WARNOCK SO PROUD BUT MADDIE’S A REAL BADDIE
VICTOR CAMARASA’S lastgasp stunner left Neil Warnock hailing Cardiff’s best display back in the big time.
The promoted Bluebirds’ first away win of the season had looked unlikely as James Maddison won and then stepped up to take a 75thminute penalty for Leicester.
But Neil Etheridge made his third spot-kick save of the season – and the Welsh team then delivered the ultimate knockout when on-loan Spanish midfielder Camarasa struck in the second minute of added time.
It spelled huge frustration for Leicester as the hosts laboured despite recently beating Chelsea and Manchester City.
But Warnock, who made five changes from Boxing Day, insisted: “We deserved to win – we limited them. It is the best day since we have been back in the Premier League. It was our best performance of the season.
“We have come a long way and improved so much since the start of the season. It has been bloody hard work.
“I am really proud how they put their bodies on the line.”
The visitors nearly made a disastrous start in the fifth minute when defender Greg Cunningham was close to finding his own net. Etheridge was called into action in the 16th minute after Maddison engineered space for a long-range shot with some superb skill.
The shot-stopper was stretched again, Ricardo Pereira testing him with a low shot to his right.
Etheridge had to be on his toes to beat out a Maddison free-kick and denied Jamie Vardy before saving a 30-yard ard curler from Demarai ai Gray and then Pereira’s eira’s left- foot shot. ot. Cardiff failed to muster a shot on target in the first half, with Kasper Schmeichel finally tested in the 66th minute when he had to save a low shot from Josh Murphy.
Claude Puel responded by taking off top scorer Vardy to boos from unimpressed home fans. It meant their penalty-taker was off when Maddison won a spot-kick after Sean Morriso Morrison tugged him back.
Maddison flopped in the Foxes’ Carabao Cup penalty shoot-out against Manchester Manch City this month and now saw his tame effort well saved by Etheridge. Et
Camaras Camarasa’s brilliant late strike from 25 yards ya prompted further boos. Boss Puel blamed fatig fatigue for subbing Vardy. T The Frenchman said: “It is a big disappointment for Maddie and for us. But Jamie was in difficulty and was tired.”