RALLS STUNNER FOR BLUEBIRDS
AJOE Ralls stunner helped Cardiff City sign off their pre-season schedule with a 2-0 win over south Wales rivals Newport County at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Ralls struck from 25 yards midway through the first half of a game Cardiff largely dominated, with Mark Harris coming off the bench to net a second late on.
Newport, in contrast, largely struggled to assert any sort of authority on this friendly contest, which was once again watched by a home crowd of around 8,000 fans.
Alex Smithies was called into action on a couple of occasions in the Cardiff goal, producing a fine stop to tip Ed Upson’s first-half header over the bar, but otherwise enjoyed a reasonably straightforward afternoon.
One suspects this Bluebirds XI may not be a million miles away from the one that takes on Barnsley in the capital next weekend, with time running out for players to put their hands up ahead of the new campaign.
Winger Gavin Whyte has already been ruled out of Mick McCarthy’s plans for the coming season, having completed a season-long loan, but the City boss will certainly be pleased with some of the creative spark displayed here, albeit against lower league opposition.
For the first time this summer, Cardiff were led out by Sean Morrison, and the skipper was quickly involved in the very first minute of action, getting down well to brilliantly snuff out Robbie Willmott’s angled effort following a dangerous early Newport counter-attack.
There was otherwise very little to get excited about for much of the opening 20 minutes, although Aden Flint did warm the palms of Nick Townsend with a typically towering header.
Newport, hoping to mount another assault on promotion from League Two following their play-off final heartache at Wembley back in May, were typically well drilled and organised, with former Swansea City star and subsequent pantomime villain Courtney Baker-Richardson offering plenty of energy up front.
But chances for either side seemed elusive, right up until a stunning opening goal.
Ralls, who will likely have a big role to play in the upcoming season under McCarthy, looked up 25 yards out after being teed up by Marlon Pack, before rattling home a stunning curled effort in off the crossbar.
Ryan Giles, handed much of the creative responsibility again with Lee Tomlin starting on the bench, nearly doubled the lead but could only send his low drive wide of the post just after half an hour.
Cardiff looked comfortable, although Smithies was called in to action a few minutes later, producing a superb save to deny Upson’s bullet header from close range. Leandro Bacuna really should have gone one better on the stroke of half-time, but somehow guided Perry Ng’s low cross wide of the post.
City perhaps had a case for a penalty when James Collins was brought down inside the box, but their appeals fell on deaf ears.
Collins’ frustrations were compounded just moments later when he saw a header cleared off the line, before Giles and Ralls were denied by smart saves from substitute goalkeeper, and former Bluebird, Joe Day.
City made a host of changes, but their dominance remained unblemished, with Day enduring a busy afternoon back in the capital, keeping out a Will Vaulks effort before turning Lee Tomlin’s clever strike over the bar. But Cardiff weren’t to be denied a second, with former County loan star Harris coming off the bench to tuck home from close range, rounding off a very satisfying afternoon for the hosts.
TEAMS – CARDIFF CITY:
Smithies; Ng, Morrison (c), Flint, Nelson, Bagan; Ralls, Pack; Giles, Bacuna; Collins
SUBS: Phillips, Ratcliffe, Brown, McGuinness, T.Davies, Wintle, Bowen, Evans, Vaulks, Tomlin, Harris, Zimba.
NEWPORT COUNTY: Townsend; Demtriou, Bennett, Farquharson, Upson Willmott, Haynes, Norman, Hylton Collins, Baker-Richardson
SUBS: Abraham, Ellison, Trialist, Trialist, Hall, Clark, Dolan, Hillier, Lewis, Karadogan, Missilou, Day.