WELL-DRILLED WELSH LOOK A SAFE BET

WHY was Sean Morrison galloping into the box to finish off a counterattack? Who knows? But Neil Warnock won’t care.

The 69-year-old Cardiff manager is one game away from a record eighth promotion and, on this evidence, it is hard to bet against the Bluebirds. This was a victory that illustrated just why Warnock remains at the peak of his powers. Few other managers are able to set up a team who will run, fight and defend for their lives with this degree of commitment.

Few take such obvious pleasure in drilling the basics – clearing lines, tracking runners, retaining shape and organisation. All those facets were on show in a defensive masterclass that ended with the home side failing to register a single shot on target.

If Cardiff can perform with the same discipline next week then it is difficult to imagine anything but victory against a toothless Reading side that just shipped four at home to Ipswich.

For Warnock, history beckons. For Fulham, the play-offs may have to suffice.