Cardiff survived a Crystal Palace barrage to gain only their second point of the season on their travels as they edged clear of the Premier League relegation zone.
BBC
Wednesday 26th December 2018
Andros Townsend flicked a shot against the crossbar and Luka Milivojevic hit the post for the hosts who dominated possession but disappointed in front of goal.
Cardiff though, still smarting from their 5-1 defeat to Manchester United, delivered the sort of performance that Neil Warnock sides are renowned for - doggedly defending and attempting to counter when possible.
And while Palace had 31 shots on goal, they failed to build upon their clinical victory at Manchester City four days ago.
Cardiff had limited opportunities to score, and they were denied the ultimate smash-and-grab victory by Palace keeper Vicente Guaita, who superbly saved from Kadeem Harris at point blank range.
The result leaves Palace in 14th place on 19 points while Cardiff remain 17th on 15 points.
Zaha and Milivojevic set the tone for wasteful Palace
Wilf Zaha and Luka Milivojevic again played the role of main protagonists for Palace who controlled proceedings without delivering the precise finishing that upset Pep Guardiola's side four days ago.
The 27-year-old Serbian international has played more passes than any Palace player in seven of their last 10 outings but is also adept at altering his game to suit the circumstances.
And when Townsend was fouled by Cardiff midfielder Victor Camarasa he almost added to his tally of three goals in his last five outings. But was unfortunate to see a perfectly executed free-kick from 20-yards cannon back off the left post.
Zaha was another to impress for Palace, conjuring chances and moments of excitement with deft flicks, like the one that set-up Townsend early on, and his close control bamboozled the visiting defenders throughout.
The Ivory Coast forward was also superbly denied by Cardiff goalkeeper Neil Etheridge late on, who tipped his fizzing drive away for a corner.
And while he could not deliver a knock-out blow for Palace, the inventiveness he displayed to provide Max Meyer and Connor Wickham with gilt-edged chances warranted more than the errant finishing that followed.
Stubborn Cardiff refuse to buckle
Cardiff arrived at Selhurst Park after averaging just 27% possession and three shots on target in their previous two defeats.
And put simply, in those 5-1 and 3-2 reverses they were guilty of turning over possession far too easily and too close to their own goal to gain positive results.
That trend continued into the first 25 minutes of this encounter before they found their feet with Junior Hoilett registering the Bluebirds' first shot on target after a promising move down the right.
Hoilett's touch then deserted him at the start of the second period as a promising opening concluded with a tame finish from a tight angle.
While Harris could have won the game for Cardiff the result was largely constructed on their efforts at the other end of the pitch.
Defenders Sean Morrison and Sol Bamba managed just seven clearances in a shambolic display against United, but here they combined to make 24 as Cardiff players routinely obstructed the path towards their goal.
Fourteen Palace shots were blocked and when the Cardiff defence was breached, a combination of exerting enough pressure on the attackers and Etheridge's competency prevented Palace from breaking the deadlock.
Man of the match - Sean Morrison (Cardiff City)
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