Cardiff 2 Sheffield Weds 1
Ok it could have gone either way but for once there was vigour,
verve, valour and Ravel.
Cardiff seemed to have belief and wanted the ball. This is a
welcome new development. The city player’s tackled with bite and purpose.
The first fifteen minutes was as exciting as being in a post
office queue on pension's day and in all honesty Wednesday had the better say in
much of the first half. There was a shot from Gunnarson on the quarter of an hour
mark but that was the first attack Cardiff had mustered.
So the ball went back and fore, a few nerves in the Cardiff side
and definitely a few in the crowd – for obvious reasons.
Then the effervescent Daehli, who seems to want the ball for
the entire 90 minutes, was fouled outside their area. Whits did what he wants
with a superb bullet like cross, bending ball over the defence. Three red
shirts bullied their way through and Morrison connected. Goal. Erm, Sean
Morrison that is.
We waited for the inevitable Wednesday come back, and they had
chances, as you’d expect from a team sitting just outside the play offs.
Morrison’s own goal was a classic for a defender. In cutting
out a cross he skied the ball past Marshall. One all. We all thought ‘and here
it comes’. It will be like Norwich, Derby, Middlesbrough …. Pick your match.
But it didn’t. Cardiff remained determined. Pilkington
scored after Kenwynne did what he does to get the ball. 2-1.
On came Ravel Morrison and the guy showed more than promise.
For a chunky lad he is as light on his feet as Muhamad Ali and for a ball player
has an eye for the unselfish pass. Sheffield soon found a way to stop him from
dancing through their defence. They fouled him … endlessly. But that was when they
could catch him. With Ravel in the side we are going to get a lot of free kicks
around the opposition area for Whits to do what he likes.
Ravel even set up a goal in injury time with some nifty footwork
on the edge of the area before sending an inch perfect pass to Pilkington to
score. Ruled offside by match officials who follow the laws over wonderful
footballing moves. Spoil sports.
So to sum up Gabbidon and Younge did what they did in their
playing days, put City on the front foot. I won’t pretend their previous games as managers
will live on in the memory of Cardiff fans, except as nightmares, but this one
will. They finish their short run with an impressive 4 points from two games but more importantly
they have reminded us how good our players are and what they can achieve when
focussed.
So over to you Mister Russell Slade. We have a delivered you a
winning team (at last) and welcome aboard. Let us hope you are still smiling in
a few weeks’ time. Now this how to do the Ayatollah ... wait until it is requested by the fans and then tap your head with both hands in unison with a gormless smile. Least, thats how the rest of us do it. You don't learn that at FIFA coaching academies.
