" Match report Bristol City v Cardiff 11 March 2012 "
Mon Mar 12, 2012 9:24 am
They really should blow this place up. The route to the place is shoddy and when you finally get there it definitely feels like the place has been neglected. The worse is to come and that is when you actually get into the place up those unwelcoming steps. The view inside is very limiting and the facilities even more so. Ashton Gate, definitely the worse ground in the league.
Over 800 Cardiff fans made their way to this must be the cesspit of the championship league. Adding to that the not so pleasant local derby rivalry between the 2 clubs then this place needed some action and sure enough the Cardiff fans were up for it.
The Cardiff team were unchanged from their midweek game at Brighton. However to me it looked like things were starting to change. The new boy Lawrence looked like he had made a starting place his own and with Mason now there for the kick off it definitely felt like a breath of fresh air to me. It was good to see Hudson back as well to form his partnership with Turner again. To me it felt like we were starting all over again and hopefully a few more games we will return to the form we all enjoyed at the start of the season.
The start was promising for the visitors as Cardiff seem to settle in a lot quicker that the home side. A Peter Whittingham free kick to the far post was headed back by Hudson. The ball came to Mason who had his shot blocked. The reflection came to Miller who also had his shot blocked.
The Wurzels looks uncomfortable as Cardiff took control. However they managed to get back into the game after this early pressure from the visitors. Their first attack was a ball floated into the Cardiff area. The ball bounced between Turner and a Wurzel striker. The Wurzel stood still with his hands in the air allowing Turner to clear. All the Cardiff fans looked at the referee wondering what had happened. The referee waved his arms to play on and this minor scare was over.
The crowd had to wait until the 15th minute before it saw its first effort on goal. Cardiff moved the ball inside the Bristol half and a back heal from Cowie let Miller in but from the edge of the box his shot was tame allowing for an easy save.
The first real chance for the home side came on the 20th minute as they attacked the left side. The Cardiff defence were caught knapping as a low cross came in. Fortunately for the visitors Turner was alert and made an excellent interception to clear the danger.
The game started to get aggressive with some dangerous tackles going in. This prevented any goal action for some time as both team tried to take control. It was noted that the home fans were booing every time a Cardiff player got the ball. This obviously was a tactic the Wurzels had employed to distract the away team. If anything it added to the hostile atmosphere.
On the half hour mark Cardiff created their best chance of the half. Cowie sent in a floating cross from the left, over the Bristol defence to the far post. Miller had pulled away from his marker, chested down the ball and managed to get his shot on target that tested out the keeper who palmed the ball away for a corner.
A mention must be made for the new boy Lawrence. In front of the Cardiff fans he made the perfect sliding tackle that stopped a dangerous situation happening. Taylor was left standing down his side and the Bristol strikers waited in the Cardiff area for the cross. Lawrence seeing the danger made up ground and got a sliding tackle in that was so perfectly executed that the ball rebounded of the attacker for a goal kick.
As the game approached half time the game saw 2 incidents that would have an effect on the result. First of all the home side through an attack down the left was poorly cleared by the visiting defence. The ball fell to one of their strikers just inside the area and with time and space to pick his shot. The ball was blasted over the bar for a goal kick.
The next attack happened down the Bristol end when Mason picked up a ball just outside the home area. He was forced wide but managed to get a cross in that was hit with venom. The ball hit a Bristol leg and flew into the back of the net for the first goal.
From the restart the referee brought the half to an end meaning Cardiff had scored at the perfect time.
The second half Cardiff started brightly. Gunnarson was paramount in this period with his aggressive runs from midfield. He had 2 chances to increase Cardiff leads. One was from 18 yards where the home side failed to clear their lines with the ball falling to Gunnarsons feet. His snap shot produced a low diving save. Moment later he picked up the ball just inside the Bristol half and from 30 yards powered a shot that the home keeper could only palm over the crossbar.
Against the run of play the home side then got back on equal terms. From their first attack down the right Taylor was caught out. He misread the float of the ball and ended up chasing the Bristol winger who had time to pick out his forward who slotted the ball home from 12 yards.
The home side fancied their chances down the Taylor wing and started to cause the visitors problems. One move down that wing found one of their forwards in space and from 20 yards out he sent in a curled shot that looked destined for the net only for Marshall to dive to his right to palm the ball away.
Although the home side were on the ascendancy the visitors did look like they could get another goal as they tried to take control of the game with a close passing game. This nearly pulled off as this passing game brought Whittingham some space. Whitts picked the ball up just inside the Bristol half and sent a delightful floating high ball in the path of Miller. Miller was being chased by the Bristol defence as he advanced on the home goal. As he brought the ball under control and prepared for the final effort he was tackled just before he shot.
Both teams by now had decided to go for a winner and this became clear with the substitutions being made. The visitors were now taking control of the game in midfield and the home side were relying on the counter attack. It was the home side's tactics that looked like getting the winning goal. Exploiting the Taylor wing the visitor s was exposed and the defence split. One such move from a cross from Taylor side split Hudson and Turner allowing a Bristol foot to get to the ball forcing a reflective save from Marshal. Moments later a similar move this time with the ball floating to the far side ended with a shot against the post.
Although the home side created the best chances it was the visitors that looked more determined to get the winner. The last stage of any attack was being handled well by the home defence and it felt like some luck was needed for the points to be going back to Cardiff.
As the game approached full time Cardiff were moving the ball around inside the Bristol half looking for that opening. Taylor from just outside the home area found Mason in space inside the box. Taylors pass was perfect and Mason had time to fire the ball across the area. However the ball hit the first defender and rebounded into the net leaving the Bristol keeper no chance.
The away fans that had been up for it all game went mental. A continuous singing of Three Little Birds help their team see out the rest of the game without trouble. A welcomed 3 points made up for the abysmal conditions they had to suffer.
Over 800 Cardiff fans made their way to this must be the cesspit of the championship league. Adding to that the not so pleasant local derby rivalry between the 2 clubs then this place needed some action and sure enough the Cardiff fans were up for it.
The Cardiff team were unchanged from their midweek game at Brighton. However to me it looked like things were starting to change. The new boy Lawrence looked like he had made a starting place his own and with Mason now there for the kick off it definitely felt like a breath of fresh air to me. It was good to see Hudson back as well to form his partnership with Turner again. To me it felt like we were starting all over again and hopefully a few more games we will return to the form we all enjoyed at the start of the season.
The start was promising for the visitors as Cardiff seem to settle in a lot quicker that the home side. A Peter Whittingham free kick to the far post was headed back by Hudson. The ball came to Mason who had his shot blocked. The reflection came to Miller who also had his shot blocked.
The Wurzels looks uncomfortable as Cardiff took control. However they managed to get back into the game after this early pressure from the visitors. Their first attack was a ball floated into the Cardiff area. The ball bounced between Turner and a Wurzel striker. The Wurzel stood still with his hands in the air allowing Turner to clear. All the Cardiff fans looked at the referee wondering what had happened. The referee waved his arms to play on and this minor scare was over.
The crowd had to wait until the 15th minute before it saw its first effort on goal. Cardiff moved the ball inside the Bristol half and a back heal from Cowie let Miller in but from the edge of the box his shot was tame allowing for an easy save.
The first real chance for the home side came on the 20th minute as they attacked the left side. The Cardiff defence were caught knapping as a low cross came in. Fortunately for the visitors Turner was alert and made an excellent interception to clear the danger.
The game started to get aggressive with some dangerous tackles going in. This prevented any goal action for some time as both team tried to take control. It was noted that the home fans were booing every time a Cardiff player got the ball. This obviously was a tactic the Wurzels had employed to distract the away team. If anything it added to the hostile atmosphere.
On the half hour mark Cardiff created their best chance of the half. Cowie sent in a floating cross from the left, over the Bristol defence to the far post. Miller had pulled away from his marker, chested down the ball and managed to get his shot on target that tested out the keeper who palmed the ball away for a corner.
A mention must be made for the new boy Lawrence. In front of the Cardiff fans he made the perfect sliding tackle that stopped a dangerous situation happening. Taylor was left standing down his side and the Bristol strikers waited in the Cardiff area for the cross. Lawrence seeing the danger made up ground and got a sliding tackle in that was so perfectly executed that the ball rebounded of the attacker for a goal kick.
As the game approached half time the game saw 2 incidents that would have an effect on the result. First of all the home side through an attack down the left was poorly cleared by the visiting defence. The ball fell to one of their strikers just inside the area and with time and space to pick his shot. The ball was blasted over the bar for a goal kick.
The next attack happened down the Bristol end when Mason picked up a ball just outside the home area. He was forced wide but managed to get a cross in that was hit with venom. The ball hit a Bristol leg and flew into the back of the net for the first goal.
From the restart the referee brought the half to an end meaning Cardiff had scored at the perfect time.
The second half Cardiff started brightly. Gunnarson was paramount in this period with his aggressive runs from midfield. He had 2 chances to increase Cardiff leads. One was from 18 yards where the home side failed to clear their lines with the ball falling to Gunnarsons feet. His snap shot produced a low diving save. Moment later he picked up the ball just inside the Bristol half and from 30 yards powered a shot that the home keeper could only palm over the crossbar.
Against the run of play the home side then got back on equal terms. From their first attack down the right Taylor was caught out. He misread the float of the ball and ended up chasing the Bristol winger who had time to pick out his forward who slotted the ball home from 12 yards.
The home side fancied their chances down the Taylor wing and started to cause the visitors problems. One move down that wing found one of their forwards in space and from 20 yards out he sent in a curled shot that looked destined for the net only for Marshall to dive to his right to palm the ball away.
Although the home side were on the ascendancy the visitors did look like they could get another goal as they tried to take control of the game with a close passing game. This nearly pulled off as this passing game brought Whittingham some space. Whitts picked the ball up just inside the Bristol half and sent a delightful floating high ball in the path of Miller. Miller was being chased by the Bristol defence as he advanced on the home goal. As he brought the ball under control and prepared for the final effort he was tackled just before he shot.
Both teams by now had decided to go for a winner and this became clear with the substitutions being made. The visitors were now taking control of the game in midfield and the home side were relying on the counter attack. It was the home side's tactics that looked like getting the winning goal. Exploiting the Taylor wing the visitor s was exposed and the defence split. One such move from a cross from Taylor side split Hudson and Turner allowing a Bristol foot to get to the ball forcing a reflective save from Marshal. Moments later a similar move this time with the ball floating to the far side ended with a shot against the post.
Although the home side created the best chances it was the visitors that looked more determined to get the winner. The last stage of any attack was being handled well by the home defence and it felt like some luck was needed for the points to be going back to Cardiff.
As the game approached full time Cardiff were moving the ball around inside the Bristol half looking for that opening. Taylor from just outside the home area found Mason in space inside the box. Taylors pass was perfect and Mason had time to fire the ball across the area. However the ball hit the first defender and rebounded into the net leaving the Bristol keeper no chance.
The away fans that had been up for it all game went mental. A continuous singing of Three Little Birds help their team see out the rest of the game without trouble. A welcomed 3 points made up for the abysmal conditions they had to suffer.
Re: Match report Bristol City v Cardiff 11 March 2012
Mon Mar 12, 2012 10:05 am
Good report, You are right about Ashton Gate an absolute shithole !
Re: Match report Bristol City v Cardiff 11 March 2012
Mon Mar 12, 2012 11:44 am
Cheers, enjoyed that more than some off the naff reporting in the papers.. 
Re: " Match report Bristol City v Cardiff 11 March 2012 "
Mon Mar 12, 2012 2:13 pm
Cheers for the match report Ian, but as much as the place was run down and that was my daughters first words as we got to the turnstiles, it was still a better atmosphere than at our Ikea flat pack new stadium,When we were leaving my 11 year old said that was a brilliant atmosphere Dad,I said to her, I love the old grounds.
Re: " Match report Bristol City v Cardiff 11 March 2012 "
Mon Mar 12, 2012 5:45 pm
Nice one Ian