Cardiff City v Preston North End
22 September 2007 - 12.45pm
Robbie Fowler fired his first two goals for Cardiff City yesterday against Preston North End. But the Bluebirds could only draw after Callum Davidson added a second of his own in injury time rounding off another madcap week at Ninian Park.
As Jose Morinho rocked English football with his departure from Chelsea, Cardiff City Chairman Peter Ridsdale caused similar shockwaves across the border in the Welsh capital this week, tendering his resignation.
Ridsdale had been receiving abuse from fans following a poor start to the season and reports of financial troubles off the pitch. “I am getting more stick for saving Cardiff City than I did when things went wrong at Leeds," he said.
Unlike Mourinho at Chelsea, Ridsdale retained the backing of the rest of the board and his resignation was rejected. And come the 38th minute of City’s encounter with fellow strugglers Preston the fans were singing his name following Fowler’s opening salvo, the first of his Ninian Park tenure, which brought promises of a first home league win of the season. His second, after a long range equaliser from Davidson, brought delirium.
But full-back Davidson spoilt the party in the dying moments leaving a frustrated Dave Jones with just the solitary point and a prone Roger Johnson who was later carried tentatively off the pitch by a number of concerned paramedics. A neck injury was feared but it was later confirmed that he is unharmed.
Cardiff’s season began with the fanfare signings of Fowler and Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink, amidst focus on an impotent attack. City’s other strikers having since found their shooting boots away from home, and Hasselbaink opening his account with a fine long range strike on Wednesday night against Watford, it is the defence to whom the focus had shifted.
With the continued absence of Darren Purse and Glenn Loovens, Dave Jones sought attack as the best form of defence to avoid the prospect of City’s fourth consecutive home defeat in the Championship. The up and coming Chris Gunter was dropped in favour of Welsh international winger Joe Ledley, with Trevor Sinclair slotting into the right-back position.
It was a tactical change that provided City with more options, Ledley and Paul Parry switching flanks and Sinclair pushing on to whip in crosses from the right and free kicks from the left.
Preston are a side also short on form, to the extent that this fixture was cheekily referred to as a relegation dogfight. Both Preston and the Bluebirds have Premiership aspirations so it is foolish to attach such a label just six games into the season but it reflects the feelings of the fans.
Gunter’s replacement, Ledley, almost opened the scoring, forcing an acrobatic save from Andy Lonergan at the far left post from a pin-point cross by Parry.
It was a carbon-copy cross from Ledley onto the head of Fowler in the 28th minute after good work from Sinclair that simultaneously broke the deadlock on the day and lifted the burden of expectation on Fowler and Dave Jones’ decision to include him after a flat-footed display against Watford.
Unlike Fowler, Cardiff’s on-loan keeper, Ross Turnbull, paid the price of flapping at Adam Johnson’s free-kick on Wednesday night as Michael Oakes replaced him between the sticks. Oakes had little to do but watch Paul Gallagher’s tenth minute shot fly narrowly over his bar and make an important interception in the 33rd minute as the City defence were once more caught napping, allowing Preston to fire in a dangerous cross.
With a one-nil lead and his side playing with the majority of the possession, Dave Jones pulled Parry at half time, restoring Gunter to the field and Sinclair to his natural berth on the right wing. Jones revealed after the game that this was enforced by a slight injury to Parry rather than a desire to tinker tactically.
Preston put a spanner in the works ten minutes later, Davidson equalising with a stinging, low drive that escaped Oakes’ outstretched right hand and found the bottom corner of the net to the predictable dismay of the Cardiff faithful who had a first home win in their sights.
Fowler restored the lead and convinced any doubters of his calibre in the 64th minute, heading home from Ledley’s in-swinging corner. He received a standing ovation when replaced by Steve Thompson in the final five minutes.
But Davidson was not to be outdone by the former Liverpool legend. In injury time, as the Cardiff fans congratulated themselves on a job well done, a final free kick was laid square to Davidson. He let loose another rocket, this time into the bottom left corner of the net, to leave Cardiff them still seeking a first elusive home win.
“At least we’ve stopped the rot” was Jones’s optimistic post-match summary.
Cardiff 4-4-2: Oakes, McNaughton, Capaldi, Rae, Fowler (Thompson 84’), McPhail, Parry (Gunter 46’), Johnson, Ledley, Sinclair (Whittingham 78’), Hasselbaink. Subs not used: Turnbull, Blake.
Preston North End 4-4-2: Lonergan, Davidson, Mawene, Sedgwick, Agyemang (Hawley 60’), Gallagher (Mellor 71’), Carter, Chilvers, Hill, Jones, Nicholls. Subs: Hawley, St Ledger, L. Neal, C.Neal.
Referee: A R Hall
Yellows: Davidson (21’), Chilvers (39’)
Attendance: 11,772
22 September 2007 - 12.45pm
Robbie Fowler fired his first two goals for Cardiff City yesterday against Preston North End. But the Bluebirds could only draw after Callum Davidson added a second of his own in injury time rounding off another madcap week at Ninian Park.
As Jose Morinho rocked English football with his departure from Chelsea, Cardiff City Chairman Peter Ridsdale caused similar shockwaves across the border in the Welsh capital this week, tendering his resignation.
Ridsdale had been receiving abuse from fans following a poor start to the season and reports of financial troubles off the pitch. “I am getting more stick for saving Cardiff City than I did when things went wrong at Leeds," he said.
Unlike Mourinho at Chelsea, Ridsdale retained the backing of the rest of the board and his resignation was rejected. And come the 38th minute of City’s encounter with fellow strugglers Preston the fans were singing his name following Fowler’s opening salvo, the first of his Ninian Park tenure, which brought promises of a first home league win of the season. His second, after a long range equaliser from Davidson, brought delirium.
But full-back Davidson spoilt the party in the dying moments leaving a frustrated Dave Jones with just the solitary point and a prone Roger Johnson who was later carried tentatively off the pitch by a number of concerned paramedics. A neck injury was feared but it was later confirmed that he is unharmed.
Cardiff’s season began with the fanfare signings of Fowler and Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink, amidst focus on an impotent attack. City’s other strikers having since found their shooting boots away from home, and Hasselbaink opening his account with a fine long range strike on Wednesday night against Watford, it is the defence to whom the focus had shifted.
With the continued absence of Darren Purse and Glenn Loovens, Dave Jones sought attack as the best form of defence to avoid the prospect of City’s fourth consecutive home defeat in the Championship. The up and coming Chris Gunter was dropped in favour of Welsh international winger Joe Ledley, with Trevor Sinclair slotting into the right-back position.
It was a tactical change that provided City with more options, Ledley and Paul Parry switching flanks and Sinclair pushing on to whip in crosses from the right and free kicks from the left.
Preston are a side also short on form, to the extent that this fixture was cheekily referred to as a relegation dogfight. Both Preston and the Bluebirds have Premiership aspirations so it is foolish to attach such a label just six games into the season but it reflects the feelings of the fans.
Gunter’s replacement, Ledley, almost opened the scoring, forcing an acrobatic save from Andy Lonergan at the far left post from a pin-point cross by Parry.
It was a carbon-copy cross from Ledley onto the head of Fowler in the 28th minute after good work from Sinclair that simultaneously broke the deadlock on the day and lifted the burden of expectation on Fowler and Dave Jones’ decision to include him after a flat-footed display against Watford.
Unlike Fowler, Cardiff’s on-loan keeper, Ross Turnbull, paid the price of flapping at Adam Johnson’s free-kick on Wednesday night as Michael Oakes replaced him between the sticks. Oakes had little to do but watch Paul Gallagher’s tenth minute shot fly narrowly over his bar and make an important interception in the 33rd minute as the City defence were once more caught napping, allowing Preston to fire in a dangerous cross.
With a one-nil lead and his side playing with the majority of the possession, Dave Jones pulled Parry at half time, restoring Gunter to the field and Sinclair to his natural berth on the right wing. Jones revealed after the game that this was enforced by a slight injury to Parry rather than a desire to tinker tactically.
Preston put a spanner in the works ten minutes later, Davidson equalising with a stinging, low drive that escaped Oakes’ outstretched right hand and found the bottom corner of the net to the predictable dismay of the Cardiff faithful who had a first home win in their sights.
Fowler restored the lead and convinced any doubters of his calibre in the 64th minute, heading home from Ledley’s in-swinging corner. He received a standing ovation when replaced by Steve Thompson in the final five minutes.
But Davidson was not to be outdone by the former Liverpool legend. In injury time, as the Cardiff fans congratulated themselves on a job well done, a final free kick was laid square to Davidson. He let loose another rocket, this time into the bottom left corner of the net, to leave Cardiff them still seeking a first elusive home win.
“At least we’ve stopped the rot” was Jones’s optimistic post-match summary.
Cardiff 4-4-2: Oakes, McNaughton, Capaldi, Rae, Fowler (Thompson 84’), McPhail, Parry (Gunter 46’), Johnson, Ledley, Sinclair (Whittingham 78’), Hasselbaink. Subs not used: Turnbull, Blake.
Preston North End 4-4-2: Lonergan, Davidson, Mawene, Sedgwick, Agyemang (Hawley 60’), Gallagher (Mellor 71’), Carter, Chilvers, Hill, Jones, Nicholls. Subs: Hawley, St Ledger, L. Neal, C.Neal.
Referee: A R Hall
Yellows: Davidson (21’), Chilvers (39’)
Attendance: 11,772
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