" CARDIFF C V DERBY GUESS SCORE/OFFICIAL MATCH DAY THREAD "

I reckon Malky will bounce back big time after Boro defeat.

Cardiff City 4 Derby County 0



" SCOUT'S REPORT: DERBY COUNTY "



Cardiff City will be looking to bounce back from defeat to Middlesbrough on Tuesday night, when Derby County visit Cardiff City Stadium.

The Rams will be looking to do the same after losing to Crystal Palace 1-0 on Friday evening. Derby currently find themselves in thirteenth position in the Championship table with forty-four points, aware surely, that their hopes of gaining a Play-Off place will start to fade if they don't find form. They are now eleven points off that elusive sixth place, while also having played one game more than sixth placed Palace.

In fact County find themselves marginally closer to the relegation zone at this time than the promotion places. They are now eight points above the drop-spots with eleven games to play.

Nigel Clough’s team have struggled away from home this season, losing ten of their seventeen games on the road. They have also only picked up one win in their last eight fixtures, although they have only lost three of them games thanks to four draws. Encouraginly for Rams fans, Derby have only lost one game after being in a winning position all season. The first goal could prove crucial on Tuesday night.

Key Players:Theo Robinson was top scorer for Derby when the two sides met back in November. That honour now lies with Jamie Ward who has eleven league goals to his name - though injury picked up against Palace on Friday is likely to keep him out of this evening's fixture. Conor Sammon will be looking to make amends, if he features, after missing an eighty-eighth minute penalty on Friday night at Pride Park.

Midfielder Paul Coutts could prove influential when the Rams visit the capital. He is Derby’s leader in assists with eight and could be a vital link to the front men. Jeff Hendrick is their leading scorer in midfield with six goals and could be a danger going forward.

And if Cardiff are to get back to winning ways on Tuesday night they will have to break the defences of John Brayford and Richard Keogh. The ever-present defenders have featured in every single league game this year.

Previous Meetings: Cardiff City have much the superior record when it comes to head-to-heads with Derby. There have been fifty-four encounters and City have won twenty-six of them, while there have been fourteen draws and fourteen wins for Derby.

In recent years Cardiff have been the stronger team only losing two in the last ten. That sequence of games includes both a 6-1 and 4-1 win for City.

Last Meeting: Derby County 1–1 Cardiff City (27/10/2012)

Cardiff City earned a hard fought point at Pride Park after the sixty-third minute sending off of Craig Noone. City had taken the lead through an early Heidar Helguson goal after he nodded home from close range.

Noone’s sending off for a second bookable offence was a turning point. Just six minutes later, Theo Robinson equalised for the Midlands side. However, Cardiff managed to stay strong under intense Derby County pressure to remain top of the Championship table.

Derby County Line-up: Legzdins, Brayford, Roberts (O’Connor), Buxton, Keogh, Bryson, Coutts, Jacobs (Tyson), Hughes, Robinson (Hendrick), Sammon. Subs not used: Fielding, O’Brien, Davies, Freeman.

Cardiff City Line-up: Marshall, Hudson, Connolly, Ralls, Nugent, Whittingham, Kim, Noone, Gunnarsson (Conway), Helguson (Mason), Bellamy (Mutch). Subs not used: Parish, Kiss, John, Gestede.

3-1... Campbell 1st scorer!

I really hope we can bounce back, 2-1 City

3-0 City, Campbell, Mason and Whitts

They gave us a bit of a torrid time down the left away this season, Ralls was playing left back if I remember correctly and Nugent came on and done well. Should be on top of them now though.

2-0 City win

3-1 City, I hope.

Cardiff 3-0 Derby.

Squeeky bum time if we lose this one, i think 1-1 myself

We really need to win whilst Hull are away to Palace so I'm going for........

3-0 to City!!!

Campbell, Gunnarson, Conway

1 - 0 to the City - or has our luck run out? Tough game tomorrow and next Tuesday.

I'm going for a score draw.

3-0 City. Hopefully Campbell scores twice or gets a hattrick.

2-1 home win

2-1 to us, derby to score first.

3-2

Whitts
Turner
Bellers

2-0

We should put atleast 4 on them!

But I think it's gonna be 1 of those games where we squander umpteen chances and convert 2 lol. City win thought

TEAM NEWS

Cardiff will be without captain Mark Hudson (ankle) for the visit of Derby County, the centre-back having missed Saturday's defeat at Middlesbrough.

Youngster Ben Nugent could come in after impressing at Middlesbrough as a substitute as the league leaders look to get back to winning ways.

Derby will be without Jamie Ward as the striker picked up a hip injury during Friday's game against Crystal Palace.

Midfielder Michael Jacobs could come in. Will Hughes (groin) remains absent.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Cardiff are looking to increase their unbeaten streak against Derby to six matches with a fifth straight home league victory over them.

• The Bluebirds have won twice as many league games against Derby as they have lost (W26, D14, L13).

• Derby came from behind to draw the reverse fixture 1-1 with a 69th-minute goal from Theo Robinson, cancelling out Heidar Helguson's early opener just six minutes after Cardiff had Craig Noone sent off.

• The Rams are chasing a first win in seven visits to the Welsh capital, following a 2-0 triumph in September 2004.

I fancy a Fraizer Campbell hatrick

Should be a cagey, ugly game.

I honestly think we'll edge it 1-0 (Frazier)

2- 0 tho the bloooobirds (bellers whitts)

I agree with most of the sentiments in here. Derby tend to play good football and I think we are more likely to beat a side doing that. We are going to be 3-0 up in 15 mins against someone at some point as we tend to be starting games pretty strong. Derby, on their day, are a better side than their league position suggests but at the moment this is a very winnable game.

3-1 to Derby. Campbell scores late on

2-0 city

3-1 to the mighty City!!
C'mon the Bluebirds!

Cardiff 5-1 Derby

0-3 Derby

Rumour has been around since yesterday that Bellers is unfit. If so, I fear a defeat.

3.1!