FLINT SPARKS WIN FOR THE BLUEBIRDS
BIG MATCH ANALYSIS:
ANOTHER Aden Flint double helped Cardiff City to their second win of the season after coming out 3-1 victors over Millwall at Cardiff City Stadium.
The Bluebirds’ aerial supremacy told once again in the Welsh capital, with both of Flint’s goals and Sean Morrison’s effort all coming from headers. Incredibly, all eight of Cardiff’s Championship goals this season have been headers.
Benik Afobe gave Millwall late hope when he struck to make the match 2-1, but City’s giant centre backs proved too much for the Lions.
Ryan Giles, whose introduction turned the game on its head, was the provider for both of Flint’s goals, thanks to his tremendous delivery with that left foot.
Then, Cardiff City’s bread and butter, the Marlon Pack long throw, put paid to any late Millwall hope. Morrison did what he does best when he nodded home City’s third.
It means that Cardiff’s unbeaten streak now stands at 11 games, a run that includes the back end of last season, and ensures that momentum is carried through in these important early stages of the campaign.
The game began more like an arm wrestle than a football match.
Chances were hard to come by early on and it meant a fairly attritional watch at times.
The Millwall defence was huge, just about the only one so far which could match Cardiff’s height and physicality, meaning the Bluebirds’ ploy of hitting it long to Kieffer Moore, Sean Morrison or Flint was largely negated.
Millwall looked dangerous on the break, too. Early on, an error from Morrison allowed former Bluebird Scott Malone to break down the left. He hit a dangerous-looking cross low into the box, which allowed Benik Afobe to try his luck, but a sprawling Curtis Nelson did brilliantly to deflect it over the bar.
But the first clear chance of the game fell to Wales striker Moore. Joe Ralls whipped in a lovely left-footer for the forward to poke home at the back post, but, incredibly, Moore couldn’t get enough on it and the ball was sent wide of the post from close range.
Just minutes later, Flint finally found some joy in the air when he latched on to a Pack free-kick, but the two-goal hero from Tuesday night’s trip to Peterborough could not keep his effort down as he blazed his header over the bar.
Just before the break, following a flat first 45, came the most skilful moment of the half.
Tom Sang picked up a loose ball on the corner of the box and skinned his man no less than four times before lofting a cross to the back post. It was so inviting for Moore, but his header thudded into the crossbar and sailed over the bar.
Cardiff hoped that would be the precursor for things to come after the break.
To their credit, the hosts were in the ascendancy after the break.
The Canton Stand began to roar and Cardiff’s players sparked into life. But the real turning point was the introduction of Ryan Giles.
The Wolves loanee made an instant impact. From one set piece over on the far side, he whipped in a brilliant cross and Flint needed no second invitation.
The defender steered his effort into the near corner to send the supporters wild.a
They could barely catch their breath before the second went in. Almost a carbon copy, but from the other side.
Giles picked the ball up, floated it in and Flint was once again on hand to power home the header.
Just four minutes between them and that, Cardiff thought, was the game.
But the wounded Lions had something to say about that and sought a goal of their own. They threw men forward and it soon paid dividends.
Afobe was the beneficiary of a goalmouth scramble when the striker drilled a low effort which was deflected before it sailed beyond Phillips and into the net.
Suddenly, it was the visitors with the momentum.
Millwall came hard at Cardiff and they had a glorious opportunity to hit the equaliser. Jed Wallace spun Joel Bagan and sent a cross to the far post, but Malone’s strike couldn’t find its way below the crossbar and it pinged off the woodwork.
What a moment that would prove to be, because Cardiff then wrapped the game up just seconds later.
Marlon Pack launched a long throw into the box and Morrison, at the near post, nodded home as easy as you like to make sure all three points stayed in the Welsh capital.