' MATCH THREAD: CARDIFF CITY v DERBY ' MATCH THREAD '

CARDIFF CITY v DERBY COUNTY
Championship
Saturday, 2 April, 15:00
Cardiff City Stadium

Arrive Early!


Team : Marshall, Peltier, Malone, Morrison, Manga, O'Keefe, Ralls, Whittingham, Noone, Immers and Pilkington.

Subs : Moore, Fabio, Dikgacoi, Gunnarsson, Ameobi, Lawrence and Zohore.

If Your Heading to the game tomorrow

Cardiff City have advised supporters to arrive early to avoid excess traffic and queuing times. The club are expecting more than 27,000 supporters for the Bluebirds' crunch clash with Derby County.

PAY ON THE DAY

01/04/16

Team News

Cardiff City

Cardiff could be without David Marshall who missed the Bluebirds’ last outing as well as international duty after contracting pneumonia – the Bluebirds’ skipper has returned to training. Anthony Pilkington should return despite picking up a reoccurring knee injury during Republic of Ireland training, he played just over 20 minutes for Ireland on Monday. Peter Whittingham should return from a hamstring injury.



" UPDATED DAILY "

01/04/16

Bluebirds boss Russell Slade can only hope that a virus that hit the Cardiff camp earlier this week does not leave any lingering effects that could hamper team selection.

Matt Connolly and Fabio were players Slade required updates on, while goalkeeper David Marshall has resumed training following a recent bout of pneumonia and could be in the frame for the visit of the Rams. Elsewhere, Wales international Tom Lawrence and the Republic of Ireland's Anthony Pilkington both suffered knocks while away with their countries on friendly duty, but both are expected to be available this weekend.



31/03/16

Matthew Connolly has a virus and is struggling to make it against Derby.

Fabio is in full training but is expected to be fit for Saturday.

David Marshall has been training all week and is hopeful for Saturday but if he doesn't make it in time then he believes he will be fit for Tuesday.

Told that the players are feeling the vibes from the fans of late and are looking forward to be playing in front of a bumper crowd on Saturday.


30/03/16

A crowd of 30,000 is now expected


Matt Connolly and Fabio Da Silvio have been affected by a virus.

Slade has already had David Marshall out due to a virus.



29/02/16

Cardiff City are waiting to see how bad the injury to striker Anthony Pilkington is and have the medical staff on stand bye.

Cardiff City goalkeeper David Marshall is battling pneumonia and there is fear he could be out for quite a while.


Marshall is expected to miss Cardiff City's home game against Derby County and away game at Burnley.
Russell Slade has full confidence in City's second goalie Simon Moore and has already marked Moore to start both games.

Cardiff City are expecting their biggest home crowd of the season against Derby County,with a crowd over 25,000 estimated to attend.

Cardiff City are waiting anxiously on Anthony Pilkington as reports are saying he's still injured?

Latest News

Derby are expected to bring around 2,000 fans to the CCS for what is a huge game for both clubs.

City are hoping for a crowd of up to 25k on Saturday.

David Marhsall may once again be missing as he recovers from pneumonia.


Possible Lineups

Cardiff City

21 Moore
2 Peltier
5 Ecuele Manga
16 Connolly
28 Malone
11 Noone
22 O'Keefe
8 Ralls
37 Lawrence
27 Immers
13 Pilkington


Derby County

17 Carson
26 Hanson
6 Keogh
14 Shackell
29 Olsson
4 Bryson
34 Thorne
8 Hendrick
23 Ince
9 Martin
15 Johnson


The Opposition



Derby County

Derby County Football Club is an English football club based in Derby. Home games are played at Pride Park Stadium, where the club moved in 1997.

Notable for being one of the 12 founder members of the Football League in 1888, it is one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English football league system and, in 2009, was ranked 137th in the top 200 European football teams of the 20th century by International Federation of Football History and Statistics.

Derby County F.C. was founded in 1884, by William Morley, as an offshoot of Derbyshire County Cricket Club; it has spent all but four seasons in the top two divisions of English football. The club's competitive peak came in the 1970s when they were twice English League Champions and competed in major European competitions on four separate occasions, reaching the European Cup semi-finals, as well as winning several minor trophies. Additionally, the club was a strong force in the interwar years and won the 1945–46 FA Cup.

The club adopted its now traditional black and white club colours in the 1890s and appropriated its club nickname The Rams, a tribute to its links with the First Regiment of Derby Militia, which took a ram as its mascot and the song "The Derby Ram" as its regimental song, at the same time.


2015/16 Latest Results

Cardiff

SAT 19 MAR 2016 - CHAMPIONSHIP Reading 1 - 1 Cardiff
SAT 13 MAR 2016 - CHAMPIONSHIP Cardiff 1 - 0 Ipswich
TUE 8 MAR 2016 - CHAMPIONSHIP Cardiff 0 - 2 Leeds
SAT 5 MAR 2016 - CHAMPIONSHIP Bristol 0 - 2 Cardiff


Derby County

SAT 19 MAR 2016 - CHAMPIONSHIP Derby 1 - 0 Nottm Forest
SAT 12 MAR 2016 - CHAMPIONSHIP Rotherham 3 - 3 Derby
TUE 8 MAR 2016 - CHAMPIONSHIP QPR 2 - 0 Derby
SAT 5 MAR 2016 - CHAMPIONSHIP Derby 2 - 0 Huddersfield


Recent meetings

2015/2016 Sat 21 Nov Derby County 2 - 0 Cardiff City Championship
2014/2015 Sat 31 Jan Cardiff City 0 - 2 Derby County Championship
2014/2015 Sat 20 Sep Derby County 2 - 2 Cardiff City Championship
2012/2013 Tue 05 Mar Cardiff City 1 - 1 Derby County Championship
2012/2013 Tue 27 Nov Derby County 1 - 1 Cardiff City Championship


Previous Highlights




Match Odds

Cardiff 8/5
Draw 9/5
Derby 21/10


Tickets

Cardiff v Derby is a GOLD category match (see prices here: http://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/tickets/ticket-prices/)

Tickets can be purchased in person at the ticket office situated in the Grandstand, next to corporate entrance 2.

Alternatively you can call the Stadium Ticket Office on 0845 345 1400, which is open from 9am to 5:30pm - Monday to Friday and 9am to 3pm on non match-day Saturdays.

The easiest way is to book online. You can click here to purchase tickets: https://www.eticketing.co.uk/cardiffcity

For all ticket enquiries, please call the Cardiff City ticket office 0845 345 1400


Guess the Score / Attendance

Post your predicted score/attendance below

2-2

Crowd should be well over 25,000

2-1 City.

3-0

3.1 City

Be positive City fans

2-1 City

Be positive City fans

2-1 City

Agree 2-1 Lawrence first goal for city Pilks with the winner

Cardiff City are waiting anxiously on Anthony Pilkington as reports are saying he's still injured?

' Not good News for Cardiff City as they Prepare for Derby home '

Cardiff City goalkeeper to miss Tuesday’s International friendly at Hampden Park.


David Marshall is out of the Scotland squad for the friendly against Denmark at Hampden Park on Tuesday. The Cardiff goalkeeper has pneumonia.

Pneumonia forces Scotland’s David Marshall out of squad to face Denmark,Marshall has now had to miss two consecutive International games and was also missing from Cardiff City's game away at Reading on Saturday March.

Marshall is also expected to miss Cardiff City's home game against Derby County and away game at Burnley.
Russell Slade has full confidence in City's second goalie Simon Moore and has already marked Moore to start both games.

Cardiff City are expecting their biggest home crowd of the season against Derby County,with a crowd over 25,000 estimated to attend.

3-2 late winner

' CCFC NOT MANY DAYS LEFT '
Link
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=170686

Cardiff City 2-0 Derby County

DERBY County have recorded only four wins in 28 visits to Cardiff and as happy hunting grounds go, the Welsh capital is not one for the Rams.

The first of their four victories was a 5-1 success in 1967 when Kevin Hector scored a hat-trick, the first of his six for Derby. John O'Hare scored twice.

Derby's last three wins at Cardiff have all been 2-0.

Ross MacLaren, with a penalty, and Trevor Christie scored in September 1985. It was early in the season that Derby climbed out of the old Third Division.

Marco Reich and Ian Taylor hit the goals for Derby in September 2004, while an own goal by Scott Malone and a Chris Martin header won the game for the Rams when the teams met in January last year.

Derby County talking point: Steve Nicholson looks at the omens ahead of the Rams' trip to Cardiff
By Derbysport | Posted: March 28, 2016

By Steve Nicholson
Derby have endured mixed fortunes on recent visits to Cardiff.
DERBY County have recorded only four wins in 28 visits to Cardiff and as happy hunting grounds go, the Welsh capital is not one for the Rams.

The first of their four victories was a 5-1 success in 1967 when Kevin Hector scored a hat-trick, the first of his six for Derby. John O'Hare scored twice.

Derby's last three wins at Cardiff have all been 2-0.

Ross MacLaren, with a penalty, and Trevor Christie scored in September 1985. It was early in the season that Derby climbed out of the old Third Division.

Those four wins have been the high points of trips to Cardiff but there have been many uncomfortable afternoons and evenings at Ninian Park, demolished in 2009 and now a housing development, and more recently at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Some of the visits have been painful - a couple of 4-1 defeats sandwiched a 6-1 mauling between 2009 and 2011.

Saturday's clash is expected to attract Cardiff's biggest home crowd of the season and is being viewed as crucial in the battle for top-six finishes.

Derby will be keen to further strengthen their position in the top six, where they have been for the past five months.

Cardiff, in seventh, are five points adrift of fifth-placed Derby but only three behind Sheffield Wednesday, who are sixth, although the Owls have a much better goal difference.

Derby County talking point: Steve Nicholson looks at the omens ahead of the Rams' trip to Cardiff

Derby Telegraph

By Derbysport

Tuesday 29th March 2016

By Steve Nicholson


Derby have endured mixed fortunes on recent visits to Cardiff


DERBY County have recorded only four wins in 28 visits to Cardiff and as happy hunting grounds go, the Welsh capital is not one for the Rams.

The first of their four victories was a 5-1 success in 1967 when Kevin Hector scored a hat-trick, the first of his six for Derby. John O'Hare scored twice.

Derby's last three wins at Cardiff have all been 2-0.

Ross MacLaren, with a penalty, and Trevor Christie scored in September 1985. It was early in the season that Derby climbed out of the old Third Division.


Those four wins have been the high points of trips to Cardiff but there have been many uncomfortable afternoons and evenings at Ninian Park, demolished in 2009 and now a housing development, and more recently at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Some of the visits have been painful - a couple of 4-1 defeats sandwiched a 6-1 mauling between 2009 and 2011.


Saturday's clash is expected to attract Cardiff's biggest home crowd of the season and is being viewed as crucial in the battle for top-six finishes.

Derby will be keen to further strengthen their position in the top six, where they have been for the past five months.

Cardiff, in seventh, are five points adrift of fifth-placed Derby but only three behind Sheffield Wednesday, who are sixth, although the Owls have a much better goal difference.



The margin for error for all teams drips away with each passing fixture. Derby and Cardiff each have eight games left in which to achieve their respective targets.

Saturday's showdown takes on greater significance because of the fixtures that follow a few days later; Cardiff travel to tackle leaders Burnley at Turf Moor and Derby entertain Hull City at the iPro Stadium.

Derby were relatively untroubled in winning at Cardiff last season thanks to a mature display. Revisiting the game highlights how much the team has changed in 14 months.

Only skipper Richard Keogh, midfielder Jeff Hendrick and striker Chris Martin of the 11 who started that day are probable starters on Saturday.

Of the others, Omar Mascarell, Jamie Ward and Simon Dawkins are no longer at the club. Ryan Shotton is on loan at Birmingham City, Lee Grant has lost his place in goal to Scott Carson, Craig Forsyth is out for the season, Will Hughes is building fitness after a serious knee injury and Jake Buxton is likely to be on the bench.


Coincidence? Maybe, or maybe not, but Derby played Cardiff in the 39th fixture of the 2006-07 season, the last time the Rams won promotion.

They won 3-1 that afternoon and went on to finish third before they defeated West Bromwich Albion in the play-off final.

Marshall was forced to pull out of the Scotland squad with pneumonia and missed Cardiff's last two league fixtures before the international break.

There has been great concern within the club about Marshall's condition but he is being closely monitored by Bluebirds' medical staff, including club doctor Len Noakes and the Scot is said to be making progress.


Cardiff City goalkeeper David Marshall is battling pneumonia

“Obviously David has been feeling very low, he's been very weak as you would be, but we are monitoring the situation very closely," said Slade.

“I'm pleased to say that he is getting better, his condition is improving and, my staff tell me, he is responding to the antibiotics he's taking to treat it. My doctor here said he's never treated a player with pneumonia before and I'm scratching me head to think of it too."

Cardiff are also waiting to see how bad the injury to striker Anthony Pilkington is.

Pilkington pulled out of the Republic of Ireland's friendly with Switzerland but remained with the squad ahead of tonight's game with Slovakia.

It will leave the Bluebirds' desperately sweating over the fitness of a man who has become absolutely integral to Russell Slade's plans in recent months, scoring five goals since moving to a striker berth in the 3-1 win over Wolves.


Republic of Ireland and Cardiff City forward Anthnoy Pilkington

Cardiff's other striking options are limited, with Idriss Saadi having precious little first team football since returning from a long-term injury, and Kenneth Zohore only playing 32 minutes since arriving on loan.

Cardiff City are waiting to see how bad the injury to striker Anthony Pilkington is and have the medical staff on stand bye.

Matt Connolly and Fabio Da Silvio have been affected by a virus.

Slade has already had David Marshall out due to a virus.

' Russell Slade "Its Huge" '

Wednesday 30th March 2016

The significance of Saturday’s game is hard to overstate with the Bluebirds just five points off Darren Wassall’s men.

Slade described the game as ‘huge’ and said that with many of the teams scrapping for the top six going head-to-head in the coming weeks, a result could open the door for the Bluebirds.

“When you are in the situation we are right now every game is bigger than the last one because you begin to run out of games and are still trying to target the top six,” he said.


“Of course on Saturday we are playing against a major competitor so, yeah, it’s huge for us but you look at the fixtures the top eight have to play and many of them have got to play each other.

“That’s what it’s all about. If you are going to be successful, these are the types of games you have got to stand up for.”


City are giving away tickets for the clash as part of a fans competition outside St David’s Hall this week as well as offering two free tickets for the game to anyone who purchases a new season ticket before Saturday.

And Slade said his players were looking forward to the prospect of playing in front of a crowd that is expected to be in excess of 30,000.

“The CEO Ken Choo and obviously the commercial team have done a great job in trying to promote the ticket sales long term and short term and it looks like it’s going to be our biggest gate of the season,” he said.

“Of course that gives us a boost and, as a player, you always want to play in front of a big, vocal crowd at home.”

ington played half an hour to suggest he will be fit for pivotal play-off game on Saturday


Pilkington replaced Eunan O'Kane to allay fears over his knee injury
Russell Slade has been handed a major boost ahead of the key clash with Derby County as Anthony Pilkington returned to international action last night.

Pilkington missed Saturday's win over Switzerland as worries flared over a long-term knee injury.

But he was able to overcome any fitness issues and play a part in the 2-2 draw with Slovakia, coming on after 66 minutes to replace Bournemouth's Eunan O'Kane.



Pilkington was used as a centre-forward by Martin O'Neill, suggesting the Ireland manager has been keeping a close eye on his remarkable transformation at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Considering we normally get 14-15k crowds does anyone know roughly how many free tickets have been given away?

Considering we normally get 14-15k crowds does anyone know roughly how many free tickets have been given away?

15 + 15 = ?

2-1 bloooooooooooobirds!!

Cardiff are one place and three points shy of the play offs.
The Bluebirds have lost just twice at home all season and that has been their catalyst towards their promotion push.
Derby grabbed a much needed win against rivals Forest last time out but they are in no sort of form.
The Rams will have to be content with a play off place by the looks of things, but will even be worried about that with a defeat to a rival here.

31/03/16

Matthew Connolly has a virus and is struggling to make it against Derby.

Fabio is in full training but is expected to be fit for Saturday.

David Marshall has been training all week and is hopeful for Saturday but if he doesn't make it in time then he believes he will be fit for Tuesday.

Told that the players are feeling the vibes from the fans of late and are looking forward to be playing in front of a bumper crowd on Saturday.

When Derby County arrive in the Welsh capital at the weekend, they will do so armed with a battery of complete midfielders that are the envy of the division.

There is £6 million Bradley Johnson, one of the best players in the league last year.

Jacob Butterfield, the £4 million man with a good passing range and a thunderous long-range shot in his locker.

Then there are the stalwarts Craig Bryson and Jeff Hendrick, two of the best in the division for some time.

Added to that is Will Hughes, one of the brightest talents in the game and finally returning to first team action after an agonising time out.

What is remarkable about all of these players is that they can make vital contributions at both ends of the field.

Still, Russell Slade will not be overly concerned, and that isn't just because of the Rams' fairly indifferent form.

Considering we normally get 14-15k crowds does anyone know roughly how many free tickets have been given away?

15 + 15 = ?

From what I read we were giving away 2 free tickets for every FULL PAYING adult - Is this not correct? So clearly not as simple as 15+15.

Big game for Pilkington

31/03/16

A big game for Anthony Pilkington, who goes up against international team-mates Cyrus Christie and Richard Keogh on Saturday.

He hasn’t scored since the Preston win, but remains one of Cardiff’s most impressive performers this season.

Can he cement a place in Martin O’Neill’s Republic of Ireland squad?

The Man in the Middle

In charge on Saturday will be Chris Kavanagh.

In 28 games this season, he has issued 97 yellow and two red cards.

Here’s a photo of him sending off Kyle McFadzean, if you’re interested....

' Cardiff should be confident '

31/03/16

This Derby team is brittle, as the three goal advantage they spurned at Rotherham showed.

In particular, there remain question marks over the heart of the defence, where an error never seems too far away.
With Lex Immers in such good form in front of goal, the Dutchman should be encouraged to get as close to Anthony Pilkington as possible.


Lex Immers
8
Games

4
Goals


Similarly, whether Ameobi, Noone or Lawrence get the nod on the right, they should be under instruction to dribble at the back four with every opportunity they get.

This will be a difficult game for Cardiff, but they should get plenty of chances to make a mark.

Going for a score draw in front of around 21,500 fans.