Danny Ward came off the bench to win the game for Cardiff and boost our hopes of making the play-offs, while all but ending Bristol City’s.
It was a game which missed the atmosphere of the fans to make it properly feel like a derby but it was still very competitive. It was hotly contested throughout but both teams lacked the quality to break through.
That was until Lee Tomlin and Ward game off the bench to link-up for the winner. Tomlin has shown his quality throughout the season and has been a massive asset. After holding off Bristol City substitute Benik Afobe he played the ball perfectly into Ward’s path, who finished first time past Daniel Bentley in the goal. It was an excellent finish.
Both teams struggled to create clear-cut chances. The closest either had come to scoring was when Cardiff’s Alex Smithies saved well from Bristol City’s Nakhi Wells’ volley which was heading for the bottom corner. Substitute Filip Benkovic also came close for the Robins, heading wide from a corner.
The Bluebirds were probably the better side during the first half, threatening from a couple of set-pieces. However, Bristol City managed to deal with the threat. Even though they were the better side they struggled to cause Bristol City much trouble.
Will Vaulks should’ve scored early on in the second half, but his high shot was saved by Bentley. He shouldn’t have given the keeper a chance by hitting it into the corner.
Bristol City started to come into the game and for a period Cardiff struggled to get forward. The goal came from Bristol City giving the ball away and they will be frustrated with this result.
They’ve been on shocking form since the return, losing all four games and falling nine points off the top six after being just a point off when the league returned to action. That form led to manager Lee Johnson being sacked following this game after spending four years at the club. It probably came as a shock to a lot of people as he has been a big part of the club over recent seasons.
On the other hand, Neil Harris is starting to win over his doubters who thought that this appointment was poor by Cardiff. He has drastically improved the away form on the way to helping the club to challenge for a place in the play-offs. It had been looking like an average mid-table finish for most of the season.
Since his appointment the Cardiff’s record has been one of the best in the league. The four games since returning have produced ten points which is a fantastic return and supporters’ hopes of finishing in the top six are increasing with each game.
One player that has impressed recently is midfielder Leandro Bacuna who was excellent on Saturday. He’s always looked better as a box-to-box midfielder. However, since returning he has played in a deep-lying midfield role, protecting the back four with composure and solidity. Whenever he got the ball on Saturday he was always effective and he was definitely one of the best, or possibly the best player on the pitch.
He’s taken time to fully hit the ground running since joining, but he is starting to look like a very good signing by former manager Neil Warnock. The midfielders are all complimenting each other well and are starting to form a good chemistry which is helping the team a lot.
There is still a lot of work to do just to finish in the top six, but with Harris able to name a similar starting eleven most weeks with very few changes, the team is starting to provide consistent results on the field. If we finish in the play-offs anything could happen. However it will still be tough as Brentford will probably be the favourites. That is if Brentford don’t go up automatically.
The run-in is very tough for the Bluebirds, with games against teams around the promotion picture in Blackburn, Fulham and Derby. Those games will be very challenging and we will need to be at our best to come out with good results. Then, there are games against Hull and Middlesbrough, who are now under former Cardiff manager Neil Warnock. Both teams are fighting against relegation so those games will also be very tough.
It will be interesting and exciting to see what happens between now and the end of the season. What we can expect is for the team to do all they can to finish in the top six and end the season with the play-offs. There’s still a chance of an immediate return to the top flight and that will be a fantastic effort from the team. There is certainly a lot to look forward to.
The next game is at the Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday against Blackburn at 7:45pm. Blackburn have slipped up of late and are now eight points off the play-offs with very slim hopes of ending up in the top six. However, it will still be a very tough game and the Bluebirds will need to be at their best.
Cardiff City Daily 