" BEN NUGENT BACKS BRILLIANT BARNETT "

“We’re delighted. Everyone’s buzzing.”

That was the post-match shout from a visibly ecstatic Ben Nugent following Cardiff City’s two-nil win away at Hillsborough on Saturday.

A hard-fought game of limited chances against a well organised side fighting for their Championship lives was settled by two fabulous set-piece deliveries and the clinical finishes they led to, initially Don Cowie’s controlled drive on the stroke of half-time and then, decisively, Matthew Connolly’s close-range header just past the hour mark.

“That was a tough game,” Ben admitted. “For the last half-hour they threw an extra forward on (Gary Madine) and chucked their left-back forward (Reda Johnson), so we knew exactly what we were in for. But we dealt with it well.”

The City youngster, who again stood tall and took the plaudits against a physical Wednesday side, singled new arrival Leon Barnett for praise after he slotted into the back four off the back of just one training session at the club and subsequently turned in an impressively stout rear guard display.

“Leon (Barnett) came in and did a brilliant job,” Ben said. “He brought the experience that we needed, what with Hudson and Turner missing - he was excellent today. He’s a good player, I thought we formed a good partnership and we’ve got a couple of weeks off now to get to know each other more and get a couple of the more experienced lads back in.”

In a vacuum, City’s win, their first since February after a run of three matches without one, was simply another well earned, battling three points that sent them back to winning ways.

However, elsewhere things could hardly have gone better for the Bluebirds with both leaders of the chasing pack, Hull and Watford, losing to Nottingham Forest and at Barnsley respectively. At the end of the afternoon City’s gap had been restored to seven points and crucially to nine over third place. Sunday then made the situation even better as Crystal Palace lost on the road at Brighton.

Yet Nugent was adamant that the teams focus is purely on their own task at hand, stating, “Obviously you keep an eye on what the clubs around you are doing, but we concentrate on our own performance first and foremost and as long as we keep winning then there’s nothing they can do.”

Ben Nugent is very young but he was well out of his depth yesterday. First half he was nervous and it showed. His passing was terrible. Second half he settled well.

Ben Nugent is very young but he was well out of his depth yesterday. First half he was nervous and it showed. His passing was terrible. Second half he settled well.

Spot on there.

Being thrown in to a team chasing promotion isn't easy but he will become better game by game!

Being thrown in to a team chasing promotion isn't easy but he will become better game by game!

Hopefully Barnett will have the same effect on him as Hudson does as he knows what it takes to get promoted to the Prem.

Ben Nugent is very young but he was well out of his depth yesterday. First half he was nervous and it showed. His passing was terrible. Second half he settled well.

I'd guess the last game may have been playing on him a little. I'm sure he would have been made aware of the message boards.
It's something he will learn from and have to get used to, clean sheet would have helped him

Plenty of potential in the lad

Well, it was Barnett's pass straight to Antonio that was probably the worst one played by any of our defenders.

Ironically, it was Nugent who cleaned that one up.

When he keeps to no-nonsense defending he's fine. The midfield players should be going back to offer an outlet for him, rather than expect him to play a killer ball himself.

Being thrown in to a team chasing promotion isn't easy but he will become better game by game!

Hopefully Barnett will have the same effect on him as Hudson does as he knows what it takes to get promoted to the Prem.

I'll try my best.

I thought Nugent showed a lot of character after struggling in the last couple of home matches.
Hes not quite ready for the starting 11 but deserves immense credit for the times hes filled in when our more experienced defenders have been out
Malky was very bold in showing faith in Nugent ,Thought he ld have gone Kev,connolly,barnett,taylor

Being thrown in to a team chasing promotion isn't easy but he will become better game by game!

Hopefully Barnett will have the same effect on him as Hudson does as he knows what it takes to get promoted to the Prem.

I'll try my best.

Please don't, we don't need him pretending to be a striker or a scout.

I'd like the kid to go out on loan next season if we go up. Need him to be at a decent championship side, who don't get battered. Think sending him to a poor team will see him go backwards, as he doesn't need fans having a go at him.

Think a year of football in a winning side will see him coming back to us ready to start games at a higher level.

I'd like the kid to go out on loan next season if we go up. Need him to be at a decent championship side, who don't get battered. Think sending him to a poor team will see him go backwards, as he doesn't need fans having a go at him.

Think a year of football in a winning side will see him coming back to us ready to start games at a higher level.

yeah good call,hes past development team level but not quite ready to play for a top championship side

Ugh he is playing for a top championship side