City sweat on Bellamy fitness

Cardiff City sweat on Craig Bellamy fitness
Cardiff City were made to sweat in their bid to enter the record books last night – and will now sweat on the fitness of star man Craig Bellamy.

The Bluebirds left it late against nine-man Watford but made it a historic sixth successive home victory when Aron Gunnarsson headed home in injury time, sealing the club’s best start to the season on their own patch.

But as Cardiff boss Mackay hailed the belief of his players and fans to keep going to the death to deliver victory, he admitted he must wait for a scan to discover the extent of an ankle injury suffered by Bellamy.

Bellamy limped off at half-time with swelling around his ankle after rolling it in a first-half incident, Tommy Smith also leaving the action with a hamstring problem, and Mackay admitted he will assess both players’ fitness today.


But the concerns could not dampen Mackay’s mood after he watched Gunnarsson grab the win that kept them level on points with Leicester at the top of the Championship.

Peter Whittingham’s penalty had earlier cancelled out Tommie Hoban’s first-half opener with the Hornets losing both Daniel Pudil and Nathaniel Chalobah to red cards.

“It was late but overall it was the correct scoreline,” said Mackay. “It was always going to be a tough game with Watford’s game-plan to break and counter with quality.

“We knew we had to be patient and after we got caught with a set-piece, we had to stay calm and keep probing and we did that.

“It could have been one of those nights for us, but we kept going and I’m very proud of what the team achieved.

“At the start of the season I asked the fans to back the team and they’ve seen the lads putting their heart and soul into these games.

“We’ve got a resilient team with a belief in their own ability and, with the fans getting behind us even towards the death, you could see it coming.

“Every time the ball went into the box there was a ground-swell and it gives belief to the players.

“They are all pulling for each other and you can see it on the pitch.”


Watford boss Gianfranco Zola insisted he had not seen the off-the-ball incident for which Pudil was sent off.

He said: “It was a cruel result for my players. I am proud of them but I feel sick for them.”



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Feel for the Watford manager and their team.

Any team deserved a point after all that.

Does not look good for Bells when it swells that quick. Hope it's not his ligaments To loose him as well as Maynard will be sickening

Feel for the Watford manager and their team.

Any team deserved a point after all that.

Cannot agree with that. They were trying to kill the game from the start. Timewasting, blatant cynical fouls.
Lost their rag and that idiot who almost kicked the ball away down the tunnel to waste time? Even Zola has not complained about the sendings off.
Knew what they were doing. It was their game plan, and no team deserves anything with those tactics.

A team that were the creators of their own downfull do not deserve 3 points.

Feel for the Watford manager and their team.

Any team deserved a point after all that.

Cannot agree with that. They were trying to kill the game from the start. Timewasting, blatant cynical fouls.
Lost their rag and that idiot who almost kicked the ball away down the tunnel to waste time? Even Zola has not complained about the sendings off.
Knew what they were doing. It was their game plan, and no team deserves anything with those tactics.

I liked it when their Left Back had to use the towel on the ball every time he took a throw in.

Should be banned from using towel unless your in the opposition's half/final third. There's no reason to use them in your own half.

Feel for the Watford manager and their team.

Any team deserved a point after all that.

Cannot agree with that. They were trying to kill the game from the start. Timewasting, blatant cynical fouls.
Lost their rag and that idiot who almost kicked the ball away down the tunnel to waste time? Even Zola has not complained about the sendings off.
Knew what they were doing. It was their game plan, and no team deserves anything with those tactics.

I liked it when their Left Back had to use the towel on the ball every time he took a throw in.

Should be banned from using towel unless your in the opposition's half/final third. There's no reason to use them in your own half.

That was really pointless.