CARDIFF 0 WOLVES 1
IF ever a game showcased the contrasting styles that best sum up the Championship - not to mention the pure theatre - this was it.
It was billed as the biggest game of the season between two heavyweights who had taken different courses to become promotion favourites. And it finished with high drama.
For all money lit seemed one moment of second half genius from Ruben Neves, who scored an artful free kick, would mark an engrossing contest.
But two late penalty misses, one from Gary Madine, another from Junior Hoilett almost cast a shadow on a goal worthy of winning any game.
It ended with stomach-churning drama, it started with high intensity from both Cardiff City and Wolves. From the moment Conor Coady piled in on Junior Hoilett in the second minute this one had ‘big game’ written all over it. It was perhaps only right that Neves’ genius strike ensured the best team in the division beat the second. Wolves started the brighter. Neves and Diogo Jota - their glamorous Portuguese imports - both tested Neil Etheridge in the early stages to quell an expectant Cardiff crowd.
Yanic Wildschut, a shock inclusion in the Cardiff side instead of Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Wolves’ August tormentor, gave away the ball twice to allow the visitors forward early on.
In 2016/17 this fixture saw the coming of age of Kenneth Zohore; that now famous ‘wheelie bin’ half time pep talk from Neil Warnock invigorating the Dane, who has barely looked back.
After a quiet start, Zohore went close via a deflection. Another surprise starter, Craig Bryson, performed his task to the letter by picking a Wolves pocket high up the pitch and feeding the Dane on the edge of the box.
Another Zohore chance was blazed over. But Cardiff at least were in the game, helped by a buoyant crowd.
Whatever the noise, a team Wolves’ standing and abilities were hardly going to be deterred. There’s a reason Nuno’s side sit top of the Championship and each of the visiting players looked comfortable on the ball troughout. Even defensive man mountain Willy Boly was bringing the ball out like Beckenbauer.
We’ve all come to know Cardiff play the game differently.
And an incisively direct ball from Hoilett, dissecting the Wolves defence, found Joe Bennett for the first half’s biggest chance 10 minutes before the break. The full back got caught in two minds: crossing for Zohore or going for glory. In the end his effort skimmed tantalisingly across goal and harmlessly away for a goal kick.
Wildschut came even closer a minute later, Ruddy sprawling across his goal to finger-tip wide from the Dutchman’s 30-yard free kick.
It said something about Cardiff’s character that they finished the first half in good shape. Not that Wolves had stopped playing their brand of fluent football, far from it. One spell from the visitors, taking the ball from their own byline into the Cardiff half just as the half time whistle was about to sound, gave an indication of what was to come.
Because the second half was barely three minutes old when Leo Bonatini ghosted beyond the Cardiff back line with Etheridge committed. From a tight angle, the Brazilian could only strike the near post.
They sailed close to the wind, but they were a tough nut to crack, the Bluebirds, who came again. First a Bryson volley pin-balled close to the Wolves net on 53 minutes; then Wildschut almost slalomed through the visitors’ golden shirts.
Warnock’s hand was forced in introducing Mendez-Laing for the injured Callum Paterson. Wolves have few fond memories of the former Rochdale winger and his arrival on 51 minutes seemed to instil the hosts with further confidence. And the crowd with more gusto.
Yet again, Wolves responded. Helder Costa replaced Bonatini, unshackling Benik Afobe to wreak havoc down the middle and immediately drawing a cynical yellow card from Lee Peltier.
Diogo Jota, 14 goals this season, played his part. His last action before withdrawal on 66 minutes was to draw another Cardiff card as Sean Morrison slid in and win a free kick that Neves would belt home from 25 yards.
Etheridge was a bystander as the ball curled, in almost surreal fashion, into the top corner to cue bedlam in the Wolves section.
From there on it seemed comfortable for the Champions elect, bar one fizzing effort from Aron Gunnarsson.
Helder Costa then missed a gaping chance five minutes from time to kill the game.
Wolves kept passing, but Cardiff kept pushing. It remained thoroughly absorbing until the last second when Mike Dean pointed to the penalty spot for a foul on Gary Madine, the striker seemingly casting himself as the game’s villain when Ruddy palmed his spot-kick away.
It left the crowd deflated, but more was to come, Dean again signalling a spot kick.
This time it was Hoilett who stepped up and hit the woodwork. Agony for Cardiff, joy for Wolves, but applause from the appreciative Bluebirds crowd who will still hope, and pray, for promotion.
Cardiff City: Etheridge; Peltier, Morrison (capt.), Bamba, J. Bennett; Gunnarsson, Bryson, Paterson (Mendez-Laing, 51) ; Wildschut (Madine, 72), Hoilett, Zohore (Pilkington, 84).
Subs not used: Subs: Murphy, Manga, Traore, Damour.
Wolves: Ruddy; R. Bennett, Coady (capt.), Boly; Doherty, Saiss, Neves, Douglas; Afobe (N’Diaye, 77), Bonatini (Costa, 58), D.Jota (Cavaleiro, 66).
Subs not used: Norris, Batth, Gibbs-White, Hause.
Yellow cards: Peltier, Morrison, Saiss, Costa Referee: Mike Dean Attendance: 29,317