" WATFORD V CARDIFF MATCH REPORT "
Sat Apr 06, 2013 8:42 pm
' WATFORD 0 CARDIFF CITY 0 '
A Crowd of 15,000 incl 2,200 Cardiff City fans in Blue.
PERHAPS it was appropriate on Grand National day that Cardiff City refused to show signs of doing a Devon Loch.
Hull’s victory over Middlesbrough might have closed the gap at the top to four points before Cardiff had even kicked off in the late-afternoon sunshine at Vicarage Road, but this exercise was all about keeping Watford at arm’s length.
Cardiff duly did that as free-scoring Watford were stifled and the Bluebirds returned home with the point that keeps them eight above the third-placed Hornets with Malky Mackay’s men having a game in hand.
Loan signing Leon Barnett, so impressive since stepping in for injured skipper Mark Hudson, and Ben Turner were colossal at the back as 36-goal strike pair Matej Vydra and Troy Deeney were shackled.
And when the pair were breached goalkeeper David Marshall produced an amazing 55th minute save, diving full-length to his right to keep out Deeney’s close-range header.
It was a rare moment when Marshall’s 16th clean sheet of the season came under threat, Cardiff denying space in a congested midfield and forcing Watford’s dangerous frontman to feed on scraps.
Seldom does a Championship fixture attract two international managers – England boss Roy Hodgson and Wales counterpart Chris Coleman both present in Hertforshire – but it was never going to be pretty as Cardiff’s resolute defence smothered the division’s most potent attack.
“We wanted to come here and win but it was important we were hard to beat,” said defensive rock Turner.
“We’ve been like that all season and hopefully it’s another step for us to go up.
“Obviously we’re nearly there now but teams have blown it in the past and we don’t want to be one of those.
“Cardiff have waited a long time to take that step and hopefully this group of lads will take us up.”
Show Caption
So eight points from their final six games is now the straightforward equation for Cardiff to reach the top flight for the first time in more than half a century.
And with three home games in the next nine days – against Barnsley, Nottingham Forest and Charlton – Bluebirds boss Mackay will hope to seal the deal on Welsh turf.
It is very much a case of Cardiff being in the home straight now and, although the tale of how Devon Loch lost the 1956 Grand National when mysteriously jumping yards from the line remains a sobering one for those bent on any sort of sporting prediction, Mackay’s men remain the biggest Championship cert for many years.
Click here: How the players rated
Mackay got his tactics spot-on here, even if they were never likely to enthral the neutral observer.
Peter Whittingham remained on the bench as Watford’s five-man midfield was mirrored with Joe Mason asked to fill the lone role up front in the absence of the injured Fraizer Campbell.
Mackay’s desire to close down the spaces in that congested midfield area and blunt Watford’s counter-attacking threat meant the Hornets – the Championship’s top scorers with 76 goals – carried sporadic sting.
In Jordon Mutch and Aron Gunnarsson, two terriers who bared their teeth and had plenty of bite, Mackay had two ‘dogs-of-war’ ready to carry out his plan to perfection.
It was not surprising both men were booked in what was at times a fiesty contest, but that was a small price to pay as Watford drew a rare blank in front of their own fans.
Predictably with so much at stake, the two sides served to cancel each other out for most of an opening period where there was plenty of aggression but not enough quality in possession.
Cardiff had control of the action for large parts and Turner’s giant frame was a constant presence at set-pieces, the centre-back just heading over Gunnarsson’s cross.
But the solitary moment of concern for recalled goalkeeper Manuel Almunia came when Kim Bo-Kyung made good ground down the right after 18 minutes and his deflected shot off Joel Ekstrand hit the Spaniard on the shoulder.
Watford’s best two chances of what was in truth a disappointing half fell to Deeney, who has been in excellent scoring form of late.
Deeney met Almen Abdi’s corner and his close-range header seemed destined for the net until striking Marshall on the arm, the Scot knowing little about it but relieved to see the ball bounce to safety.
The Hornets targetman was then off the mark after Matthew Briggs had taken advantage of substitute Kevin McNaughton lying on the deck to deliver a cross to the far post. Czech striker Vydra rose well above Andrew Taylor to direct the ball into Deeney’s path but the ball was blazed over the crossbar.
The second half had to get better as a spectacle and a goal at either end really would have lit the touchpaper.
It almost arrived when Mason took advantage of an Ekstrand slip and burst through but his low shot was saved by the legs of Almunia.
What was becoming increasingly clear is that it would take something special to beat either goalkeeper and Watford almost conjured up that moment 10 minutes after the break.
Ekstrand delivered a precise cross from the right and Deeney, for once getting the better of Barnett and Turner, directed his header into the corner of the goal.
Yet Marshall responded with fantastic agility to tip the ball around the post, and when substitute Fernando Forestieri sent a powerful volley perilously close you suspected it was not going to be Watford’s day.
Read more: Wales Online http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballna ... z2PiZbBvGH
A Crowd of 15,000 incl 2,200 Cardiff City fans in Blue.
PERHAPS it was appropriate on Grand National day that Cardiff City refused to show signs of doing a Devon Loch.
Hull’s victory over Middlesbrough might have closed the gap at the top to four points before Cardiff had even kicked off in the late-afternoon sunshine at Vicarage Road, but this exercise was all about keeping Watford at arm’s length.
Cardiff duly did that as free-scoring Watford were stifled and the Bluebirds returned home with the point that keeps them eight above the third-placed Hornets with Malky Mackay’s men having a game in hand.
Loan signing Leon Barnett, so impressive since stepping in for injured skipper Mark Hudson, and Ben Turner were colossal at the back as 36-goal strike pair Matej Vydra and Troy Deeney were shackled.
And when the pair were breached goalkeeper David Marshall produced an amazing 55th minute save, diving full-length to his right to keep out Deeney’s close-range header.
It was a rare moment when Marshall’s 16th clean sheet of the season came under threat, Cardiff denying space in a congested midfield and forcing Watford’s dangerous frontman to feed on scraps.
Seldom does a Championship fixture attract two international managers – England boss Roy Hodgson and Wales counterpart Chris Coleman both present in Hertforshire – but it was never going to be pretty as Cardiff’s resolute defence smothered the division’s most potent attack.
“We wanted to come here and win but it was important we were hard to beat,” said defensive rock Turner.
“We’ve been like that all season and hopefully it’s another step for us to go up.
“Obviously we’re nearly there now but teams have blown it in the past and we don’t want to be one of those.
“Cardiff have waited a long time to take that step and hopefully this group of lads will take us up.”
Show Caption
So eight points from their final six games is now the straightforward equation for Cardiff to reach the top flight for the first time in more than half a century.
And with three home games in the next nine days – against Barnsley, Nottingham Forest and Charlton – Bluebirds boss Mackay will hope to seal the deal on Welsh turf.
It is very much a case of Cardiff being in the home straight now and, although the tale of how Devon Loch lost the 1956 Grand National when mysteriously jumping yards from the line remains a sobering one for those bent on any sort of sporting prediction, Mackay’s men remain the biggest Championship cert for many years.
Click here: How the players rated
Mackay got his tactics spot-on here, even if they were never likely to enthral the neutral observer.
Peter Whittingham remained on the bench as Watford’s five-man midfield was mirrored with Joe Mason asked to fill the lone role up front in the absence of the injured Fraizer Campbell.
Mackay’s desire to close down the spaces in that congested midfield area and blunt Watford’s counter-attacking threat meant the Hornets – the Championship’s top scorers with 76 goals – carried sporadic sting.
In Jordon Mutch and Aron Gunnarsson, two terriers who bared their teeth and had plenty of bite, Mackay had two ‘dogs-of-war’ ready to carry out his plan to perfection.
It was not surprising both men were booked in what was at times a fiesty contest, but that was a small price to pay as Watford drew a rare blank in front of their own fans.
Predictably with so much at stake, the two sides served to cancel each other out for most of an opening period where there was plenty of aggression but not enough quality in possession.
Cardiff had control of the action for large parts and Turner’s giant frame was a constant presence at set-pieces, the centre-back just heading over Gunnarsson’s cross.
But the solitary moment of concern for recalled goalkeeper Manuel Almunia came when Kim Bo-Kyung made good ground down the right after 18 minutes and his deflected shot off Joel Ekstrand hit the Spaniard on the shoulder.
Watford’s best two chances of what was in truth a disappointing half fell to Deeney, who has been in excellent scoring form of late.
Deeney met Almen Abdi’s corner and his close-range header seemed destined for the net until striking Marshall on the arm, the Scot knowing little about it but relieved to see the ball bounce to safety.
The Hornets targetman was then off the mark after Matthew Briggs had taken advantage of substitute Kevin McNaughton lying on the deck to deliver a cross to the far post. Czech striker Vydra rose well above Andrew Taylor to direct the ball into Deeney’s path but the ball was blazed over the crossbar.
The second half had to get better as a spectacle and a goal at either end really would have lit the touchpaper.
It almost arrived when Mason took advantage of an Ekstrand slip and burst through but his low shot was saved by the legs of Almunia.
What was becoming increasingly clear is that it would take something special to beat either goalkeeper and Watford almost conjured up that moment 10 minutes after the break.
Ekstrand delivered a precise cross from the right and Deeney, for once getting the better of Barnett and Turner, directed his header into the corner of the goal.
Yet Marshall responded with fantastic agility to tip the ball around the post, and when substitute Fernando Forestieri sent a powerful volley perilously close you suspected it was not going to be Watford’s day.
Read more: Wales Online http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballna ... z2PiZbBvGH