Smithies edges out Tomlin in our fans poll

CARDIFF City goalkeeper Alex Smithies has been voted player of the season by Bluebirds fans in a WalesOnline poll.

The 30-year-old moved to Cardiff City Stadium in the summer of 2018 from Queens Park Rangers, for an undisclosed fee, on a deal which runs until the end of the 2021/22 season.

A former England youth international, Smithies began his professional career with his hometown side Huddersfield Town, for whom he made a total of 275 appearances.

He tasted promotion to the Championship with the Terriers in 2012, notably scoring the winning penalty in their League One Play-Off final shootout victory over Sheffield United at Wembley.

He moved on to QPR in August 2015 and would pull on their shirt 109 times, winning the Hoops’ supporters’ and players’ player of the season awards in 2016/17.

But after his move to south Wales, Smithies found his way blocked to the No.1 slot at the Bluebirds by Philippines international Neil Etheridge, who last term won the Bluebirds’ player of the season award in the Premier League.

This season, however, Smithies leapfrogged Etheridge in the Bluebirds pecking order and was one of the club’s unsung heroes in making the Championship play-offs. He kept Cardiff in big games with a lastminute save against West Brom’s Kenneth Zohore back in February and a point-blank smothering of Tyler Roberts against Leeds United, proving to be key moments.

Off the pitch he’s had to contend with the loss of his close friend, Jordan Sinnott, his former Huddersfield Town team-mate who died after he was found unconscious during a night out.

Both Smithies and Danny Ward, who played with Sinnott for the Terriers, were understandably affected deeply by the horrendous ordeal.

His efforts between the sticks this season saw Smithies grab 41% of the votes from Bluebirds fans in our poll.

Lee Tomlin, who has blossomed no end since manager Neil Harris took the reins back in November from Neil Warnock, was runner-up, with the playmaker rewarded for producing the best football of his life over the last eight months, securing 30.9% of the poll.

Club captain Sean Morrison was third with 15% with Curtis Nelson (7.4%), Will Vaulks (3.4%) and Joe Ralls (2.2%) also having their backers.

■