CARDIFF: 2 DERBY: 1
A GIFT from Wayne Rooney and a moment of true class from Lee Tomlin earned Cardiff City a precious 2-1 win over Derby County to strengthen their top-six spot.
In truth, there were two big mistakes from Derby on the night, but credit to the Bluebirds for pouncing on them both.
Firstly it was Junior Hoilett, who jumped on an errant back pass in the first half before Tomlin, who was making his first start since February, announced his return to the starting line-up by robbing Manchester United great Rooney in the Rams half before sprinting towards goal and burying his chance.
At the start of the match, what the Bluebirds would have given for a gift of a goal – and that is exactly what they got.
Just 16 minutes in, Jason Knight attempted a 35-yard pass back to his own goalkeeper, Kelle Roos, but failed to see Junior Hoilett making a run to intercept it.
The City winger seized his opportunity, rounding the keeper before slotting home into an empty net. Nerves settled, perhaps.
Just minutes later, it could have, and perhaps should have, been two. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing spearheaded a lightning-quick breakaway before squaring the ball to an onrushing Lee Tomlin in the Rams box. He had only
the keeper to beat but, to his credit, Roos came out and made himself big, smothering Tomlin’s lofted effort.
It would end up proving costly, that miss, as the visitors regrouped brilliantly at the drinks breaks and came back out with real intent.
A devastating break from Derby saw Curtis Nelson drawn out of position, allowing Chris Martin to flick into the path of Louie Sibley, who danced towards the City box.
Sibley squared it to Knight, the man whose horrible pass allowed City to take the lead, and the Rams man emphatically finished into the roof of the net to restore parity.
The finale to the first half really was end to end. Derby tried to control the game with their possession, but often making little headway and few inroads, while the Bluebirds still carried that threat on the break.
Lee Tomlin was the man who looked the most likely as the game opened up, as one would expect, and produced two big moments for City before the end of the half.
For the first, he broke through the middle of the pitch, danced through a few defenders and into the box, only to see his shot denied by a last-ditch challenge from a Rams defender.
The second was a well-disguised pass which he sent out to Hoilett on the far side of the box before the Canadian looked to whip it into the far corner, only to be denied by the fingertips of Roos in what was a first-class save.
But the Rams burst out of the traps at the beginning of the second half when Sibley was slid through down the edge of the box. He fancied his chances and lashed a left-footed effort at goal from a tight angle, forcing Alex Smithies to make a very smart save.
But it remained end to end and Tomlin once again was the creator for City’s next big chance when he put in a fantastic free-kick to the far post, only for skipper Sean Morrison to head agonisingly wide from close range.
The tensions heightened as the half wore on, that much was clear, with mistakes being made at both ends of the pitch from both sides.
But for Tomlin, who had created so much only for no end product, he took matters into his own hands.
With almost an hour gone, he bore down on Wayne Rooney in the Derby half and dispossessed him 40 yards from goal.
The City man burst towards the Rams box before looking up and rifling his drilled effort into the bottom corner with a little kiss off the post.
For a man who hasn’t started a game since February, he showed everyone just what they had been missing.
Derby upped their tempo, but Cardiff’s shape reduced them to very few clear-cut chances as the tie wore on.
In fact, it was City who had the most gilt-edged chance late on, when Danny Ward lofted a cross into Joe Ralls, whose thumping header from just four yards out clattered into the crossbar.
Neil Harris rang the changes and
City, in turn, held firm to secure the win.
It was dubbed a six-pointer ahead of the game and boy, Cardiff will be glad they came out on the right side.
That play-off spot is very much still in their hands now.
TEAMS
Cardiff City XI (4-2-3-1): Smithies; Bacuna, Nelson, Morrison, Bennett; Pack (Paterson 90), Ralls; MendezLaing (Smith 90), Tomlin (Vaulks 70), Hoilett; Glatzel (Ward 78).
Subs: Etheridge, Sanderson, Flint, Bamba, Murphy.
Derby County XI (4-2-3-1): Roos; Lowe (Bogle 68), Davies, Clarke, Forsyth (Malone 88); Bird (Shinnie 88), Rooney; Knight (Marriott 77), Sibley (Jozefzoon 77), Lawrence; Martin.
Subs: Hamer, Evans, Buchanan, Whittaker.