blueball.gif (262 bytes) Sat 16th March 2002. Oldham 1 - 7 Cardiff City. Match report.
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GORAM CAN'T HOLD EM AS CITY BATTER OLDHAM. Lennie's men unleash their own SEVEN wonders of the footballing World. Veteran Andy Goram was given a nightmare debut as Andy Campbell (3), Leo FW (2), Peter Thorne and Scott Young catapulted City into 7th heaven. (7 goals and 7th place). With Bristol City losing as well it was a perfect day for the Bluebirds. Campbell now has 6 goals in 4 games. Its Game On Ladies and Gentlemen, its Game On.

Today was a day that will go down as one of the greatest City away performances of all time. Men who have followed City for decades stood at the end in disbelief as they tried to take it in. One such fan told me it had made every away trip for the last 30 years worth just to have been at Boundary Park today.

It has been said that this is the first time in history that City have scored 5 goals in one half away from home. I'm sure the statisticians will reveal all the records that have been broken by today's result.

We beat Rushden 7 - 1 at Ninian Park earlier in the season but today we were playing a play off rival away from home. The Rushden victory was nothing compared to this.

City were off to a flyer, an Andy Legg long throw on 6 minutes was watched in awe by Andy Goram and Scott Young headed home. City were competitive and playing on one of the best pitches in the country (an amazing transformation from last time we were there) the Bluebirds were happy to pass and they looked good.

Oldham at this stage were still in the game and Neil Alexander answered many of his critics with a superb save to deny Oldham and for me that was the turning point of the game. If that had had been 1 - 1 it would have made a far more even game but City bounced back immediately. The Bluebirds won a corner on the right and Andy Legg curled the ball in and Leo FW, who was stood in front of Andy Goram pulled out a yard or two and nodded in to make it 2 - 0.

The City fans were jubilant and City won possession from the Oldham kick off, again a corner was won on the right hand side and Legg stepped up to take it. Leo was again in front of the keeper but this time the ball went a little deeper and Peter Thorne gratefully headed in to make it 3 - 0.

At this stage some Oldham fans were leaving. 23 mins gone and they were 3 down and Andy Legg had assisted every goal (all from wide balls).

All the noise was from City and Oldham were silent. Another nail in the Latics coffin was fired when Andy Campbell scored his 4th City goal when raced in one on one with Goram, the keeper tried to clear but the ball bounced up off Campbell and the new City idol stroked the ball into the empty net to make it 4 - 0 and now City fans were floating on air.

Soon after Matt Appleby, Oldhams skipper was booked for the second time in the game and they were reduced to 10 men. City fans were singing cheerio to him and the Latics fans who were leaving the game and this was after only 32 mins.

City went 5 up just before half time when Leo FW headed home his second after Kav's cross.

Half time. Oldham 0 - 5 Cardiff City. History in the making. Never before have City scored 5 in one half, away from home. More Oldham fans left and City fans were phoning their friends and relatives worldwide. Myself included, I got my mate out of bed in Sydney / Australia to tell him what was happening.

The second half was more exhibition stuff. We did not need to over exert ourselves. The half though belonged to Andy Campbell. He again went through one on one with Goram, this time he rounded the keeper to fire into the empty net and with 15 mins to go Campbell broke into the box and fired hard towards goal, a combination of defender, keeper and post kept the ball out but the determined striker waited for the ball to drop and blasted it into the roof of the net. I spoke to Andy after the game and asked about the match ball, he just patted his bag and said "I've got it in here".

He has scored 6 goals in four games. Outstanding.

The only real lapse came straight after, as City fans and players were using the fingers on both to count the number of goals scored, Oldham pulled one back. The Cardiff fans cheered louder than the Latics fans who had mostly left the stadium.

City played keep ball and could have scored 10. Subs Gethin Jones fired just wide and James Collins forced Goram into a superb goal line save.

The final big cheer came when it was announced that Notts County had beaten Bristol City.

Cardiff have moved upto 7th place. We have massively improved our goal difference and we are only one point off the final play off place. The top 5 all won today, our victory was so important.

Lennie Lawrence (who would not do the ayatollah) has now been in charge for 6 games. 4 wins and 2 draws. Great stuff.

Next comes relegation threatened Wrexham. I'm sorry my North Wales friends but we are on a mission and I will have no remorse in wanting Cardiff to beat you next week even if it does help to consign you to Division 3. The game at Ninian Park is on Friday night at 7:45pm and a win will place City in 6th place if Bristol City fail to win their game at Chesterfield on Tuesday.

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Copyright Michael Morris 2002.