Reports from Media for Cardiff City v Leeds United

Cardiff City 2-2 Leeds United: Heartbreak for 10-man Bluebirds as Sonny Perkins' stoppage-time strike forces FA Cup replay
The Bluebirds took on Premier League outfit Leeds in today's instalment of FA Cup action



By Glen Williams




Cardiff City suffered late heartbreak in their FA Cup third round tie with Leeds United after Sonny Perkins tapped home in injury time to earn a 2-2 draw and replay at Elland Road.

It was late drama at Cardiff City Stadium. The Bluebirds had taken a comfortable 2-0 lead into the break thanks to first-half goals from Jaden Philogene and Sheyi Ojo, but Leeds were a tour de force after the interval.

Rodrigo scored the first before Joel Bagan was sent off for blatantly saving Junior Firpo's shot on the line with his hand. Jak Alnwick saved the resultant penalty and it appeared City were scraping through to the fourth round.

But heartbreak was to follow when, deep into stoppage time, substitute Perkins poked home in front of the 6,000 travelling Leeds fans to send this tie into a replay up in Yorkshire.

It was hoped this cup tie might prove the catalyst to move City's season out of second gear in the back half of the season.

Leeds started the more assured of the two sides, it's fair to say, with Crysencio Summerville causing all sorts of bother down City's left. But, thanks to Tom Sang and others, Cardiff weathered the early storm.

Darko Gyabi had one rasping shot whistle wide, while Jack Simpson was called into action early, too, having to slide in front of one of his shots, which appeared goalbound.

But the hosts grew into it after a confident start from the Premier League side and began finding their feet, thanks to their lightning-quick forwards troubling Leeds' cumbersome centre-halves in behind.

And it was through that avenue that Cardiff opened the scoring on 24 minutes, almost six hours of football after their last goal. Sang slotted an intelligent ball down the side of the centre-backs and Mark Harris latched on to it, before seeing his own shot saved. Remaining cool under pressure, the Wales international then fed Isaak Davies, who was starting his first game of the season, and the striker's shot struck a Leeds leg before fortuitously dropping into Philogene's path. The Aston Villa loanee tapped home comfortably from close range.

Just seven minutes later, Cardiff produced a peach of a goal. Harris shifted the ball inside to Andy Rinomhota, who pulled a stunning, lofted pass over the defence out of his back pocket, before Ojo chested down and rifled it into the roof of the net.

Confidence began to course through City's veins, with Ojo and Philogene linking up at will on City's left, terrorising the Leeds defence.

Cardiff fans were in euphoria, singing, "We're Cardiff City, we're taking the p***." But that was only half of the game over and done with. No laurels could be rested on from a Bluebirds standpoint, that's for sure.

The top-tier club looked dangerous after the break and Cardiff were enjoying far fewer breakaways and chances. When Jesse Marsch made three changes on the hour-mark, including the introduction of reigning Bluebirds player of the year Cody Drameh, momentum shifted further in Leeds' favour.

It soon told when Sam Greenwood delivered an inch-perfect cross to Rodrigo, who outleaped both Sang and Curtis Nelson before sending a powerful header on goal from close range. Jak Alwnick got an outstretched hand on it, but it was too powerful and the net bulged.

Drama ensued late on. With just 10 minutes to go, and Cardiff holding a slender one-goal lead, Rodrigo's breakaway led to a shot from Junior Firpo inside the box. Bagan, scrambling, stuck out a left hand to save a certain goal and parry the ball wide of the post. Jarred Gillett pointed to the spot and brandished the red card.

It would pay dividends, though, when moments later Alnwick sprung to his left and parried Rodrigo's penalty, which was at a nice height, away from danger, sending Cardiff City Stadium into raptures.

Tormentor-in-chief Rodrigo continued to prove his quality. He was released down the right and hit a low, incisive cross to Mateo Joseph, who tried to turn the ball home from point-blank range. Instead, he belted it into the sea of Leeds fans behind the goal. A huge opportunity missed.

But they would not be deterred. And their endeavour eventually won out.

Wilfried Gnono, just seconds before the final whistle, sent in a low, quality cross, before Firpo flicked it goalwards. Perkins reacted quickest and nudged it past Alnwick to level the scores.

This time it was Leeds supporters who were in raptures. And they'll have to do it all again in two weeks' time.

Cardiff XI: Alnwick, Sang, Nelson, Simpson, Bagan, Rinomhota, Sawyers (Wintle 77), Ojo (Ralls 86), Philogene (O'Dowda 77), Harris (Ng 86), Davies (Tanner 64).

Subs: Allsop, L Benjamin, Nkounkou, Wigley.

Leeds XI: Robles, Firpo, Kristensen (Drameh 59), Struijk, Llorente, Gyabi (Wober 59), Greenwood, Aaronson (Perkins 87), Summerville (Rodrigo 59), Gelhardt (Joseph 73), Gnonto.

Subs: Klaesson, Ayling, Junque, Harrison.

Attendance: 20,324

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Leeds United dramatically escaped another shock FA Cup third-round defeat at Cardiff City as Sonny Perkins came on to score an added-time equaliser.


BBC


Cardiff, 20th in the Championship and the league's lowest scorers, struck twice in seven first-half minutes with goals by Jaden Philogene and Sheyi Ojo.

Booed off at half-time, Leeds replied well as substitute Rodrigo headed in.

Cardiff's Joel Bagan was sent off for handball but Rodrigo saw his resultant penalty saved by Jak Alnwick.

Then just as the home side looked like holding on for another famous victory over Leeds - 21 years after doing so at the same stage over the then-Premier League leaders - Perkins scored from close range to break Cardiff's late resistance.

Boreham Wood or Accrington Stanley await Cardiff or Leeds in the fourth round after a cruel end to the game for the Bluebirds, who looked set for a first victory in eight games which would have offered blessed respite from their league struggles.

As for Leeds, Perkins' late leveller is a lifeline for manager Jesse Marsch, whose side have now gone six matches without a win in all competitions but at least avoided an embarrassing defeat here which would have severely increased the pressure on the American.

This fixture invoked memories of then third-tier Cardiff's famous 2002 FA Cup triumph over an expensively-assembled Leeds side who were top of the Premier League at the time.

Since that landmark result 21 years ago, Cardiff had won 14 of the 22 subsequent meetings between the sides but, given their struggles in the Championship this season, confidence was in short supply in the Welsh capital.

Leeds were on a winless run of their own - five matches in all competitions - and also of concern for Marsch's men was their recent wretched FA Cup record, losing at the third-round stage in each of the past five seasons, including shock defeats by Newport County and Crawley Town.

Marsch said he had spoken with chief executive Angus Kinnear about the subject, and Leeds' fans clearly fancied a cup run, selling out their allocation of 6,000 and creating a din which drowned out the home crowd for long periods.

The Leeds players looked similarly motivated as they controlled the opening exchanges, Darko Gyabi impressing in midfield with an early shot going narrowly wide and a weaving run which ended with an effort well blocked by Jack Simpson.

But despite the visitors' early control, it was Cardiff who took the lead against the run of play. Tom Sang freed Mark Harris with a fine through ball and, after his shot was saved by Joel Robles, Harris teed up Isaak Davies. His shot was also blocked but the ball fell to Philogene, who fired in from close range.

Having scored a mere 20 goals in 26 league games this season, the Championship's lowest scorers made it two in seven minutes against their Premier League opponents.

The second was an altogether classier affair, with Andy Rinomhota's delightful lofted pass glancing the head of Leeds centre-back Diego Llorente before reaching Ojo, who chested the ball before finishing smartly on the turn.

Leeds were booed off at half-time and their fans' ire had the desired effect after the restart as their team put Cardiff under constant pressure with a flurry of chances.

First, Pascal Struijk headed inches wide before top scorer Rodrigo, recently on as a substitute, rose to meet Sam Greenwood's cross and head into the net despite a touch from Cardiff keeper Jak Alnwik.

Rodrigo fired another shot over before playing a leading role in the game's decisive moment.

The penalty was as blatant as they come - Bagan diving like a goalkeeper to push Junior Firpo's goal-bound shot away with his hand - but Rodrigo's weak spot-kick was saved by Alnwick.

Cardiff fans celebrated the save with newfound belief that their side were about to claim another FA Cup scalp but it was Leeds' noisy travelling contingent who had the last laugh as Perkins helped Firpo's flick into the net to spark wild celebrations behind that goal and force a replay.

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