Pilkington’s sucker punch stuns Blades
THEY played the theme music from the Rocky films before kick- off at Bramall Lane last night, and then a veteran scrapper dragged his side off the canvas to show they were still in the title fight.
Neil Warnock, back at the club where he spent eight years as a manager, saw his Cardiff side snatch a point thanks to Anthony Pilkington’s last-gasp goal.
That means a Cardiff victory when they host Wolves on Friday would reduce the gap at the top to just two points.
A flick-on from substitute Gary Madine — a former Sheffield Wednesday man, who was booed relentlessly — found fellow replacement Pilkington, who hit home to send the visiting fans potty in the 91st minute.
‘You never say never with our lot,’ exclaimed a jubilant Warnock, whose side extended their unbeaten run on the road to 13 games. ‘But when you can grind out a result like we did it’s a great attribute.
‘If you came in our dressing room now you’d think we’d won the World Cup. We know that with seven games to go we’ve got that in our locker.
‘We’ve got some lads coming back for Friday and we are really looking forward to it now.’
For much of this contest Cardiff looked down and out, and not the side in contention for the Championship title.
It was Chris Wilder’s team who were the more organised, more disciplined, and offered more in attack — and Leon Clarke’s 27th-minute effort gave them a deserved lead.
John Lundstram picked the ball up in the Cardiff area with his back to goal, looked over his shoulder and found Clarke. With one touch on his right foot, the striker cannoned his shot with his left into Bruno Manga and the ball rippled across a sodden pitch and past Neil Etheridge’s outstretched arms.
The Blades could have doubled their advantage just before the interval when John Fleck’s corner was met by Jack O’Connell, only for Joe Bennett to clear the ball from the line.
Warnock’s men, meanwhile, had little opportunity to exhibit the football which has taken them to second in the table. But whatever he said to his players at the break seemed to work.
They came out firing and the match was played at an almighty pace from thereon in. Meaty tackles aplenty, two irate sets of supporters and end-to-end action.
In the space of three minutes, Cardiff could have taken the lead. Aron Gunnarsson was first with a low, well-driven effort which veered just wide of the United post.
Then Kenneth Zohore blasted at Simon Moore, who was able to tip the ball up and over the bar. United too had their chances to put the game beyond doubt and had a penalty appeal waved away when Lee Evans was felled in the Cardiff box by Sol Bamba.
‘We’ve dominated a side that’s heading towards the Premier League,’ said a deflated Wilder.
‘It was a penalty and you’re hoping the referee sees that — and the linesman who’s looking straight down the barrel of the gun. But in the lead-up to that we’ve chances and we have to look at ourselves and be a bit more clinical.’
Wilder was right. Clayton Donaldson hit the woodwork and Clarke should have done better with a chance to net the clincher.
And as the game ticked into added time, Madine nodded goalward and Pilkington was on hand to send the ball past Moore.
To quote Rocky, as this game showed, perhaps the race for the Championship title is not over until it’s over.