' Reporters View of Cardiff City Today '

Cardiff City arrested a run of three straight defeats with a commanding performance and 1-0 win against Rotherham United.


By Glen Williams



It had been a bruising fortnight for the Bluebirds, who didn't so much as score a goal during that string of losses, and they desperately needed to bounce back in front of their own fans.

And it was the substitute, Jaden Philogene, who provided that moment of magic, which was ultimately the only thing that separated them at the final whistle. The Aston Villa loanee took his chance smartly early in the second half when he was found by a cross from fellow substitute Mahlon Romeo.

While Cardiff were wasteful in front of goal for the most part, it will have been encouraging for Bluebirds to see their team once again dominating the opposition. It was a result this club badly needed and they most certainly deserved it.

Cardiff were almost in dreamland in the second minute when Sheyi Ojo put the ball in the back of the net. Some neat interplay between Mark Harris and Callum O'Dowda preceded the former firing off a low shot at goal, which keeper Viktor Johansson parried into the middle of the box. Ojo was there and tapped home easily, just seconds before the official raised his flag.

But it was a positive early sign and Cardiff did dominate the early proceedings. O'Dowda himself had the next big opportunity when Joe Ralls slid in a neat ball down the side of the centre-back and the Irishman belted a first-time effort with his left foot, but it rippled the side-netting.

For all of Cardiff's huff and puff, though, they just couldn't blow the house down. Although one opportunity after the half-hour mark should have seen the deadlock broken. O'Dowda skinned his man, this time on the right flank, and fizzed in a low cross to Ojo, who stooped to head at goal - but it flicked off him and way wide of the mark.

The dominant Bluebirds will have been disappointed to go into the break on level terms, especially when Harris spurned a chance just before the break. Andy Rinomhota played a delightful reverse pass into Harris' path and the forward tried to beat the goalkeeper from an unlikely angle, but it was saved. O'Dowda, who was unmarked in the middle of the box, let his fury be known to his team-mate.

To Hudson's credit, he shook things up at the break, introducing Philogene and Mahlon Romeo, and tweaking the system to play five at the back. Philogene, in particular, added some verve to City's attack and produced a couple of chances for Harris and Ralls.

But he was deserving of his goal, such was the impact he made. And it was the substitutes who combined to put the ball in the back of the net on the hour mark. Cardiff broke away and Ojo released Romeo down the right. The right-back's initial cross was headed back to him before he blasted a low pass towards the back post. Philogene did excellently to get the ball under his spell, out of his feet, away from three defenders and then, ultimately, in the top corner. A moment of real quality from the Aston Villa loanee.

Cardiff, though, were still spurning opportunities, the most glaring of which came after Ralls hit a lovely ball around the defence for Harris to latch on to. The forward drove well into the box before finding Ojo with a nice low cross, before a tackle came in to dispossess him. However, the ball fell kindly into the path of Wintle, who absolutely smashed his half volley over the cross bar from eight yards or so.

Fortunately enough for Cardiff, they wouldn't rue that missed opportunity as their robust defence refused to concede and notable chances to the visitors.

It was just the sort of performance Hudson had been desperate to see.

Cardiff City XI: Allsop; Sang (Romeo 45), Ng, Kipre, Nkounkou (Philogene 45); Wintle, Ralls (C), Rinomhota (Sawyers 62); Ojo (Whyte 88), Harris (Etete 90), O'Dowda.

Subs: Alnwick, Simpson.

Rotherham United XI: Johansson; Peltier, Wood (C) (McCart 77), Humphreys (Norton-Cuffy 58); Harding, Wiles, Barlaser, Rathbone (Lindsay 71), Bramall; Kelly (Eaves 71), Washington (High 77).

Subs: Vickers, Odoffin.

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Jaden Philogene's sharp finish claimed a much-needed win for Cardiff City at home to Rotherham United.



BBC



Fresh from a derby humbling at Swansea City and hovering near the drop zone, Cardiff were in control but lacked a cutting edge until Philogene's arrival.

Fellow half-time substitute Mahlon Romeo picked out Philogene who shifted the ball cleverly to find the net.

It was no more than the Bluebirds deserved against a Millers side who failed to register a shot on target.

Rotherham arrived at Cardiff City Stadium a little deflated from conceding a last-minute penalty at Coventry City in midweek, which Viktor Gyokeres had converted to rescue a 2-2 draw for the struggling Sky Blues.

But that was nothing compared to Cardiff's hurt after last Sunday's south Wales derby humbling, losing 2-0 at rivals Swansea City - the first time either side has lost three successive league derbies since the clubs' first meeting in 1912.

Any plan Bluebirds interim manager Mark Hudson, who took over following Steve Morison's sacking in September, may have had to best Swansea went out the window after just seven minutes due to Callum Robinson's petulant red card.

That also meant Hudson was without the services of his suspended striker against Rotherham, as he looked to end a run of three successive league defeats that left them teetering a point above the relegation places.

It has been the toughest of auditions for Hudson - with only Paul Trollope making a worse start to his managerial time in charge - as he looks to claim the role permanently, with the Cardiff City hierarchy still pondering its next move.

Action and reaction from the day's EFL games
Matt Taylor's Rotherham started the day looking far more comfortable in 12th, although the eight places difference between them and their hosts was only courtesy of four points.

Cardiff had the ball in the net within two minutes only for the offside flag to deny Sheyi Ojo, stroking in a rebound after Mark Harris' cheeky backheel give-and-go with Callum O'Dowda had allowed Harris a shot at goal.

O'Dowda was the next to have a sight at goal, picked out in the left channel by Joe Ralls - sporting a captain's armband supporting the Rainbow Laces campaign - but his shot could only graze the netting behind the top of the post.

Rotherham struggled to make much impact in the opening half-hour, with Connor Washington unable to capitalise on the most promising chance as the Millers counter-attacked from a Cardiff corner.

Ojo should have had the ball in the net for the second time, and this one would have counted, but a metre out from goal somehow managed to miss his header after O'Dowda popped up on the right to find space and cross invitingly.

The Bluebirds kept up the pressure and Ryan Wintle saw his goal-bound effort cannon off a defender to spiral away for a corner, before Andy Rinomhota put Harris through to shoot from a tight angle - with Viktor Johansson in the Rotherham goal getting his near-post positioning right.

The half-time stats told the story clearly, with Cardiff enjoying 64% possession and nine shots at goal, three of which were on target. Rotherham one shot, none on target.

Hudson made two changes for the second half, both full-backs Tom Sang and Niels Nkounkou making way for Romeo and the more attacking Philogene as he matched up to Rotherham's nominal three at the back.

Cardiff's wing-backs, however, were prepared to push forward and the attacking intent created a flurry of early chances for the Bluebirds.

That in turn allowed Rotherham to find a little more space and Cardiff keeper Ryan Allsop was finally able to warm his hands by plucking a low cross out of the air.

Rotherham suffered an injury blow when defender Cameron Humphreys went down awkwardly and was eventually replaced by Brooke Norton-Cuffy as the hour-mark neared.

When the break-through came it was a combination of Hudson's half-time changes.

Ojo picked up a loose ball in midfield and spread it right to the overlapping Romeo, who had his initial cross blocked but collected the rebound to find Philogene in the box.

The Aston Villa loanee wrong-footed three Rotherham defenders, turning back on his right foot to dig out a sweet finish inside Johansson's left post.

The excellent O'Dowda almost conjured a second Cardiff goal when his low cross skewed up off the diving Johansson, but the ball just evaded the lurking Harris.

When a Rotherham corner fell nicely to Norton-Cuffy the defender had a chance to level against the run of play but his shot lacked conviction and curled away with the Cardiff defence, for once, back on its heels.

Wintle should have made the points safe after Harris picked him out at the back post but the midfielder blasted his shot well over the crossbar with the goal gaping, but Rotherham could not find a late reply to spoil Cardiff's afternoon.