We’re not bowing down to anybody
Cardiff score a victory which says...
A WONDROUS stoppage- time goal by Victor Camarasa and defiant displays from Neil Etheridge and Sol Bamba gave Cardiff a victory that felt like more than three points.
It was the kind of winter win, snatched gloriously and so late, that can relight determination for the challenges ahead.
Neil Warnock and his players celebrated as such.
For the first time this season they could enjoy a win away from home in the Premier League and that should breed confidence that Warnock’s methods can work outside of South Wales.
He made five changes from the 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace and was given full commitment in response.
It was all the more impressive for coming against a Leicester team who had bettered Chelsea and Manchester City this past week.
Camarasa’s strike, in the second minute of time added on, was magnificent.
Hit from a few yards outside the angle of the box, it curled right into the top corner beyond the dive of Kasper Schmeichel.
The whole Cardiff bench was up punching the air, just as they had done some 15 minutes earlier when Etheridge saved James Maddison’s penalty.
Ultimately, Claude Pu el’ s decision to take off Jamie Vardy with more than 20 minutes left did not pay off. Vardy, Leicester’s usual penalty taker, watched from the bench.
It was a curious call by Puel, who may have alleviated the threat of the sack with the recent shock wins but has now come back to reality.
Leicester struggled to break down a determined Cardiff side and Puel’s substitutions failed.
When Vardy was replaced by Kelechi Iheanacho there were boos from the home crowd.
Puel also took off Marc Albrighton and Demarai Gray and left Hamza Choudhury out of the squad entirely. Choudhury had started the last two but was rested. Warnock was simply thrilled, calling the display his team’s best of the campaign.
‘I’m proud how they put their bodies on the line,’ he said. ‘We’ve come a long way, we’ve improved so much since the start of the season.’
On Camarasa, he said: ‘ You need to play for a manager who believes in you. He hit the stands moments before and I shouted over, “Keep shooting”. He has such a lovely sweet shot, very little back lift. He does that in training all the time.’
Cardiff are now four points above the relegation zone and full of belief. ‘There are a few teams down there that didn’t expect to be. That’s difficult mentally. We’ve always known we would be down there,’ added Warnock.
Puel said he took Vardy off because the striker looked tired. The Leicester boss cut a forlorn figure, saying: ‘I said after City, be careful about Cardiff.
‘We knew it would be tough with the tiredness, also it was a team playing deep with a strong defensive unit, long kicks, second balls. We tried to push until the end. It’s a big disappointment. Not a fair result.’
Warnock’s team squeezed the game and l i mited Leicester. Gregg Cunningham still almost scored an early own goal and Maddison brought a save out of Etheridge with a low shot.
The Cardiff keeper made a better save from Ricardo Pereira and again when Maddison played a brilliant pass to Vardy. Bamba then beat Nampalys Mendy to clear the unguarded net.
After the interval Vardy did well to set up Ricardo, who was defied again by Etheridge, and Cardiff then had two chances to score through Josh Murphy.
Puel sent on Rachid Ghezzal and i t was his one- two with Maddison that led to the penalty. Sean Morrison pulled Maddison back as he ran past and Simon Hooper’s decision to point to the spot was totally justifiable.
Etheridge dived the right way and Bamba produced a superb tackle to deny Maddison a simple tap-in on the rebound.
Cardiff took full advantage through Camarasa, who was teed up by Bobby Reid, and t he visitors could have scored a second when Callum Paterson fed Kadeem Harris.