' Media Wales / BBC / Todays Cardiff City Match Reports '
Sat Feb 25, 2023 5:13 pm
Cardiff City came hurtling back down to earth with a 2-0 defeat by Norwich City at Carrow Road.
By Glen Williams
The Bluebirds were riding the crest of a wave following two wins in as many games, but two goals in four minutes in the first half ended their mini winning run.
Gabriel Sara got the first for the Canaries, while Marquinhos netted the hosts' second to put the tie to bed. In truth, they had chances to double that scoreline, which they didn't take.
It was always going to be a tough ask, but, given the way Cardiff started the game, they might have hoped for more.
Sabri Lamouchi opted for a couple of changes before the match, with Connor Wickham afforded his first start and Joe Ralls brought in to bolster the midfield.
It was a new-look formation, with Ralls and Jaden Philogene playing in behind Wickham, tasked with pressing the Canaries defenders.
And it worked early on when Norwich gifted the ball to Callum O'Dowda, who was tackled in the box before the ball fell into the path of Wickham, whose shot from 10 yards out was blocked.
There was no denying that the Bluebirds were the team in the ascendancy during the early exchanges, with Jaden Philogene firing a couple of shots at goal - only to watch them sail over the bar.
More positive pressing work yielded another breakaway chance, this time down the other flank when Mahlon Romeo intercepted an errant Max Aarons pass. He had Wickham, completely unmarked, inside him in the box, but his side-footed effort was saved comfortably by Angus Gunn. The wise option was to play in Wickham.
The crux of it all was that, despite 20 minutes of dominance, the scores remained level. It was a matter of time before the hosts made inroads and Cardiff's lack of cutting edge would come back to bite them.
Gabriel Sara had fired off one or two warning shots prior to his goal, so his opener was certainly coming. He was finding joy 20 yards from goal and the visitors afforded him one too many opportunities before the Canaries man found his radar and buried a low effort into the bottom corner. At Ryan Allsop's near post, perhaps the keeper will want that one back.
And Cardiff were shell-shocked. Just four minutes later, Onel Hernandez skipped past Mahlon Romeo down Norwich's left and fed in a dangerous cross. It looked to have averted everyone, but Marquinhos burst on to it and cracked it past Allsop first time.
Lamouchi, clearly unhappy with how Cardiff finished that first half, rang the changes at half time, with Sory Kaba, Kion Etete and Andy Rinomhota all introduced.
But Norwich were still in the ascendancy. A woeful pass from Cedric Kipre gifted Norwich an opening through Adam Idah. The striker was slotted in and only had the keeper to beat. Allsop was indecisive and Idah rounded him before inexplicably sending his shot over the bar. A big let-off for the visitors.
The pressure, though, was unrelenting. The visitors survived another scare when Sara's pinpoint diagonal ball into the box was crisply struck by Hernandez, whose shot shaved the post on its way out. Cardiff were on the ropes.
And the few chances the visitors did get, they kept squandering. Ryan Wintle, for example, was gifted the ball 20 yards from Norwich's goal, but he snatched at his chance and pulled it wide of the mark under zero pressure. They have to start taking those chances.
Teemu Pukki was called upon by David Wagner and the Finn would have been disappointed by the chance he missed. Although, to his credit, it was a seriously impressive save from Allsop which denied him.
Dimitris Giannoulis burst down the Canaries' left-hand side before squared to Pukki, who looked to side-foot home from just yards out. But an instinctive, outstretched left boot from Allsop kept the striker at bay.
The only saving grace for Cardiff was that all the other teams around them lost, too, with only Rotherham United, who take on Swansea City on Monday night, left to play.
We are in the period of the season when other teams' results matter just as much as Cardiff's.
Norwich City XI: Gunn; Aarons (Giannoulis 73), Hanley, Gibson, Sorensen (Omobamidele 85); McLean, Sara; Hernandez (Tzolis 73), Nunez, Marquinhos (Pukki 60); Idah (Gibbs 85).
Subs: Krul, Kamara.
Cardiff City XI: Allsop; Ng, McGuinness, Kipre; Romeo (Rinomhota 45), Wintle, Sawyers, Ralls (Etete 45), O'Dowda; Philogene, Wickham (Kaba 45).
Subs: Alnwick, Simpson, Ojo, Whyte.
By Glen Williams
The Bluebirds were riding the crest of a wave following two wins in as many games, but two goals in four minutes in the first half ended their mini winning run.
Gabriel Sara got the first for the Canaries, while Marquinhos netted the hosts' second to put the tie to bed. In truth, they had chances to double that scoreline, which they didn't take.
It was always going to be a tough ask, but, given the way Cardiff started the game, they might have hoped for more.
Sabri Lamouchi opted for a couple of changes before the match, with Connor Wickham afforded his first start and Joe Ralls brought in to bolster the midfield.
It was a new-look formation, with Ralls and Jaden Philogene playing in behind Wickham, tasked with pressing the Canaries defenders.
And it worked early on when Norwich gifted the ball to Callum O'Dowda, who was tackled in the box before the ball fell into the path of Wickham, whose shot from 10 yards out was blocked.
There was no denying that the Bluebirds were the team in the ascendancy during the early exchanges, with Jaden Philogene firing a couple of shots at goal - only to watch them sail over the bar.
More positive pressing work yielded another breakaway chance, this time down the other flank when Mahlon Romeo intercepted an errant Max Aarons pass. He had Wickham, completely unmarked, inside him in the box, but his side-footed effort was saved comfortably by Angus Gunn. The wise option was to play in Wickham.
The crux of it all was that, despite 20 minutes of dominance, the scores remained level. It was a matter of time before the hosts made inroads and Cardiff's lack of cutting edge would come back to bite them.
Gabriel Sara had fired off one or two warning shots prior to his goal, so his opener was certainly coming. He was finding joy 20 yards from goal and the visitors afforded him one too many opportunities before the Canaries man found his radar and buried a low effort into the bottom corner. At Ryan Allsop's near post, perhaps the keeper will want that one back.
And Cardiff were shell-shocked. Just four minutes later, Onel Hernandez skipped past Mahlon Romeo down Norwich's left and fed in a dangerous cross. It looked to have averted everyone, but Marquinhos burst on to it and cracked it past Allsop first time.
Lamouchi, clearly unhappy with how Cardiff finished that first half, rang the changes at half time, with Sory Kaba, Kion Etete and Andy Rinomhota all introduced.
But Norwich were still in the ascendancy. A woeful pass from Cedric Kipre gifted Norwich an opening through Adam Idah. The striker was slotted in and only had the keeper to beat. Allsop was indecisive and Idah rounded him before inexplicably sending his shot over the bar. A big let-off for the visitors.
The pressure, though, was unrelenting. The visitors survived another scare when Sara's pinpoint diagonal ball into the box was crisply struck by Hernandez, whose shot shaved the post on its way out. Cardiff were on the ropes.
And the few chances the visitors did get, they kept squandering. Ryan Wintle, for example, was gifted the ball 20 yards from Norwich's goal, but he snatched at his chance and pulled it wide of the mark under zero pressure. They have to start taking those chances.
Teemu Pukki was called upon by David Wagner and the Finn would have been disappointed by the chance he missed. Although, to his credit, it was a seriously impressive save from Allsop which denied him.
Dimitris Giannoulis burst down the Canaries' left-hand side before squared to Pukki, who looked to side-foot home from just yards out. But an instinctive, outstretched left boot from Allsop kept the striker at bay.
The only saving grace for Cardiff was that all the other teams around them lost, too, with only Rotherham United, who take on Swansea City on Monday night, left to play.
We are in the period of the season when other teams' results matter just as much as Cardiff's.
Norwich City XI: Gunn; Aarons (Giannoulis 73), Hanley, Gibson, Sorensen (Omobamidele 85); McLean, Sara; Hernandez (Tzolis 73), Nunez, Marquinhos (Pukki 60); Idah (Gibbs 85).
Subs: Krul, Kamara.
Cardiff City XI: Allsop; Ng, McGuinness, Kipre; Romeo (Rinomhota 45), Wintle, Sawyers, Ralls (Etete 45), O'Dowda; Philogene, Wickham (Kaba 45).
Subs: Alnwick, Simpson, Ojo, Whyte.
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Re: ' Media Wales / BBC / Todays Cardiff City Match Reports
Sat Feb 25, 2023 5:15 pm
Marquinhos scored on his debut as Norwich continued to push for a play-off spot with a routine 2-0 win over a lacklustre Cardiff City at Carrow Road.
BBC
Gabriel Sara fired Norwich ahead on 33 minutes with a precise finish from the edge of the penalty area.
Four minutes later the Canaries took control as Marquinhos swept home at the far post from Onel Hernandez's cross.
Norwich might have scored more goals in the second half, while Jaden Philogene hit the post for Cardiff late on.
Norwich are a place and a point off the Championship play-offs in seventh after the win, while Cardiff remain 21st, consoled at least that they preserve their four point cushion above the drop-zone.
Canaries boss David Wagner's decision to hand a debut to Brazilian winger Marquinhos following his January loan move from Premier League leaders Arsenal was partially enforced.
Marquinhos replaced midfielder Kieran Dowell who will be out of action until at least mid-April because of a knee injury.
The Bluebirds arrived in good form after securing back-to-back wins and Cardiff boss Sabri Lamouchi gave Connor Wickham a first start for the club with top scorer Callum Robinson out until April with a hamstring issue.
Cardiff's improvement under Lamouchi was evident as they started the game brightly, with Mahlon Romeo forcing Angus Gunn to save as the Bluebirds counter-attacked with purpose.
However, the Championship's lowest scorers were unable to take advantage of a sleepy start from the hosts and they were fully punished as Norwich scored twice in four minutes to take complete control.
Sara scored the first goal on 33 minutes as he drove a low shot into the bottom corner from just outside the penalty area.
Cardiff were under pressure after conceding and they failed to deal with a cross from Hernandez that travelled across the penalty area before being smashed home by Marquinhos.
Adam Idah missed a great opportunity to add a third on 49 minutes when Cedric Kipre's poor play allowed him to run clear, but he blazed over under pressure from Mark McGuinness as the angle worked against him.
The hosts again came close on 55 minutes, but Hernandez's volley grazed the post after Sara's pass found him in space.
Cardiff were struggling to create opportunities but when Norwich gifted them a chance with some careless defending on 65 minutes, Ryan Wintle fired wide with a clear sight of goal.
A pair of Norwich substitutes missed golden chances on 75 minutes as the returning Teemu Pukki saw his shot brilliantly saved by Cardiff goalkeeper Ryan Allsop, with Dimitris Giannoulis firing wide from the rebound.
Perry Ng forced Gunn to tip over a free-kick as Cardiff continued to push, but Pukki again might have added a third on 88 minutes, but his attempted lob went over the crossbar.
Cardiff did nearly find a consolation goal in stoppage time, but Philogene's effort struck the post.
BBC
Gabriel Sara fired Norwich ahead on 33 minutes with a precise finish from the edge of the penalty area.
Four minutes later the Canaries took control as Marquinhos swept home at the far post from Onel Hernandez's cross.
Norwich might have scored more goals in the second half, while Jaden Philogene hit the post for Cardiff late on.
Norwich are a place and a point off the Championship play-offs in seventh after the win, while Cardiff remain 21st, consoled at least that they preserve their four point cushion above the drop-zone.
Canaries boss David Wagner's decision to hand a debut to Brazilian winger Marquinhos following his January loan move from Premier League leaders Arsenal was partially enforced.
Marquinhos replaced midfielder Kieran Dowell who will be out of action until at least mid-April because of a knee injury.
The Bluebirds arrived in good form after securing back-to-back wins and Cardiff boss Sabri Lamouchi gave Connor Wickham a first start for the club with top scorer Callum Robinson out until April with a hamstring issue.
Cardiff's improvement under Lamouchi was evident as they started the game brightly, with Mahlon Romeo forcing Angus Gunn to save as the Bluebirds counter-attacked with purpose.
However, the Championship's lowest scorers were unable to take advantage of a sleepy start from the hosts and they were fully punished as Norwich scored twice in four minutes to take complete control.
Sara scored the first goal on 33 minutes as he drove a low shot into the bottom corner from just outside the penalty area.
Cardiff were under pressure after conceding and they failed to deal with a cross from Hernandez that travelled across the penalty area before being smashed home by Marquinhos.
Adam Idah missed a great opportunity to add a third on 49 minutes when Cedric Kipre's poor play allowed him to run clear, but he blazed over under pressure from Mark McGuinness as the angle worked against him.
The hosts again came close on 55 minutes, but Hernandez's volley grazed the post after Sara's pass found him in space.
Cardiff were struggling to create opportunities but when Norwich gifted them a chance with some careless defending on 65 minutes, Ryan Wintle fired wide with a clear sight of goal.
A pair of Norwich substitutes missed golden chances on 75 minutes as the returning Teemu Pukki saw his shot brilliantly saved by Cardiff goalkeeper Ryan Allsop, with Dimitris Giannoulis firing wide from the rebound.
Perry Ng forced Gunn to tip over a free-kick as Cardiff continued to push, but Pukki again might have added a third on 88 minutes, but his attempted lob went over the crossbar.
Cardiff did nearly find a consolation goal in stoppage time, but Philogene's effort struck the post.
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Re: ' Media Wales / BBC / Todays Cardiff City Match Reports
Sat Feb 25, 2023 6:04 pm
Rob Phillips:
That devastating 1st half goal burst by @NorwichCityFC proved too much for @CardiffCityFC. Triple change at h/t & some decent build-up play couldn’t atone for lack of cutting edge. Wintle shot wide, Philogene hit post. #Bluebirds will be relieved the bottom three all lost. FT2-0
That devastating 1st half goal burst by @NorwichCityFC proved too much for @CardiffCityFC. Triple change at h/t & some decent build-up play couldn’t atone for lack of cutting edge. Wintle shot wide, Philogene hit post. #Bluebirds will be relieved the bottom three all lost. FT2-0
Re: ' Media Wales / BBC / Todays Cardiff City Match Reports
Sun Feb 26, 2023 12:46 am
We lost - But No damage was done on the League table .... Same in the bottom before Kick - Off 