SHEFF UTD: 1 CARDIFF CITY: 1
THEY say it’s the sign of champions. And although Cardiff City won’t care whether they finish first or second in the Championship this season, their late, late show to steal a barely-deserved point at Sheffield United means these players will surely be remembered as true champions.
It came in the unlikely shape of substitute Anthony Pilkington, prodding home in stoppage time.
It came when the Blades, much sharper throughout a bruising contest, should have stretched their lead and put the game beyond doubt.
But, quite frankly, who cares? Certainly not Neil Warnock, the boyhood Blade who will never have felt so happy to see Bramall Lane fall silent and subdued at the final whistle.
You felt Warnock would always make the headlines here, such has been his influence at Cardiff this term, let alone his historical connection to this part of the world.
And there will always goodwill for him in this grand old club, but there was disbelief among the 25,000 home fans as they streamed home after this one. How on earth did Warnock mastermind that Cardiff point? Confidence? Belief? Passion? It was all there in spades.
Cardiff will have to wait for the victory that guarantees them a play-off spot. They also missed out on the chance to equal a club record nine victories. But this precious point means they now are 13 games unbeaten and surely within a few games of automatic promotion.
Despite the fact Cardiff played on Good Friday, Warnock wasn’t prepared to give any of his charges an Easter break: Kenneth Zohore and Bruno Manga were both retained in the first team despite rumours they might sit it out. Gary Madine, the £5million signing from Bolton, continued to observe from the substitutes’ bench, until half time anyway when he joined Zohore up front after a first-half in which Cardiff were outsmarted.
Because despite coming into the game on the verge of a record-breaking run of victories, the Bluebirds began with uncertainty, as if the weight of history and promotion played on their minds.
Zohore stung Simon Moore’s hands with a couple of early efforts, but otherwise the Blades bossed the early stages, backed by a hefty home support who flocked to Bramall Lane in spite the inclement conditions.
And the home side got the rewards their rowdy fans craved. It was veteran forward Leon Clarke whose left footed effort crawled into the far corner, via a deflection, beyond Neil Etheridge after a John Lundstram pass split the visitors’ defence.
‘Leon, Leon,’ the home faithful cried in joy. A strangely-shaky Bamba had met his match in the dangerous veteran Blades striker.
It was hard to argue that Cardiff deserved their point from an errorstrewn performance.
From Joe Bennett’s desperately cynical yellow card, to Marko Grujic’s misplaced passes, their performance was like a microcosm of the ‘other’ Cardiff this season; the one that can be rocked on northern away nights, particularly against teams with the Blades’ ability and organisation. Yet it would prove otherwise.
It was only the odd timely intervention from Manga or Morrison that prevented United doubling their advantage before the break. Bennett too, played his part, as Richard Stearman’s header was blocked on the line after 42 minutes.
Lundstram would worry Etheridge’s far post once more before the half-time whistle came. It was no exaggeration to say Cardiff were fortunate to trail 1-0.
Despite a tactical change from Warnock at the break, the second half was merely a continuation of the first. Bennett was fortunate to escape a second yellow card, while Cardiff found themselves indebted to a fine piece of goalkeeping from Etheridge, diving at the feet of Lee Evans to smother away another gilt edged United chance.
But if we’ve learned anything from this rollercoaster season then it’s that you don’t write Cardiff off. Ever.
Aron Gunnarsson almost conjured up an equaliser seemingly from the fresh Sheffield sky, drilling just wide on 56 minutes before Zohore muscled through to test Moore again.
There was an alarmingly open feel to it all, with Lundstram scooping a shot over Etheridge’s bar 30 seconds after that. And on the hour mark it was Bamba’s turn to administer the most lastditch of last-ditch tackles. How it stayed 1-0 so long was beyond anybody’s belief.
Substitute Clayton Donaldson struck a post as the Bluebirds defence continued to live on their last legs..
And United would continue to look the more likely to add to the scoreline... until Pilkington of course. Until that late goal and those sensational scenes in the Cardiff away end. Champions? Maybe not. Promoted? Surely. Sheffield United: Moore; Baldock, O’Connell, Stearman (Wright, 69), Stevens; Basham, Evans (Leonard, 88); Brooks (Donaldson, 72), Fleck, Lundstram; Clarke (capt.). Subs not used: Eastwood, Sharp, Lafferty, Holmes. Cardiff City: Etheridge; Manga, Morrison (capt), Bamba, Bennett; Grujic, Gunnarsson, Paterson; Hoilett (Wildschut, 78), Mendez-Laing (Madine, 46), Zohore (Pilkington, 78). Subs not used: Murphy, Peltier, Bryson, J. Ward. Yellow cards: Bennett, Referee: Michael Oliver. Attendance: 25,231.