Warnock claims the only goal that matters

IT WAS tense and not pretty – but to Cardiff fans it was as beautiful as a nil-nil can get.

The Bluebirds were expected to park up somewhere in mid-table when the campaign began but have slipstreamed into the Premier League behind champions Wolves.

Supporters, who had not seen their stadium this full since their last ill-fated 12 months in the top flight four years ago, could not contain their delight as the goals went in – 120 miles away in Birmingham.

Fulham’s 3-1 defeat, ironically masterminded by old Swansea boss Garry Monk, was where the meaningful action was happening.

The nearest Cardiff came to a goal was when Junior Hoilett curled a 20-yard effort narrowly wide early on.

Two other penalty appeals were waved away as the Bluebirds came flying out of the blocks but as the clock ticked down, the home side’s chances dried up.

Shreds

All they had to show in the second half was a Kenneth Zohore shot over the bar and a weak effort from Nathaniel Mendez-Laing. That summed up all the nerves and anxieties on show.

But the home fans were already celebrating by then as news came through that Fulham’s 23-match unbeaten run was being ripped to shreds on a day when they had to win.

Reading fans also had their minds elsewhere. But the failings of other strugglers meant all they had to do was dig in for a point to be comfortably clear of the scrap below them.

Cardiff boss Neil Warnock is usually a bundle of nervous energy on the sidelines, but he cut a subdued figure for most of the match, content to let fans wallow in the misfortune of others.

Warnock was expected to bring stability when he arrived midway through last season.

But few could have anticipated the old touchline warrior would bring this level of success in his first full season in charge.

His teams rarely please those who hold their noses in the air when the boots fly and the sweat drips.

But his up-and-at-them style has proved too difficult for most of the Championship to handle, even if it’s in marked contrast to the football on offer at Wolves.

Reading, given their own relegation worries, were content to take a point.

They were happy to stand off mostly, as were Cardiff in the latter stages, as scorelines elsewhere decided matters for both clubs.

By the time jubilant Cardiff fans invaded the pitch before the final whistle, both clubs knew well enough which division they would be playing in next season.

But the prize that Cardiff yearned for was secure by then.

And with

Warnock at the helm, few clubs will relish visiting the

Welsh capital next season.