed once again how City are now trying to play. But, despite a closelyfought contest, the Robins always looked there for the taking.
And it was of course Ward, a player whose long-term future still remains up in the air, who proved to anyone who needed it just what a clinical marksman he is, hammering home in the 85th minute to further solidify the Bluebirds’ place in the play-off spots.
The rain beat down across the Severn Bridge, but that didn’t stop the Bluebirds sticking to their new style of football.
If anything, the slicker ground afforded the visitors to fizz their passes round more sharply and work the Bristol players’ legs from early on in the piece.
It was a weird juxtaposition City found themselves in, actually, because, in truth, it was the Robins who appeared to be relying on scoring from the set piece, while the Bluebirds were patient in their build-up play and were waiting for the opportune moment to pounce.
But, despite all the pretty build-up play, Neil Harris’ side just couldn’t find that cutting edge, such was the case against Charlton.
In fact, their first real chance came just before the half hour by virtue of a corner, when a goalmouth scramble saw the ball fall to Dion Sanderson’s feet, but his shot from point-blank range cannoned into a Robins defender and away from danger.
It was Sanderson again who next came close for Cardiff, when a cleared cross dropped to his feet before he whistled a sweetly-struck volley over the cross bar from range.
Bristol withdrew as the first half went on and it afforded Cardiff a li
cence to get forward and it is then when they looked most dangerous.
Just before the first half was through, Joe Ralls was found in acres of space in the Bristol box, but a sprawling Nathan Baker kept him at bay when a goal looked certain.
A poor pass then saw the ball end up back with City, this time it was Hoilett, but another last-ditch steered the ball wide of the target again.
It was Cardiff who trotted off with the bigger spring in their step, but they simply had to find their killer instinct after the break.
And they very nearly did find it when some lovely work down the City left between Junior Hoilett, Joe Bennett and Joe Ralls fashioned a chance for the onrushing Will Vaulks, who hammered a shot from 12 yards towards goal but Bentley did excellently to tip over his own bar.
Then Korey Smith scythed down Vaulks in the middle of the park for what the majority of those allowed inside the stadium thought should have been his second yellow of the match, but he was lucky to escape with just a final warning.
But, after over an hour of inaction, Alex Smithies was desperately needed.
Nakhi Wells was found with a lovely cross and the striker attempted a scissor kick from just six yards out, but Smithies, with the ball heading into the far corner, leapt brilliantly to paw it around the corner.
It all became a little scrappy as time wore on, very end to end as both sides grew weary.
It was, however, another set piece which caused Cardiff the greatest scare, when substitute Filip Benkovic leapt highest to meet a corner, only to see his header dribble wide of the post.
As we all know, though, an open game is where Lee Tomlin thrives and, having been introduced on the left-hand side, was found during a Cardiff break.
The playmaker took one touch, looked up to see Ward bursting through the middle, and slid through the striker.
Ward is certainly someone who knows where the goal is and he needed no invitation, indeed he didn’t even need to look, before hammering it low past the hopeless Bentley.
What a moment for him and what a crucial goal that could prove to be for Cardiff City.