A 68-yarder! Hudson belts it like Beckham
MALKY MACKAY insisted that the 68-yard wonder goal scored by Cardiff captain Mark Hudson’s was entirely deliberate.
Hudson struck in the 63rd minute to add to Joe Mason’s opener and put Cardiff on the verge of a play- off spot with a four-point lead over Middlesbrough and just two games remaining.
The strike by the Cardiff centre back evoked memories of David Beckham’s effort for Manchester United against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park in August 1996.
None of the 21,216 crowd at the Cardiff City Stadium could believe their eyes when centre back Hudson launched the ball from even further than Beckham’s goal to leave Derby goalkeeper Frank Fielding embarrassed.
Cardiff manager Mackay said: ‘It was a real good piece of skill. Mark stepped out from the back ahead of the attacker, looked up and absolutely meant it.
‘Mark is an accomplished footballer and he saw the goalkeeper off his line.
‘I’m delighted for him and the goal capped off a great performance.’
Mason, the Republic of Ireland Under 21 striker, gave Cardiff the lead in the 24th minute when the slotted home his 11th goal of the season after Kenny Miller had crashed a shot against a post.
Then Hudson sealed a first home win in seven matches for the Welsh side, and extended their unbeaten run to eight games.
Derby manager Nigel Clough said: ‘I’ve only seen goals like that on the television. As soon as he hit it we knew it was in. He hit it so cleanly.’ ON PAPER the fight goes on. The right noises will be made until they can be made no more, but Coventry are surely heading to the third tier for the first time since 1964. Yet another season of offthe-field turmoil has been mirrored on the pitch and manager Andy Thorn did not know whether to praise his doomed players or express his contempt for the chaos at the top of the Coventry heirarchy. In the end he did both, first defending Gary Mcsheffrey for the second-half penalty miss which could have given the club a lifeline, then turning his attention to an ever-changing board. ‘I am angry and disappointed when you see where we’ve been left,’ said Thorn. ‘We are not relegated yet and it’s probably not the right time to talk but I see the hurt in the players’ eyes. We’ve had no help. Yes, I’m talking about a lack of resources. About everything.’ Shane Lowry’s second-half winner on the break was cruel, yet the outcome might have been different had Coventry-born Mcsheffrey been able to convert a penalty, conceded when 40-yearold goalkeeper Maik Taylor caught Cody Mcdonald. Coventry created 22 attempts on goal and scored from none of them. They are five points adrift of safety with two games left and the clock is ticking.