BRILLIANT BLUEBIRDS FLY HIGH TO SCUPPER SEASIDERS
CARDIFF City were at their rampant best at Blackpool as they registered their first victory of the season with a comfortable win. After a raft of chances were spurned in the first half, the Bluebirds turned on the afterburners after the break and left the newly-promoted Seasiders trailing in their wake.
Leandro Bacuna netted just minutes into the second half before Kieffer Moore opened his account for the season with a trademark header late on to ensure they took the three points 230 miles back to Cardiff.
Put simply, this was the best football the Bluebirds have played in quite some time.
From the first blow of the whistle, they were utterly dominant. Perry Ng and Ryan Giles’ link-up down the right-hand side was the real high point, with the pair dovetailing nicely all afternoon to create a number of big chances.
In fact, it was Giles who had the first big opportunity of the match when he showed the defenders a clean pair of heels to go through on goal, but his low shot was anticipated brilliantly by Chris Maxwell, who got down low to palm it away.
It was the precursor to Cardiff’s onslaught, though, because just minutes later a long throw-in, which caused Blackpool big problems at Bloomfield Road, presented the ball at an awkward height for Aden Flint, whose scissor kick from close range thudded into the underside of the bar and away to safety.
From open play, though, Giles looked the most likely to create and the Wolves loanee came just inches away from opening his Bluebirds
account on the half-hour mark.
He cut in from the right and sent a bending effort towards the far post from 30 yards out and it had Maxwell sprawling, but the tip of the keeper’s glove just managed to navigate the ball around the post.
Cardiff really turned it up a gear after that. Blackpool couldn’t even get out of their half at one stage.
But that goal eluded the visitors, even when James Collins inexplicably scooped the ball over the bar after Flint had done well to head the ball back across goal. The striker missed from just a matter of yards out, though.
There was a fear Cardiff would be left to rue those earlier missed chances, but they flew out of the traps after the break, too.
That long throw which had been such a nuisance to the Tangerines finally yielded results when Marlon Pack sent his missile into the box.
Sean Morrison at the front post nodded it on and Bacuna, as easy as you like, nodded home from just a couple of yards out.
Cardiff maintained their dominance but, as one would expect, there was a reaction from the hosts following the goal.
One scary moment came when Grant Ward sent a thunderbolt of a shot flying towards the top corner, but Dillon Phillips flew through the air to deny him.
Cardiff called on the reinforcements in Moore and Will Vaulks and both had a telling part in the second.
Vaulks smacked a tremendous crossfield pass to set Cardiff on the break and Giles picked it up and drove towards the Tangerines’ box.
He took one look and chipped it to the back stick, where a hungry Moore leapt and thundered home his header to seal the win.
A fine, fine day out for the men in blue.