Andy Munro on Blues’ return to home form.
We all know nobody likes us but we don’t care so when we, for once, get the rub of the green through a patently unjust penalty, a storm of media vitriol is unleashed. Of course, we’ve frequently been on the wrong end of unfair decisions so I’m not crying for Russell Slade who, in fairness, took it like a man (if you’ll excuse the Furyesque phrase).
Blues made a couple of changes and Eardley got another chance to shine before succumbing to yet another injury. His replacement by Caddis was to be a fortunate one given the way the penalty was superbly despatched. However, in going into the lead at half-time, I don’t think that anybody could argue that it was undeserved.
Mind you, where I take issue with the media (and that includes the Mail) is their reading of the second half, which conflicted drastically with my view that we were the better side and certainly worked their keeper and defence more. Obviously, they had some talented individuals and Kenwyn Jones is a good example as he has the physical attributes of Ziggy but uses them far more effectively. However, would I swop Donaldson for him and the answer is probably ‘no’ because he is still erratic in his final end product.
Similarly Sammy Ameobi is a tricky customer and when you have talents like Whittingham (and he is a talent, never mind his ‘pedigree’) confined to the bench, it is obvious that Cardiff are still living off some Premier league fat. On the subject of Ameobi, he gave Shane Lowry a difficult time but Lowry was impressively dogged in his resistance.
Elsewhere on the pitch Toral looked classy at times but was too much of a bystander other times. Despite this, James Vaughan worked like a Trojan to keep the Cardiff backline busy and, for a not particularly tall striker, won far more balls in the air than he was entitled to. Certainly, he’s one worth a second look and possibly keeping given his appetite for work and a more than decent footballing brain.
Elsewhere, nobody stood out in a generally average performance albeit a disciplined one. The exception to this was the central defence pairing of Morrison and Spector who were quite frankly outstandingly cool, particularly under the severe first half pressure. Anyway, three points will do very nicely as the return of Donaldson and Cotterill beckons at the same time as a breeze springs up around a waving chequebook.