" Match report Cardiff v Ipswich 15 Oct 2011 "

This was a game that had some interesting ingredients mixed into it. The visitors were a team that have suffered the heaviest defeat in the league yet came to us a team in form. In that team was a midfield of premiership quality and an attack force with premiership experience although it could be said the strikers were more comfortable in the championship than the top division. A bit of investment had gone into this team and they were getting their act together. This would be a real test for the experimental team called Cardiff City.

Cardiff made a few changes to the team from their last game. Marshall kept his place in goal but the defence saw Turner make his debut as he made up the line with McNaughton, Hudson and Taylor. The home side went for 4 in the middle with Cowie, Whittingham, Gunnarson and the returning Conway from injury. Making the line up front was Gestede making his first starting place and partnering Earnshaw.
The game kicked off and it was the visitors who looked the more up for this. Their quality in midfield soon showed as they controlled the game there and made good progress in the Cardiff half specially down their right side. However their dominance here failed to produce any clear chance on goal.
Eventually Cardiff started to get into the game with Gestede winning a number of high balls that allowed the Cardiff midfield to gain possession in the Ipswich half. Whittingham found himself a couple of times in space just outside the Ipswich area but his passing was too strong for the strikers to catch onto. Either the pass was over hit or Earnshaw was too slow. I’m beginning to think the latter is true.
Cardiff were now dominating the game and unlike the visitors the home side made use of it on 19 minutes to take the lead. From a Gunnarson throw in front of the Grandstand Gestede clearly out jumped his markers just outside the 6 yard area and placed his header pass the away keeper for the lead.
Ipswich responded positively to this and started to take control again in the midfield. Cardiff seemed to let the visitors have their own space in the home half and on 29 minutes the despised ex Jack Jason Scotland was allowed to progress to the home goal and from 22 yards fired a fierce low drive that Marshall could not get to for the equaliser.
Ipswich then continued to dominate the remainder of the half and from their right tried the technique of firing low crosses across the Cardiff area in the hope that an away foot would make contact. The ex Cardiff striker Chopra nearly gave them the lead with one of these moves as he managed to lose his marker but could not stretch enough to make contact.
Cardiff only real chance in this period before half time came from Gestede who managed to break down the away left but failed to set up Whittingham who was waiting on the 18 yard line in space.
The half ended with the teams one goal to the good.
Ipswich totally dominated the start of the second half as they seem to have all the time in midfield. There surely was something wrong with the home midfield as it had never been dominated like this before.
Within minutes of the restart Marshall was forced to make a save by tipping the ball over the bar from a placed shot from 18 yards. Moments later and from a similar move Scotland shot just wide and the warning signs were there.
Then the away side took their deserved lead as Cardiff failed to deal with a cross from their right. The ball was crossed across the area and from the edge of the left side of the 6 yard area alone Ipswich player managed to head the ball back across the goal. Chopra challenged Turner for the ball on the post and somehow beat him to it. The ball looked like it hit the post and went across the goal only to fall a foot behind the goal line.
As the Ipswich players celebrated the linesman raised his flag. This gave confusion to what was happening. Was he raising his flag for offside? If it was a goal he should be running back to the half way line as the referee had already given the goal. The referee went over to him for a word and then both of them made their ways to their respected positions for a restart.
Cardiff made their first substitution and brought on Kiss for Conway.
From the restart it Cardiff responded positively. Ipswich seemed to have decided to defend their lead and relied on break aways to secure the game. As Cardiff tried to look for an equaliser quite a few decisions seemed to go against them. Frustration was creeping in but the team stuck to their guns and started to cause problems for the away side.
A penetrating run from Kiss, who brought some steal to the Cardiff midfield, caused panic in the Ipswich defence and he was brought down just outside the Ipswich area. Cowie and Whittingham lined up for the kick with Whitts blasting well over.
Cardiff were now dominating but it was Ipswich that went close. From a breakaway Jason Scotland collected the ball inside the Cardiff area and managed to skip his marker. With only Marshall to beat he could only force a foot save from the keeper. That would have sealed the game for the visitors. After that the ex Jack was sssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhh for the rest of the game.
Then Cardiff got their chance to get back on terms. The ball bounced around the Ipswich area and looked like it was going out for a goal kick. Earnshaw managed to prevent the ball going out and in turn caused an Ipswich defender to handle. The referee pointed to the spot but the linesman had his flag up.
The Ipswich players cried just like the Hull lot in the last game and forced the referee to go over to the linesman. The conversation went something like this:
The linesman “ball went out”
The referee “bollocks it was not and I’m giving the penalty. Besides after our colleagues conned them in the last game we can’t get away with it again. Also you 2 linesmen are having shit games and I can’t trust your decisions”
The linesman “Typical English refer always cheating or are you Irish and can speak French.”

From the penalty spot Whittingham finally did something right and put the ball away.

Cardiff continued their pressure and looked like the side to win the game. On 74 minutes they brought on Mason for Earnshaw. This moved seemed to consolidate the midfield for Cardiff and they really looked like they had the winner in themselves.
From a move down the right Cowie met a cross with his head just inside the Ipswich area and that forced the save of the game from the visiting keeper. Moments later Cardiff had their best chance of winning all three points when Gestede found himself with only the keeper to beat. He decided to place his shot to the keepers left but unfortunately the keeper guessed right and managed to get down to save the day for the visitors.
However as the game went into extra time it was the visitors who could have won the game. As they flung everyone to attack as Cardiff looked like they had ran out of ideas the ball ended up inside the Cardiff six yard area with an Ipswich player in space and looked likely to score. Taylor flung himself at the ball and forced the powerful shot for a corner.
From the resulting corner and from just outside the 6 yard area the ex Cardiff player JET headed over the bar. That could have been just desserts for the Cardiff fans booing him for not trying when he was a Cardiff player. Just to make sure he did not have another chance he got brought down from behind by McNaughton who in turn managed to avoid getting a deserved booking for that. Sometimes you really love this game.
The referee brought the game to an end with the score two all.
This was a great game for the neutral but an intense one for the Cardiff fan. It had everything, ex players returning, liked or disliked, hated ex Jack and crap officials. We could have won it but we did not. Thing is we got back into it by hard work and then nearly got ahead with a change. Last season we hardly ever did that, did not get close to it. That is what I am seeing.

Nice one Ian ...Good read as usual.

Ian, great read as usual and an honest one

Good read McNaughton was booked though.