Cardiff City news 16/01/01

Tues 16th Jan 2001 - FA Cup preview

Tonight could be another one of those heart stopping nights in Cardiff's history. In the past FA Cup replays could run and run but nowadays with concern over the number of matches being played but now the rule is that the fixture must be concluded in the first and only replay. So if its a draw after 90 mins we then go to extra time and penalties if required. Penalties? We missed one last Saturday and think back to a frosty Elm Park, Reading 3 years ago when City exited round 4 on penalties. So a win in regulation would be far better for all concerned.

The Cup is romantic and a potential money spinner, but it pulls attention away for the main aim this season, promotion. I love the FA Cup but would trade in the chance of glory for guaranteed promotion. While tonights game is massive, the Plymouth tie at Ninian Park on Saturday holds far more importance. With Chesterfield and Brighton still winning, the gap between us cannot be allowed to grow to big.

So then 1,640 tickets sold, the whole allocation offered to Cardiff. The atmosphere was great at Southend with 1,000 last Saturday, tonight it will be great again. Crewe are appealing to fans without tickets not to travel. The Crewe fans have had to purchase tickets as well and no tickets are available on the night.

Crewe are still struggling at the bottom of Div 1 but had an encouraging away win at Grimsby at the weekend. Dario Grady was speaking on the radio this morning and was looking forward to another cracking game tonight. He was full of praise for City's footballing ablities and acknowledges the danger from Andy Legg's throw ins.

Legg will again be the main stay at the heart of City's defence. Andy Jordan has been added to the squad. Daniel Gabbidon was hurt at Southend but there is no news on his availability. In midfield City will be without James Harper. The youngster cannot feature in cup games. Alan Cork will choose between Scott McCulloch, Kevin Evans and Willie Boland for the two central positions. Up front Gavin Gordan is cup tied. Earnie only played 30 mins at Southend, I would think he will come back into the team tonight to partner Leo FW. Paul Brayson could be called in as well. James Collins the young utility player has also been called into the squad.

So then I would suggest a line up of Walton, Legg, Weston, Young, Gabbidon or Low, Brazier, Evans or Boland, McCulloch, Bowen, Leo FW, Earnie or Brayson. Also in the squad, Eckhardt, Nogan, Collins, Jordan, Kendall. City have options, if the game needs to be tightend then there is scope to move players around and change formation if required.

For all those going to Crewe have a great time and I'll see you there. For those at home and around the world there will be full radio coverage on Real Radio and Gill will offer full coverage in the chat room. C'mon City.

Preview from BBC Online
Cardiff boss Alan Cork will be without Gavin Gordon and James Harper for the Bluebirds' FA Cup third round replay at Crewe.

Former Lincoln striker Gordon, who scored for the Imps in their 4-0 opening-round success against Bracknell Town, is cup-tied for the trip to Gresty Road.

Midfielder Harper, on-loan from Arsenal, will also miss the clash after Gunners boss Arsene Wenger asked the Welsh club not to select him for their FA Cup games.

Willie Boland, who has recently returned from injury, is in contention for Harper's midfield berth.

Cardiff coach Alan Cork is playing down the importance of the FA Cup as he insists that promotion to the Second Division remains their main priority.

But he knows his team will face a tough test at Crewe, and he's anxious to solve his team's recent own-goals problem.

"Crewe won on Saturday, so they're going to be full of confidence," said Cork.

"The own goals are bizarre - it's frustrating and annoying. We've had six own goals this season, I've never known anything like it."

Andy Legg caused havoc in the Crewe penalty area in the first match with his crosses and long throws; a tactic Cardiff hope to use again on Tuesday.

Said Legg: "In the first 20 minutes, it will be important for us to keep them at bay and to try to impose our tactics against them.

"Leo (Fortune-West) has been playing well recently. He will always be a menace because of his height."

Dario Gradi's Crewe go into the match fresh from a morale-boosting win at Grimsby.

Alex won the game 3-1 with two well-taken goals from Rob Hulse and a further strike from the outstanding Mark Rivers.

Crewe had gone six games without a win and three without scoring before their victory over the Mariners, and Gradi will be looking for his strikers to find the net more regularly.

He said: "When I came off the training ground on Wednesday night and heard that the youth team were three goals up I said, 'I wonder what it would be like to score three goals' and then we go to Grimsby and do just that."

The Crewe boss will again be without David Wright for the Gresty Road clash, otherwise all of Saturday's squad are available.

Preview from TotalWales.
ALAN CORK would swap victory for defeat against Crewe in the FA Cup third-round replay at Gresty Road tonight - if it guaranteed him three points against Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.

A cup run is all well and good but Cardiff City’s head coach makes no secret of the fact that promotion from the Third Division is his priority this season.

“We can’t possibly win the FA Cup, can we? We might get to the fifth or sixth round if we’re lucky. But realistically we’ve got to get out of this division,” said Cork.

The Bluebirds drew 1-1 with First Division Crewe at Ninian Park 10 days ago. A home draw with Stock-port County - like Crewe, in Division One - awaits the winner of this re-play.

“I’m not too interested in Stock-port. I’m interested in Saturday. I want to get back into the top three. The FA Cup is enjoyable for the boys, but at the end of the day we’ve got to get out of this league,” added Cork.

“We’ll be going to Crewe properly prepared and organised. If we win, we win. If we don’t, it’s not the end of the world.

“But it will almost feel like the end of the world if we get beaten by Plymouth. It’ll hurt more if we lose to them.”

Following the 1-1 draw at Southend last weekend, and promotion rivals Chesterfield, Brighton and Leyton Orient all winning, City slipped down to fourth and out of the automatic promotion places.

This is why the game against the struggling Pilgrims at Ninian Park on Saturday is so important to Cork.

For tonight’s trip to Cheshire, he is without cup-tied striker Gavin Gordon and on-loan midfielder James Harper, his club Arsenal not allowing him to play.

To partner the in-form Leo Fortune-West in attack, Cork might re-call top scorer Robert Earnshaw, who started the Southend game on the bench, or offer Paul Brayson a rare start.

Either Scott McCulloch or Willie

Boland will replace Harper in central midfield.

“We should have beaten Crewe at Ninian Park but ifs and shoulds don’t win games,” said Cork. “You have to put the ball into the back of the net.

“We didn’t perform well at Southend. We battled in the second half but we didn’t get the ball down and play. But it’s a young team and at the end of the day everyone wants to beat Cardiff.”

In the first game against Dario Gradi’s side the Bluebirds exploited goalkeeper Ademola Bankole’s vulnerability to high balls into the box while the Crewe defence struggled to contain Fortune-West.

“Most players are disappointed we didn’t finish them off at our place,” said Fortune-West.

“We did have a chance, now we have to go through it again. Bankole isn’t a bad ’keeper but we put him under a lot of pressure the last time. We caused them problems from throw-ins and corners.

“If we can put them under pressure and win those set-pieces, then with Andy Legg (and his long throws) in the side who knows what can happen.”

Cork praised Fortune-West, who, at Southend, took his tally for the season to eight, describing him as “our best player the last six weeks by a long way”.

He was given his chance following an injury to Kevin Nugent in November and has since established himself as the first-choice centre-forward.

“Leo is not Maradona, he’s an old-type centre-forward who causes you problems. When he puts that shirt on you know you’re guaranteed a performance from him,” added Cork.

Previw from The Sentinel.
Crewe hope to repel the long-throw menace of Cardiff's Andy Legg tonight to progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup.
The Welsh veteran's set-piece armoury caused the Alex defence enough problems in last week's 1-1 draw at Ninian Park to force Dario Gradi into considering drafting in unwanted 'keeper Clayton Ince for Ademole Bankole.
But he will continue with the Nigerian, who, along with the rest of his team-mates, is being prepared for Cardiff's direct style.
That will be the Third Division side's best hopes of causing an upset as Crewe should be expected to finish the tie if they repeat the attacking form they showed in the 3-1 win at Grimsby on Saturday.
But the Alex manager declared: "It'll be a hard game for us again and the ball will be in our box as soon as it goes out for a throw from anywhere in our half.
"Their long throws are a big concern and they are a good weapon for them. I thought about bringing in Clayton Ince, but I'll stick with George (Bankole). He's making some good saves, so I don't think changing the 'keeper is a risk I need to take."
Gradi believes the matches against Cardiff and Grimsby have given his side a chance to compete on level terms after a month of difficult fixtures against several teams at the top end of Division One.
"We've played teams we don't look as good as, but we should be closer to Cardiff on the evidence of the last game," added Gradi.
"Our pace troubled Grimsby at the weekend, the question is whether it will Cardiff. But the most important thing - in fact more important than winning - is to see how good we are. The Cup is a nice sideline for us and it's hopefully a way of winning some games. We stopped the rot at Cardiff the other week and another win will give us a boost."
Defender David Wright, who was ruled out at Grimsby with a groin injury, will be missing again so Efe Sodje keeps his place in defence.
And Rob Hulse, who netted twice at Blundell Park, is a doubt after picking up a knock, which might pave the way for youth striker Dean Ashton to get a first senior start.
"David is definitely out of the game," admitted Gradi.