" Match report Boro v Cardiff 7 April 2012 "

So there I was with a cup of coffee in my hand waiting for the forum bus by this truck side café. It seated 12 but I had an advance order of 20 breakfasts. This is going to be fun I thought. The bus pulled in and the first 12 were happy, the remaining lot not so. The fact that about 10 of them stuck their heads inside the cabin, immediately turned around and walked back to the bus told me so. Cardiff City fans over the last few years have got soft, well some have. At least we know the die hards with the stomach for the fight.
We left the truck cabin around 7 in the morning. Excluding myself everyone else had been up a few hours before. Most would have been up 12 hours before KO at Boro. Then there was going to be the return making this a legendary trip and it certainly turned out that way and was worth every minute.
It was decided that instead of going straight to the ground there would be a stop off in Thirsk about 30 miles outside M’Boro. We met up with the famous Dibs tours and ended up in one of the pubs where some managed to get a safe breakfast down them. The highlight of this stop for me was the discussion we had about the club and the team around one of the tables in the pub. The opinions were varied but everyone respected others views. That showed to me how the spirit of the forum with its difference of opinions can be carried on from behind the keyboard into real life. Just how it all should be.
We eventually arrived in Boro about 3 hours before KO. We once again settled into another pub where all of us mixed in with the locals. The atmosphere was very friendly. We left the pub half hour before KO. By now I was shattered but wondered how those that came from the homeland were surviving.
434 Cardiff made the trip up. I made my way into the middle of them. Then someone amongst us noticed Anthony Gerrard sitting to our left in the disabled section. Next thing I saw was Carl making his way over to him and that was the last we saw of Carl for the first half.

Cardiff started the game brightly attacking the away from their supporters. Within minutes Miller was one on one with the Boro keeper from some sloppy play in midfield. Miller was brought down just outside the area but the referee gave nothing. The striker was carried off as the Cardiff players demonstrated with the referee. This Boro keeper certainly leads a tight line life against us as he did a similar action against MacNaughton in the reverse fixture, around about the same time.

Miller was replaced by Mason and the young man nearly gave Cardiff the lead. From just outside the area he thumped a shot against the crossbar. Whittingham was just beaten to the rebound by a defender as the ball was cleared for a corner. Carl was still talking
The resulting corner resulted in another corner. This corner was sent to the far end of the 6 yard area where Turner beat his marker to head home after 11 minutes. Carl continued to talk
Cardiff dominated the after this with Lawrence working well with Darcy Blake down the right side. They created a move between them that opened up the home defence. Blake picked out an unmarked Taylor with a deep cross but the left sided full back swung his shot wide. Still Carl carried on talking.
Moments later Cardiff double their lead when Whittingham slid a ball through the home defence for Mason to run onto . The youngster outfoxed his marker twice before slamming the ball across the 6 yard area and into the net. Carl actually stopped talking, celebrated then continued talking

Middlesborough only real response came half way through the half when from a 25 yard shot Marshall was forced to tip the ball over the bar. Carl was…….talking
Cardiff basically dominated and should have stretched their lead just before halftime. This time down the left Mason was put through the back line of the home defence and with his marker scrambling back he outfoxed him again, twice but could not get behind the ball to finish of the move. The ball trickled towards the charmed keeper. Carl had stopped talking.
The half ended with Cardiff 2 goals to the good.
The second half started with the home side forcing a low diving save from Marshall. They had decided to throw the kitchen sink at the visitors in the hope of retrieving the game. They enjoyed the most possession of the early stages of the half but were reduced to long efforts that Marshall had no trouble handling.
After 55 minutes Cardiff brought on Gestede for McPhail. The Frenchman went close to scoring form a Gunnarson long throw. A spectacular volley from the penalty spot caught one of the home sides defenders in the stomach that prevented a definite goal.
It was the home side that dominated but just could not break down the Cardiff defence. They brought on the ex Jack Emnes who basically took control of midfield. He caused several problems with his runs and defence splitting passes. However the final pieces of each move were handled quite well by the visitors. This frustrated the home side who resorted to long range shots.
In this period of dominance by the Boro it was Cardiff who went the closest to scoring. From another Gunnarson long throw the defence failed to clear with the ball falling to Gestede who spectacular scissor kicked the ball just wide of the post.
The game went into the last 10 minutes and although their team was 2 up you could feel the tension in the away support. Each Boro attack that was brought to an end was cheered, The referee was accused of cheating and Emnes was getting booed with every touché made. The last 10 minutes will be ones none of us will forget.
A deep ball into the Cardiff area evading all the Cardiff defenders fell nicely to one of the home strikers who lined up for what looked like a definite goal. However his shot was superbly blocked by with a sliding tackle from Taylor.
Moments later Enmes from midway inside the Cardiff half picked out the home sides target man who from 18 yards connected well with his head only to see the ball hit the crossbar.
Cardiff did have their moment when substitute Kevin McNaughton, he came on in the 88th minutes and ended up playing in midfield, was clear on goal. The angle was tight for him and he should have played it back across the goal where Mason was waiting alone. Unfortunately the full back tried to squeeze the ball between the keeper and the post. The keeper got a leg to it and the ball rebounded of Kev for a goal kick.

As the game approached full time Boro were awarded a free kick about 35 yards out. The ball was floated into the area evading everyone. It bounced on the 6 yard line and hit the crossbar. Marshal managed to palm the ball away. However the ball was headed back into the area, fell to a home striker and with the goal at his mercy he blasted the ball over the bar and that was the last of the serious action.

When the referee blew for full time the ground was practically empty except for the away fans. The players came over to applaud the support with a couple of them doing the Ayatollah. Malki once again was the last to leave recognising the supporters in the process.

Carl has now been reading

Cheers Ian

Nice report Ian! Cheers

Great Report Ian, best to date,

Cheers Ian