Arm just two good
ADAM ARMSTRONG topped up his transfer value with two more goals as he dented Cardiff City’s dwindling play-off hopes.
The Blackburn striker (above) levelled with a calm finish just before the break then showed even more composure to keep his head in injury time while most of those around him were losing theirs.
Cardiff had gone ahead through Will Vaulks then rode their luck with Rovers rattling the woodwork three times.
It looked as if the Bluebirds’ blessings might hand Rovers a third straight defeat after Joe Ralls made it 2-1 in the second half.
But when substitute Ben Brereton picked out Armstrong in the 91st minute, the ex-Newcastle striker turned inside Aden Flint and poked the ball under Alex Smithies for his 22nd goal of the season.
Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray was left unsatisfied with point but admitted: “Adam is a goalscorer and that’s the bottom line. You give him an inch, he’ll score.
“When he gets the ball on the edge of the box, he can always drop a shoulder and shoot with either foot. It’d have been really harsh if we’d have lost that – we should have scored more.”
Cardiff are now nine points adrift of the play-offs with just five games left and boss Mick McCarthy all but conceded they will be in the Championship again next season.
He admitted: “I know we had a great start when I came in. Everything was going well, but I was never fooled to thinking we were one of the best teams in the league.”
CARDIFF: Smithies 5; Nelson 5, Flint 7, Brown 6; Sang 6, Vaulks 7, Pack 6, Ng 6; Wilson 7 (Williams 90), Murphy 5 (Ralls 63, 7), Moore 6. Unused subs: Phillips, Osei-Tutu, Colwill, Hoilett, Ojo, Watters, Harris. BLACKBURN: Kaminski 6; Nyambe 6, Lenihan 6, HarwoodBellis 7, Douglas 7; Trybull 7 (Davenport 78), Travis 6 (Downing 78), Johnson 7 (Dolan 78); Elliott 6 (Holtby 78), Armstrong 8, Gallagher 7 (Brereton 78).
Unused subs: Pears, Branthwaite, Bennett, Bell.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Adam Armstrong. Close control and dribbling ability caused endless problems, plus two calmly-taken goals. REFEREE: Jeremy Simpson 8.
VITAL STATS
CARDIFF BLACKBURN 6 ........ Shots on Target ......... 5 1 ......... ShotsoffTarget ....... 10 5 ................ Corners ................. 2 12 ................. Fouls .................. 10 3 ............... Offsides ................ 0 56.7. Passing Success %.. 77.5 277 ....... Total Passes ....... 538 35.2 ..... Possession % ..... 64.8 59 ..... Territorial Adv % ...... 41