WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE BLUEBIRDS’ MAULING OF THE MILLERS
CARDIFF City wrapped up an incredible week with their biggest victory in seven years after romping to a five-goal win over relegationhaunted Rotherham.
Warnock had described this match as the toughest test his men faced after away-day wins at Leeds and Derby, but watched as goals from Kadeem Harris, Junior Hoilett, Craig Noone and a Kenneth Zohore double made it three wins on the spin for the Bluebirds who moved 15 points clear of the bottom three and held onto their top-half of the table position.
The game was just 11 minutes old when Harris opened with a curling effort from inside the area, the pressure coming from his own counter run that has earned Aron Gunnarsson the chance to launch a long throw.
And the winger could have doubled the lead and his own tally on 27 minutes when he found himself inside the area, Richard Wood clearing off the line under pressure from Joe Ralls with the keeper beaten.
Rotherham No.1 Richard O’Donnell had to save well from a Zohore shot as he took a loose ball caused from Rhys Healey’s surge into the box, the challenge on the young striker cutting short his first Bluebirds home start with a seriouslooking injury.
But, after Healey was stretchered off in first-half injury time, replacement Hoilett was soon on hand to pounce on a Ben Purrington back-pass to calmly slot home the second.
And within five minutes of the restart Cardiff had their third, Harris’ floated cross finding Noone at the far post who pulled off a hitch-kick volley to find the opposite corner of the net.
Just five minutes later, Hoilett’s hold-up play invited Zohore to smash home the fourth with a superb cross-goal shot. Hoilett could have added to the score only for a clever shot on 75 minutes to be cleared off the line.
And to finish the job, a searching ball was latched onto by Zohore with ten minutes remaining who lofted it over the oncoming O’Donnell for the fifth. 1. FORTRESS CARDIFF CARDIFF City Stadium is a different place under Neil Warnock. There had been a hint of what the Bluebirds boss would bring to the table on his first game as manager after replacing Paul Trollope back in October, but this is now far beyond any short-term impact.
Though this was a game marked by some superb pieces of skill in terms of finishing, the fans are buying into a unity and spirit from the side honed by the veteran boss that is doing more to rekindle a connection between fans and the club than any marketing programme.
Yes, the fact that Warnock is bringing winning football – this being the sixth in the last nine games – is helping, but the energy and effort still being displayed even at 5-0 up, and the demands being made by Warnock is what is contributing to the feeling of something special brewing. 2. FIVE OF THE BEST CARDIFF fans haven’t seen a great deal of wins at Cardiff City Stadium let alone big wins. So no-one could begrudge them for enjoying this one, especially given the quality of finishes involved.
Before Zohore’s fifth, this was Cardiff’s biggest win since an October 2012 4-0 win over Burnley in the year they won promotion from the Championship – a game that also saw Craig Noone score.
There have been a handful of similar scorelines including memorable wins over Doncaster, Leeds and Watford, but you have to go back to January 2010 for a larger win when Dave Jones’ side beat Bristol City 6-0.
Indeed, for a bigger win at home then you have to look at the 6-1 Cardiff City Stadium victory over Derby in September 2009. 3 . GOALS, GOALS, GOALS WARNOCK had called for goals from more areas of the pitch and, in the past three games, it seems his side have risen to the challenge.
Led by the red-hot form of Craig Noone and Kadeem Harris, goals are now popping up from various areas of the pitch.
Aron Gunnrasson, Joe Ralls, Sean Morrison, Peter Whittingham and Junior Hoilett have all got themselves on the scoresheet of late and – with the game based around playing up to a lone striker – it’s something they must continue with. 4. KABOOM, IT’S KADEEM KADEEM Harris was in danger of the drop a week ago. Now he has scored more goals in two games than he had managed in the previous five years as a Cardiff player.
In his longest run of games as a Bluebird after a fifth successive start, the confidence of capability of the winger is coming to the fore.
Teammates have insisted it’s not surprising having seen his qualities first-hand, but at last there seems to be a consistency about him that Warnock has started to trust.
With the 22-year-old’s contract due to expire at the end of the season, he couldn’t have timed his breakthrough any better. 5. HEALEY HEARTACHE SPARE a thought for injured Rhys Healey who had done all he had been asked of by Warnock after naming him as the first change to his side in three games.
He did simple things but did them well, looking to lay off and make immediate runs towards goal to give options.
The injury looked a bad one, his knee suffering under the weight of his own body, and seemingly leaving him facing at least nine months out of action just when he was suggesting he could add something to the Cardiff cause.