Time for City to kick on after breaking away hoodoo

MALKY MACKAY wouldn’t admit it, but the relief said it all.

This victory, according to the Cardiff City manager, was not necessarily a monkey off the Bluebirds’ back, but simply a good, hard earned three points.

That it was.

But after three defeats in a row on the road, after blowing leads and failing to see games out, after the fuss being made with away form compared to the flawless record at home, it is hard to believe it did not mean more.

You wonder if Cardiff’s players had begun to think there was an away hoodoo such was the disparity between results in South Wales and outside.

And you certainly wonder what would have happened to their mindset had Barnsley scrapped their way to a point after Jacob Mellis pulled one back with 14 minutes to go in response to Ben Nugent and Aron Gunnarsson sending the Bluebirds on their way.

“It can creep into your mind at times, like when they got one back,” admitted Peter Whittingham, a nod to away days at Crystal Palace and Charlton that gave credit to the claim that 2-0 is the game’s most dangerous scoreline. “We had chances at 2-0 which we might have put away and perhaps put the game beyond them and we didn’t.

“But we held on which was important and a win’s a win at the end of the day.”

And one that puts Cardiff back at the top of the Championship, their cause aided with both Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough losing.

But there was the sense in the mist of Oakwell that this result could go further than the simple three points picked up in Yorkshire.

Mackay denied there might have been a mental problem on the road, again referring to the individual errors that cost at the Valley, the Reebok and several other Championship grounds this year.

But surely there will be a significant psychological boost from putting such losses behind them, making sure there was no disastrous deja vu and, instead, seeing things out.

“I don’t think there’s been an issue with mindset away from home, but they defended resolutely here definitely,” said Mackay as his side stayed strong at the death, even if there were a few hearts in mouths as Barnsley scrambled and screamed for penalties while Cardiff were left with 10 men following debutant Simon Lappin’s second yellow.

“After we had the second they had to bring fresh men on, change the system, pack the midfield and try to do something different.

“And, when you’re in a situation like that when they overload, then they will threaten with bodies, but we coped with it.

“They scored and it gives them impetus and the fans become the 12th man, they attack and throw caution to the wind.

“But we stood resolute as far as that is concerned and got the deserved three points.”

By hook or by crook by the end, and that is no bad thing given what has gone on away from home before now.

Of course, this was not all about backs to the wall.

And, as important as it was to see the team pulling through late on, what they had done beforehand was important.

Barnsley’s home record with no wins in six before this suggests they were no great shakes, but with fresh faces and pace they were hungry to upset the team Whittingham had admitted earlier this week were a scalp for their second tier rivals.

But Cardiff kept shape well, were comfortable through the first half and benefited from two bits of invention from Joe Mason.

The first he turned and twisted onto Craig Noone’s pass to force a save from Luke Steele 22 minutes in, Nugent heading home from the resulting corner.

The second, six minutes after the restart, where he made Martin Cranie look silly on the by-line to set-up Heidar Helguson for what should have been a gimmee, the iceman failing to beat Steele and Gunnarsson having to save blushes with his header from the resulting corner.

Poor decision making and poor finishing stopped Cardiff making it an easier final spell, Mellis scoring from Scott Wiseman’s cross to heighten tension 14 minutes from time and ask those away day questions.

And they were asked a little louder when, with two minutes remaining, Lappin became the first Cardiff player to see red since Darcy Blake was sent off, ironically, at this same ground in October 2010.

But Cardiff had answers in the form of David Marshall who saved smartly when called upon, and in the two central defenders in front of them.

The 19-year-old Nugent will take headlines for his goal, but his calmness in the chaos of a pacy Championship game was impressive.

There were plenty of occasions when it was his No.31 shirt seen with the clearance, or the block, or – perhaps most tellingly – with the key and decisive header away when Barnsley put the free-kick in following Lappin’s dismissal.

Even after taking a blow below the belt, he was still up and making sure he was in position before finally receiving the magic sponge in a break of play.

Not so much a rookie as a gnarled veteran.

“From day one when he stepped up to training with the professionals he’s been excellent,” said Mackay of the kid in the middle of a patchwork back four, injuries and now Lappin’s suspension costing.

“He’s wanted to do well and work hard and if he keeps improving the way I’ve seen in the last six months then eventually, years down the line, Cardiff will have another good captain at centre-back and an excellent player.”

If Nugent got the man of the match honours, then he should let his skipper share a glass or two as he talked the teenager through without letting his game go awry.

Besides, if Hudson is to take criticism when the team failed to see things out before this, then he deserves credit here as organisation and determination remained intact.

Cardiff will need greater creativity or at least a greater ruthlessness in front of goals to make sure away days aren’t always so agonising at the death.

With Craig Bellamy enjoying another cameo from the bench, you would assume that would come just with his presence and perhaps a start is looming for the Wales ace at Derby tomorrow night.

But, given what’s gone before, getting wins on the board away from home is fine for now.

The fine tuning can come later.



Read more: Wales Online http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballna ... z2DJ1Wa2Vt

We are averaging more than a point from every away game and winning every home game.
If we can continue with this present form we will total 95 points at the end of the season.
With key players due to return from injury I am finding it very hard to be pessimistic at the moment but I am still very aware that there is a lot of football left to be played this season.

This maybe only our 3rd victory on the road this season but things are slowly falling into place , not only do we have we the best manager at the club for nearly 50 yrs , we have a wonderful Captain in Hudson and the best squad possibly in Cardiff City s History , and certainly an attitude of Full commitment from all involved ............For those of you who feel that Tom ,Dick or Harry could have built all this Just having the monies available to buy , only need to look at Mark Hughes , Dalgish , Wenger , Sven to name but a few surely its plain to see that a Manager must first find the personel to fit together , then mould then into a strong unit and then instill belief and confidence that will inspire them to achieve , after only 15/16 months Malky has shown the making s of manager who will proberbly be our Very Best .......Yes we have had some good ones previously but most only managed a side that wre in the lower leagues ,with Dave jones , jimmy schoolar being the only ones to manage consistantly in championship/Div2 .....But with Malky on board I personally feel that for the 1st time in 50 yrs we will achieve the dizzy heights of the Top division ..............I BELIEVE

We've picked up 10 points from 9 away games. That's not a bad position to be in considering we've picked up max points at home. Look at the teams around us, they're not exactly winning all their away games. Leicester, Boro and Hull have all lost 4 away games, an they've lost home games as well. If we're still top after the next 5 games (half of the season gone) I think we can do it!

Personally our away form hasn't affecting us so it shows that teams are either shite at home and good way or its just mixed form in both.

Personally our away form hasn't affecting us so it shows that teams are either shite at home and good way or its just mixed form in both.

True but especially after January we need to be consistent with away performance! Can't rely on home games.