Three and easy as Bluebirds move back into top two
Bristol City may well have thought they were timing the visit of Cardiff City to Ashton Gate just right.
There were those who believed the Bluebirds may well have been running out of a little bit of puff, having trouble working back up the gears to the kind of form that had got them up and running in this Championship season.
After all, there were those quick to point out that it had been six-and-ahalf hours since Neil Warnock’s side had found the net from open play since that eye-catching win over Leeds. Think again. The Severnside derby awaits the Bluebirds this weekend with Warnock’s side having offered up a performance of pace, purpose and intent that will give plenty of opponents second thoughts about fancying themselves when up against Cardiff in this kind of mood.
Three goals scored and it could have easily been more, such was the way Junior Hoilett and, in particular, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, lapped up the opportunities to drive fear into Ipswich’s Halloween visit to South Wales.
Indeed, perhaps the only disappointing facet of the night was those who stayed away with the family fright festivities perhaps a factor. They missed a trick given the treat of the performance served up.
But the Cardiff fans here will spend the next few days enjoying the thought of taking on near rivals, should their side be able to repeat this kind of display just over the Bridge.
Ironically, it came with an old Bristol favourite in the side, Lee Tomlin linking well as Cardiff countered and carved open their visitors, pushing into second in the table as a result.
He wasn’t the only newcomer to the side to make the most of the opportunity. The busy Omar Bogle grabbed a first goal on his first start, adding to Hoilett’s opener before Danny Ward got one in injury-time just after Bersant Celina had given Ipswich a consolation.
Cardiff deserved a two goal cushion for their play. Indeed, their intent and intensity was obvious from very early on.
Yet, if those who had witnessed the games here, such as the wins over Villa and Leeds, they would see it as no surprise to see the Bluebirds in this kind of mood. What did shock was how Ipswich were so unprepared for it. Or, at least, unable to do anything about it.
While they seemed ready to be combative to begin with – Tommy Smith’s fifth minute wrestling of Sean Morrison the first and loudest of three ignored penalty claims at Cardiff set-pieces – the foolishness of the space they were affording Warnock’s men would have quickly worried Mick McCarthy.
The one-time boot boy of the Cardiff manager would be quickly proven correct in his concern.
With Hoilett and Mendez-Laing hungry and Bogle busy, the slowness of the visitors to react was being shown up by the pace and purpose of Cardiff ’s attacks. With 12 minutes gone, the pressure told as MendezLaing swept a cross from one far edge of the box to the other and Hoilett took his time to get pick his spot with a placed volley. It didn’t need power to beat Bartosz Bialkowski when it had such precision.
It was a trait Hoilett, full of direct running all night, quickly followed up. As another counter ensued soon after, the Canada international switching flanks in a fluid move, he put in a quite superb cross behind defenders that begged Bogle to reach. The striker did so, reading the arc just right and getting in between red shirts to connect – only for Bialkowksi to deny with his legs. A great save, though the Ipswich goalkeeper would be stretching the truth if he claimed he knew much about it.
There were reminders from Ipswich for Cardiff to stay alert. On a couple of occasions Cardiff played themselves into unnecessary pressure, a case of a slight lack of concentration rather than being forced into errors. Neil Etheridge and Sol Bamba were both guilty of giving Ipswich some undeserved hope with poor clearances or passes, while Joe Garner’s flick from a corner that almost reached an unmarked Smith.
Still, even when Ipswich attacked, they were quickly snuffed out by the work-rate of the likes of the again impressive Paterson or Joe Ralls, the latter making a superb covering tackle to shut down Joe Garner’s attempts to shoot.
And it only served to hand Cardiff the chance of countering at speed, something Hoilett, Mendez-Laing and Tomlin were itching to do.
It should have provided the second before the break, Mendez-Laing not quite reading the pass from Tomlin when everything else about the attack had been done in understanding.
Yet any concerns that it could become an issue to have seen such chances passed on were blown away with just 35 seconds on the secondhalf clock. The interchange between Mendez-Laing and Tomlin was too quick for Ipswich, Bogle left in space
and with the opportunity to open his Cardiff account. He devoured it.
Hoilett continued to drive at defenders, Mendez-Laing continued to eat up the space Ipswich allowed them, and Cardiff continued in total control.
Until the final minute that is, the Tractor Boys offering up a counter of their own which Morrison and Paterson both did their best to deny with diving blocks only for Besrant Celina to eventually fire home.
A nervous finish? Not a chance. Away went Mendez-Laing not a minute later, driving towards goal and, when his shot was saved, giving Ward the game’s final say. And now thoughts turn to the weekend. TEAMS – Cardiff: Etheridge; Paterson, Morrison(Capt), Manga, Peltier; Ralls, Bamba; Hoilett (Feeney 76), Tomlin (Damour 66), Mendez-Laing; Bogle (Ward 82). Subs Not Used: Murphy(gk), Halford, Bryson, Gounongbe.
Ipswich: Bialkowski; Iorfa, Chambers (capt), Smith, Knudsen; Ward, Skuse, Downes (Connolly 64); Bru (Sears 73), Celina; Garner (Waghorn 78). Subs Not Used: Gerken (gk), Webster, McGoldrick, Spence.