BLUEBIRDS TO DEEPEN COLLAPSE WORRIES
CARDIFF City’s relegation troubles deepened further as a catastrophic secondhalf collapse saw them hammered at the hands of promotionchasing Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
An early Sory Kaba penalty gave the hosts a deserved lead midway through the first half, only for James McAtee to hit back four minutes later.
Jack Robinson’s header 10 minutes after the break then put the hosts in front, before Cardiff substitute Connor Wickham rattled the bar as his side looked to restore parity.
But another sloppy goal allowed Illiman Ndiaye to round Ryan Allsop and tap home, before substitute Ciaran Clark completed the rout by heading home a fourth.
It’s a result that condemns Cardiff to back-to-back defeats, with relegation still an uncomfortably real possibility heading into Wednesday’s trip to Watford.
The Bluebirds are now level on points with Reading, who are in the relegation zone, with the Royals recording a 0-0 draw with champions-elect Burnley. While few would have expected a visit to the high-flying Blades to yield much joy, the nature of Cardiff’s collapse after such a positive start was deeply alarming.
Sabri Lamouchi chose to make four changes to his side for the trip to South Yorkshire, presumably in search of a similar performance to that seen at Blackpool on Good Friday, but will have surely been unimpressed by his side’s efforts in South Yorkshire.
In a way, this game summed up Cardiff’s recent fortunes. For much of the first half, they were actually the better team at Bramall Lane, although Jack Simpson’s early yellow card hinted at the potential defensive fragility that was to come.
But up front, Cardiff asked their fair share of questions. Jaden Philogene fired wide early on, while home goalkeeper Adam Davies had to be alert to turn Ryan Wintle’s stinging drive round the post.
Sheffield United, despite dominating possession for much of the opening period, didn’t really have much to show for it, and could have few complaints when Cardiff took a deserved lead on 20 minutes.
A high boot inside the box from Max Lowe on Simpson saw referee David Webb point to the spot, with Kaba duly stepping up to slot home his sixth goal of the season.
It was a dream start. But the lead was to last just four minutes.
After doing so well to get in front, a defensive horror show allowed McAtee to glide his way through the heart of the back line and into the area, before sliding home.
Mark McGuinness, who was previously excellent, may as well not have been there, and Allsop frustratingly conspired to let a largely tame effort to somehow escape his grasp.
Kaba warmed the palms of Davies moments later in a bid to quickly restore the advantage, while Allsop went a small way to redeeming him
self by twice keeping out Ndiaye.
Joe Ralls very nearly got Cardiff back in front, pouncing on a defensive mix-up to find himself clean through, only to be denied by an excellent save from the onrushing Davies.
Callum O’Dowda was introduced at half-time in place of Simpson, who in all honesty was perhaps lucky not to receive a second yellow due to a couple of questionable challenges.
The Irishman found himself booked himself just minutes after coming on, which probably wasn’t in Lamouchi’s second-half plans, but Cardiff quickly had more drastic problems.
Tommy Doyle, the darling of the Bluebirds during his loan stint in the capital last season, dinked in a typically magnificent cross from the right and, with the Cardiff defence napping, Robinson was there to head home unchallenged from close range.
Lamouchi responded by throwing on Wickham from the bench, and moments after Rinomhota had been denied by Davies, Wickham very nearly restored parity with a piledriver from the edge of the box, but his rasping effort came rattling back off the bar.
However, any hopes of Cardiff grabbing a heroic point were extinguished in the final 10 minutes.
A horrific back pass from McGuinness was gobbled up by Ndiaye, who produced some tricky footwork to round Allsop and tap home.
Then, just moments later, a largely routine inswinging corner was headed home by Clark at the back post, although replays suggest it may have taken a deflection of Sander Berge.
Substitute Billy Sharp nearly got in on the act, but his fizzing effort was palmed away well by Allsop, although a fifth goal wouldn’t have really flattered the Blades such was the standard of Cardiff’s second half performance.
Defeat wasn’t a massive shock, but the lack of fight and intensity, and some self-destructive defending, leaves Cardiff in a perilous position before the final weeks of the season.