Cardiff City news 22/07/01

Sun 22nd July 2001 - Athlone - Post match comments

ALAN CORK refused to reveal his hand after a largely second string City played out a disappointing scoreless draw against Irish part-timers Athlone Town. Keeper Lee Kendall stood out with a number of important saves to keep the game scoreless and did himself no harm with his performance. On this showing he could push Mark Walton as the understudy to Neil Alexander, who was on the bench but wasn't involved. Cork named just four subs - the others were Rhys Weston, Des Hamilton and Earnie, but he didn't give any of them a run and confirmed that the 11 who didn't play would line out against Longford. But Cork refused to single out any City players for special praise. He said: "We've got four games to go before the season kicks-off. I just want the players to get some games in. It's only our second match and the eleven I put out today only played 45 minutes against Merthyr. It's a fitness thing at this stage of the season. It's just a game under their belt." He added: "Lee did alright. A few did alright, to be fair, but there were a few very sloppy attitudes as well. But you will get that until the players get back in the routine of doing it again. We've got 22 players and the other 11 will play in Longford on Monday."
Andy Legg was City's best player on the park in the second-half in a left sided midfield role. But Leo Fortune West failed to shine up front alongside Paul Brayson, who was busy at times.

City's formation was basically 4-3-1-2 with Jason Bowen operating in behind the front two of Leo and Brayson. Kevin Evans was at right-back, David Hughes and Scott Young linked up in the centre of defence with Andy Jordan on the left. Layton Maxwell featured on the right side of midfield with Willie Boland in the centre. Graham Kavanagh, meanwhile, has confiremd that he will definitely make his City debut against Longford at the local Rugby Club on Monday (7.0pm). Kav said: "It is just six weeks since I had a double hernia operation and it was just a precaution by the gaffer not to involve me in this one. But I will play on Monday. I feel fine. I am itching to be involved. I want to pull on a City shirt for real and get involved again. Like most players I hate not being involved. I am a bad spectator and Monday can't come too soon." Athlone play in the Irish League's First Division. It was their first match of the pre-season. And manager Liam Buckley, who watched Northampton crash 3-0 against Premier Division Bray Wanderers earlier in the week, said: "Cardiff are definitely a cut above Northampton on the evidence of what I have seen from the two teams." The 11 who start on Monday are likely to be the 11 that starts against Wycombe with no place for Leggy or Bowen by the looks of it. We will just have to wait and see, won't we ?