' REPORTERS REPORT & BBC REPORT CCFC '

Cardiff City were made to scrap to come away from Stoke City with a 2-2 draw thanks to second-half substitutions who turned the tide in the Bluebirds' favour.

By Glen Williams


It was an ideal start for City, who went ahead through an early Ryan Wintle strike. But two goals in the next 12 minutes, from Tyrese Campbell and Liam Delap, saw the hosts flip the game on its head.

But substitutes Mark Harris and Kion Etete played crucial roles after they came on, with the latter heavily involved in Callum Robinson's leveller.

The game started in frenetic fashion and that's how it continued for the full 90, with both teams giving as good as they got in the early exchanges.

Cardiff looked positive, crisp with their passing and showing intent while in possession. It was refreshing to see and they were deserving of the lead when Wintle slotted home in the sixth minute.

Niels Nkounkou smacked a delicious 40-yard volley across the pitch to Gavin Whyte and the Northern Irishman pulled it back to the edge of the box, where Wintle connected with the ball and sent it skimming into the bottom corner of Stoke's goal.

Unfortunately for Cardiff, that goal lit the fire beneath Stoke's players and the hosts hit back strongly, with the Bluebirds' disorganised defence affording the Potters too much freedom on the outside of the box.

Josh Tymon made the most of that when he cut inside and fed Campbell in the box. Nkounkou afforded the striker a morsel of space and he swivelled and banged a low shot into Ryan Allsop's goal to level the tie just five minutes after Wintle had put City into the lead.

Stoke smelt blood and went for the jugular, hoping to capitalise on a period of the game in which they were piling the pressure on. Their second goal, however, was a little fortuitous. Campbell belted a shot from 25 yards and it whacked Joe Ralls in the arm before it span into Delap's path just a couple of yards from goal. He tapped home easily to hand Stoke the lead on 18 minutes.

There were few real clear-cut chances thereafter in the first half, although Stoke fans were rightly furious after Cedric Kipre got away with two penalties which looked blatant.

The Frenchman bundled Delap over in a clumsy-looking challenge in the 38th minute and Andy Woolmer, somewhat surprisingly, waved away the penalty claims. Just three minutes later, Kipre threw all his weight into a challenge with Delap once again, knocking them both clean off their feet in City's area. Again, incredibly, no penalty was given. After those incidents, the Bluebirtds were lucky to march down the tunnel only one goal behind.

Mark Hudson turned to his bench not long after the break and it made an immediate impact. Well, Kion Etete did, at least.

Etete played a lovely flicked pass to Mahlon Romeo before he latched on to the right-back's cross, deflecting the ball into Robinson's path before the striker lashed it home to level the tie just before the hour mark.

Both Etete and Mark Harris began causing Stoke trouble and the former almost got City ahead when he latched on to a lovely Ryan Wintle cross, however his bullet header, which was heading towards the top corner, was saved by an acrobatic Jack Bonham in the Potters' goal.

Harris also had a chance of his own, too, when he sent a header on target with just minutes left to play, however Bonham was equal to his effort, too, meaning the Welsh side had to settle for a point in the Potteries.

There were, as ever, flashes of positivity and things to be built upon. But it's still just two wins in nine. With two home games coming up next, Cardiff will hope to better that figure and they need to if they are to serious push away from the relegation zone.

Cardiff City XI: Allsop; Romeo, Ng, Kipre, Nkounkou (Harris 57); Wintle, Ralls (Sawyers 57), Rinomhota (Etete 57); O'Dowda, Robinson, Whyte (Colwill 87).

Subs: Alnwick, Simpson, Ojo.

Stoke City XI: Bonham; Clarke, Wilmot, Souttar, Tymon; Fosu, Thompson, Baker (Powell 69); Smallbone, Campbell, Delap (Brown 69).

Subs: Bursik, Jagielka, Taylor, Kilkenny, Tezgel.

Attendance: 20,111 (1,283)

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Callum Robinson's equaliser secured a 2-2 draw for Cardiff in an entertaining clash at Stoke City as the Championship resumed after the World Cup hiatus.


BBC



Cardiff went ahead through Ryan Wintle's calm finish on six minutes, but Tyrese Campbell fired Stoke level.

The Potters capped a frenetic start on 18 minutes when Liam Delap converted after Campbell's deflected effort.

But the Bluebirds equalised on 58 minutes through Robinson after Stoke were denied two strong penalty claims.

The point apiece is welcome for both clubs but they both remain in difficulty, with Stoke 18th and Cardiff 19th in the Championship.

Both Stoke and Cardiff were hoping to find a win as the Championship resumed, following an extremely disappointing campaign so far that has seen both clubs sack their manager.

The Potters began the contest just two points above the drop zone, with Cardiff a point worse off, far below the expectations of owners and fans alike at two clubs with recent Premier League history.

This was a return to competitive action for both clubs for the first time since Saturday, 12 November, with the hosts able to welcome back a player who impressed at the World Cup.

Stoke boss Alex Neil made two changes to the side beaten 2-0 at West Brom, with Australian international Harry Souttar coming into defence after playing in all four of the Socceroos' matches in Qatar.

Bluebirds boss Mark Hudson also made two changes from the Cardiff team beaten 1-0 by Sheffield United, with Wales internationals Rubin Colwill and Mark Harris both left on the bench after returning from Wales' World Cup squad.

Cardiff almost gifted Stoke the lead on four minutes when Callum O'Dowda gave away possession, but Ben Wilmot hit the side-netting.

That was against the run of play after a bright start from the Bluebirds and they went ahead on six minutes when Wintle applied a calm finish as he found the net through a crowd after Gavin Whyte's cross.

However, Cardiff's fragile confidence saw them fall behind within 12 minutes as two sons of former Premier League stars swiftly put Stoke in control.

Campbell - son of former Arsenal and Everton striker Kevin - fired Stoke level after he was given the time and space to turn thanks to Josh Tymon's clever set-up.

Six minutes later Delap - son of former Southampton and Stoke defender Rory - finished from close range after Campbell's shot deflected fortuitously off Joe Ralls into his path, with Cardiff's defenders appealing in vain for an offside flag.

It was the hosts who headed into the break feeling aggrieved as they were denied two credible penalty claims when Cedric Kipre twice appeared to bundle Delap to the ground.

The Bluebirds took advantage of those reprieves and had already forced goalkeeper Jack Bonham to save brilliantly from Ralls' 20-yard shot when Robinson finished on 58 minutes after sub Kion Etete made an instant impact off the bench to provide the assist.

Etete then twice came close to putting Cardiff ahead, but he fired narrowly wide and saw a towering header brilliantly tipped over by Bonham as the game swung from end-to-end.

Cardiff continued to push for a winner and Harris' header was saved on 82 minutes, with both sides settling for a point.

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It's a good point away from home after the break .