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Tues 16th Oct 2001. |
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| Cardiff
City Kendall Thompson (Jones 84) Young  Hughes Brazier Hamilton Bonner Maxwell (Giles 76) Low Gordon Nugent (Collins 82) Subs not used |
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Rushden Turley Underwood (Setchell 69) Peters Rodwell Sambrook Talbot Mills Hall Hanlon Lee (Burgess 45) Folan (Bell 45) Subs not used |
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Cool Hand Cork, whom many believe to be The Joker, changed his entire hand before kick-off by selecting the "fringe" players - most of whom he has chosen to overlook this season - and rest the entire recent first team but it would suit many. After all, the reserves have undoubtedly played better, more stylish football than the first team and didn't they prove it tonight. Rushden, apart from a suspect defence, weren't dire. They had a couple of players missing but were near full strength and came to Ninian Park unbeaten in five games including a draw at top of the table Rochdale last Friday. They were however simply overpowered and outplayed by a City "reserve" side who undoubtedly are good enough on their own to be at, or near the top, of the Third Division. However from a Bluebirds point of view, what was also noticeable was the glaring superior style of this team coached by Ian Butterworth compared to the first team who have struggled under Alan Cork and the departed Ian Atkin's regime. And that says something. Whilst acknowledging City weren't playing as good a team as Div 2league opponents, we were better organised, controlled with passing and movement well above the standards at first team level. It started from the back as the ball was continually passed out of defence with calmness and assurance, qualities that Weston and Simpkins don't yet possess. Midfield were excellent always pushing forward to help attacks and in Gavin Gordon, who scored an amazing five goals, there was a striker's performance that totally eclipsed anything our preferred strikers have been able to produce. Gordon, whose all round game was exceptional, also had the gift of quality service and crosses which the regulars have failed badly to provide. Seven goals is an amazing total but Cardiff worked for every one of them, all were excellent quality. The game opened spectacularly and was virtually over as a contest within 12 minutes as Rushden were already 2-0 behind and lucky not to have been 4 goals down. After 6 minutes, with a narrow scrape or two already survived, Rushden couldn't handle Josh Low's first direct run into the area. He let fly but his shot hit Kevin Nugent and ran away only to be met by Mark Bonner who smacked a spectacular volley from 25 yards inside Billy Turley's left hand post. Almost from the kick-off, City were down the wing again with an Andy Thomson far post cross headed inches wide. Then Gavin Gordon netted from the tightest of angles but had already been adjudged offside. But he wasn't to be denied as Josh Low at his best, stormed into the area, beat the last man and clipped the ball to the far post from the by-line for Gordon to head home powerfully to double the lead. The game unsurprisingly went through a quieter period but the quality was all City's with Bonner and Hamilton working hard and running the show, Maxwell being efficient with quality passing on the floor and Low being Low - exciting and despairing in roughly equal measures. Gavin Gordon was a man possessed, chasing every ball and often winning it too. Kevin Nugent, drafted in late, has been injured recently and was short of more pace than usual or Rushden would have been in more serious trouble. Their heads never went and a 25 yard snapshot went narrowly wide of Mark Kendall (making his City debut) in goal. On 32 minutes, it was 3-0 and you felt the game was now beyond Rushden for sure. The best through ball seen this season (maybe the ONLY through ball seen this season) saw Maxwell split Rushden apart with a threaded ball on the ground from 40 yards to send Gordon clear on goal. His coolness was exemplary as he waited for Turley to advance and then buried the ball past him from 15 yards. The combination of Maxwell's quality and Gordon's class worked again on 41 minutes to make it 4-0 and make it a rout. Maxwell's persistence won a corner out of nothing. It was played quickly to him and he placed the perfect left foot curling cross for Gavin Gordon to deftly place the ball into the far corner for an incredible first-half hat-trick. When was the last time that happened? There may only have been 2,000 fans but it felt like many times more than that in the excited atmosphere around the place. Maxwell had a deceptive, almost lazy looking, style but passes and crosses excellently. His debut at Cambridge was terrible but he showed what he could do tonight. H/T: CITY 4 RUSHDEN 0 City started the second half as they finished the first one - pressing forward, spraying the ball calmly and with threat. Josh Low nearly broke through a couple more times, David Hughes was inches wide with a 20 yard shot, a couple of loose shots were blocked and Gordon was terrifying Rushden throughout. Rushden's moment of the opening period was a 30 yard chip which Kendall took under the bar while backtracking. But on 69 minutes, it was 5-0 with the best move of the match. City worked the ball down the right and Nugent/Gordon passed brilliantly to again send Gordon clear and finish emphatically. The move was of such quality that even the Rushden fans applauded as they did several times during the evening - all credit to them. The other consequence of Gavin's 4th goal of the game was it took him from no goals this season to leading scorer all within one game!! A house behind the Grange end of Bob Bank seemed to join in the celebrations as Roman Candles and Rockets were shooting in the air, each being cheered by the crowd. Three minutes later, the Rushden ten fans were able to celebrate a goal from a bad Scott Young error as he missed a ball across him and Paul Hall, the Jamaican ex-Portsmouth/Derby midfielder currently loaned from Walsall, waltzed around Kendall and stroked home. Hall was Rushden's best performer on the night. Rushden perked up a little and nearly scored again shortly after. But Cardiff hadn't finished and were back with two goals in a minute. On 78 minutes, Josh Low had another of his magic moments as he pulled Rushden open and squared to Martin Giles, on a minute earlier as substitute, to score his first ever City goal with his first of the match to make it 6-1. And then, moments later, it was 7-1 as slick passing saw City storm through the middle of Rushden's defence and Turley make two close range saves from Giles and Kevin Nugent before the ball ran loose for Gavin Gordon to collect his 5th goal stroking home into an empty net. And it could have gone to 8 or 9 if Josh Low had composure in front of goal. He charged past three Rushden defenders but was too scared to shoot on his left foot and in the last action, he was through one on one, lobbed the ball over Turley but it was always drifting wide. Alan Cork must now be having a selection headache for Swindon on Sunday. Tonight's performance was a team effort with Gavin Gordon the star but will he drop Earnie or Thorne? Des Hamilton was superb in midfield, playing far better than Graham Kavanagh recently, but Kav never seems to be dropped. David Hughes, who has done nothing wrong this season, could replace Spencer Prior but will he? Andy Thompson showed Rhys Weston how to play the right back role properly and how to pass the ball out of defence but seemed to tweak his hamstring late. Mark Bonner and Leighton Maxwell also have worthy claims and Josh Low is coming back to form, if only he could rid himself of his total loss of composure nearer to goal. It's not beyond my imagination that Cork may make no starting changes at all but then woe betide him if the first team don't get a positive result this weekend. Kevin Nugent and Scott Young both looked short on fitness while Matt Brazier had a quiet game, possibly not doing enough to dislodge Simpkins although Legg has staked his claim for that position in recent substitute appearances. I hope the first team were there watching the sort of simple things they should be doing but haven't been. And I hope Alan Cork has a better realisation of why the performances, tactics and style under his control have been below par. A fantastic night, a standing ovation for the team and a massive personal ovation for GG. The tannoy announcer added to the partuy by playing The Jam's That's Entertainment as City came off the pitch. Do you reckon he's been waiting all season to play that song? Report from the Western Mail The former Lincoln striker bagged his hat-trick in the first half and added two more after the interval. Mark Bonner and substitute Martyn Giles also got their names on the scoresheet. City manager Alan Cork used this match to take a look at his reserve team players and they did not disap-point. Gordon in particular staked his claim for a place on Alan Cork's teamsheet for the next Second Division match, against Swindon Town at the County Ground on Sunday. No doubt several City players who started the last league game, the 2-2 home draw with Wigan last Friday, will be feeling a little uneasy this morning since Cork now has every reason to make one or two changes for the trip to Wiltshire. Cork may have rested Graham Kavanagh and Robert Earnshaw for this encounter but the City manager insisted he was taking the competition, which climaxes at the Millennium Stadium next April, seriously. This may not have been City's strongest side but on paper it still cost more than one million pounds, a sign of just how things have changed at Ninian Park under Sam Hammam. The Northamptonshire side, managed by former Ipswich, Arsenal and England midfielder Brian Talbot, were making their first ever visit to Ninian Park and it was a trip they will want to forget fast as City ran riot on a cold, damp night in the Welsh capital. Even though the LDV Vans Trophy may not be top of Cork's priority list this was a hugely impressive result since the Diamonds are currently 12th in the Third Division and were unbeaten in six matches. The gulf between the Second Division side and last season's Nationwide Conference champions was an almighty chasm and Talbot's defenders had no answer to the rampant Gordon. Bonner opened the scoring after only six minutes. Layton Maxwell's shot cannoned off teammate Gordon but the ball ended up at Bonner's feet and the midfielder beat Billy Turley from 25 yards. Five minutes later the Bluebirds doubled their lead. Josh Low charged down the right to the byline and the unmarked Gordon headed his inch-perfect cross past the helpless Tilley. Goalkeeper Mark Kendall had his first scare after 25 minutes when Gary Mills's ambitious effort from 25 yards shaved the crossbar. But in the 32nd minute Gordon put City three up with his second of the night. Maxwell put him clean through and the former Lincoln striker beat Turley with the coolest of finishes. The Maxwell-Gordon combination brought the home side their fourth goal five minutes before the break. Maxwell delivered the perfect cross from the left and Gordon rose above the Rushden defence to head past Turley for his hat-trick. Gordon's fourth came in the 70th minute after a one-two with Nugent. Paul Hall pulled one back for Talbot's men in the 72nd minute, but substitute Martyn Giles restored City's six-goal advantage. In the 79th minute Gordon bagged his fifth goal, Turley saving from Gordon and Giles, twice, before he was beaten by the 21-year-old. report from www.sports.com City took the lead in the sixth minute when a Kevin Nugent shot was blocked by the Diamonds defence but Mark Bonner rifled in the rebound from 25 yards past the diving Billy Turley. The Bluebirds scored second five minutes later as Joshua Low showed electrifying pace and trickery to round a couple of defenders and his pinpoint cross found striker Gordon, who head home powerfully from close range past the despairing Turley. The Diamonds keeper was kept busy and in the 19th minute making a fine save from an Andy Thompson in swinging corner. The visitors first real threat on goal came in the 25th minute with Paul Hall running at the Cardiff defence and creating an opportunity for Gary Mills, but the midfielder's 20-yard right- footed shot sailed inches over the bar. Cardiff increased their lead as Leyton Maxwell, with a superb pass, carved open the Diamonds defence in the 32nd minute for striker Gordon to run at keeper Turley and coolly place the ball into the back of the net. The home team made it 4-0 just five minutes before half time with the same combination. Maxwell crossed from the left and Gordon rose superbly above the Diamonds defence to head powerfully past Turley and record a first half hat-trick. Cardiff's central defender David Hughes threatened the Diamonds defence seven minutes into the second half pivoting and smashing a right-footed shot from the edge of the area but his fine effort went inches wide of the upright. Gordon continued to taunt the visitors defence and showed nerves of steel when slotting the ball past keeper Turley from 10 yards following clever interplay with fellow striker Nugent on the edge of the area. Rushden & Diamonds pulled one back in the 72nd minute as the persevering Hall weaved his way through a hesitant Cardiff defence and skilfully round keeper Lee Kendall and side-footed into an empty net. A rampant Cardiff made it six in the 79th minute when a superb run by Low panicked the visitors defence and an accurate final pass enabled substitute Martin Giles to easily beat keeper Turley from close range. Gordon fittingly had the final say 10 minutes from time as the impressive striker stroked his fifth goal of the evening from close range after keeper Turley had bravely blocked shots from Giles and Nugent. |
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