Sat 27th Oct 2001.

Subs not used
Fortune West
Bonner
Young

Tranmere
Murphy
Yates
Roberts
Allen (Hinds 67)
Sharps
Flaynn
Mellon
Hume (Parkinson 59)
Henry
N'Diaye (Barlow 82)
Rideout

Subs not used
Nixon
Allison

Murphy has no chance as Bowen heads home (www.bbc.co.uk)

Report from NigelBlues.
There's so many different ways of looking at this but the end result is the same - another home draw.

Tranmere came to Ninian Park determined to get a point, frequently having 8, 9 or all 10 men defending. They were organised and closed City down quickly to stop them playing throughout. If we're honest, they deserved their point but the corner leading to it should never have been awarded and City will be distraught to have conceded another soft goal after more than 5 hours without letting any in.

Cardiff played reasonably well in the first half but terribly lacklustre after the interval. Even so, good sides and top teams manage to scrape out 1-0 wins when they're not playing well and we came close to doing that.

In the final analysis, City crumbled to a soft equaliser deep into injury time and dropped another 2 home points. As a club, we don't seem how to know and play at home. We produce superb away performances at places like Reading, Swindon, Port Vale and Bury but can never replicate it at Ninian Park. We've only won twice in seven Ninian Park league starts this season but had four draws and until we put that right, we will remain with the also rans this season.

City have been good on the road but away draws and wins only make a real difference if you win your home games. It is worth noting that every time City have gained away pints this season, they have failed to follow it with a maximum at Ninian Park. And that's why we remain floating in mid-table obscurity. True, if we win our 2 games in hand, we would be propelled into the play-off zone but it's no good talking about them if we don't win the games we play now.

In front of another fantastic huge and expectant crowd (this was the 9th successive league gate of at least 11,000 including the final two games of last season - the last time was back in 1972!!), City came out full of confidence and taking the game to Tranmere.

But for all their play and possession, until the goal arrived in the 39th minute, City will look back on a series of half chances and moves that frequently broke down due to over-elaborate play or a lack of incisiveness around the box. Too many of the key attacking players - Earnie, Brayson and Kavanagh in particular - who have been on form in recent games were off the metal today.

As a team, City looked more and more tired as the game progressed, maybe a legacy of playing their third game in 6 days as Cork still considers making better deployment of his 34 man squad.

The half chances arrived in regular fashion starting with Rhys Weston, on his 21st birthday, brilliantly beating a man on halfway, storming down the right wing and hitting a low cross that got stuck under Jason Bowen as he tried to turn it home. Gabbidon, showed true class too, in taking on the Tranmere defence, getting to the by-line and clipping the ball to the far post where Brayson looped a header over Murphy and unfortunately, a fraction over the bar too when many of the crowd thought it had dropped in the net.

The were a series of moves with Weston and Leggy featuring in the attacking action as Weston is improving and Leggy again showed why he, rather than Simpkins, has been a better option for this side. But too frequently, attacks broke down as City were unable to find a way to break down their opponents.

Other chances included Gavin Gordon hitting a 25 yard drive which Murphy saved well and Kavanagh had a couple of efforts blocked.

But it was tight and certainly not one way traffic as a battle of wits was taking place. City nearly caused their own downfall as Daniel Gabbidon completely missed the ball inside his own area and Andy Legg was caught in possession, seemingly no team mate warned him that there was a man on but they got away with it. A couple of long range shots flew wide and Willie Boland flung himself to block an edge of area free-kick. Their heavyweight African forward, N'Diaye, was a handful and veteran Paul Rideout always needs watching. well but City were coping well on the whole.

The goal, when it came, was well worth waiting for. Spencer Prior, finally producing his best form, found Andy Legg on the left wing. Leggy took the ball forward, looked up, saw his mate, and from the touchline 25 yards launched a deep cross to the far side of the area. Jason Bowen ghosted in to meet it and placed a precise header back across Murphy who had no chance of stopping it. It was a superb goal, Leggy danced a jig of delight in front of the Bob Bank while Bows took the accolades too for a great finish. (Take note - it was the 4th goal from a Leggy cross in his last 5 appearances, 2 as substitute).

The noise was deafening as Tranmere fans, taunted throughout, were now feeling very intimidated.

Tranmere, either side of half-time, engaged themselves in amateur dramatics as
Mellon and Hume deliberately dived for penalties. After the first incident, Mellon squared up to Prior who had obviously accused him and got poked in the face for his troubles but ref Bates (from Stoke, no wonder!) refused to talk to or even book the players as he surely should have.

Half-time: City 1 Tranmere 0

Many City fans were convinced that as Tranmere now had to push on and show more attacking intention, it would open up the game for City to go on and grab the second goal to kill it.

But it never happened like that as, in a generally quiet half, City lost their way and fell back into some old habits.

Kavanagh was a fraction away from scoring in the opening seconds as he blasted a clearance back at goal which deflected inches wide with Murphy well beaten. He tired another couple of long range efforts but also typified what was going wrong with City's performance.

Tranmere managed to push the game further upfield, became stronger and more ominous but City allowed them to. Yet again, Graham Kavanagh being the chief culprit by falling deep. He spent large portions of the second half playing behind Willie Boland when it should have been the other way around. It gave Tranmere the space and time they need to push on.

Chances came for them as firstly, the pint sized Nick Henry (who looked like he downs thousands of pint sized brews!) blasted narrowly over the bar from an angle after a flowing move and, criminally, City were conceding too many free-kicks on the edge of the area. Fortunately, Tranmere were hopeless with them, one particularly memorable edge of area set piece nearly hitting the Grange End roof.

But City were struggling and changes were needed yet Cork and Butterworth resisted substitutions which, to me, highlighted a weakness. We all have different opinions but I would have removed Brayson and Kavanagh after an hour as both were making a minimal contribution. Instead, it was Tranmere bringing on fresh legs with City looking more and more jaded.

Another free-kick so nearly got the equaliser as Boland blocked again but the ball ran lose in the area for Parkinson, one of the subs, to hit a strong shot which Alexander saved well, not being put off by a player jump over the ball en route closing his visibility of the effort. That was his first save of the afternoon.

City waited until the 70th minute to make a change, they really had left it too long but, fortunately, no damage had been done. The substitution was right, Josh Low for the out of sorts Paul Brayson who was anonymous but the tactics behind it were dreadful, a straight swap. Low surely came on to create a threat and push Tranmere back but can't play left side to save his life and he wasn't going to save City's.

He should have gone to the right with Bowen or Earnie shuffling over to suit him, both can produce on the left. It was a huge mistake, magnified because Low was very very poor. The crowd got on his back as he showed a distinct lack of commitment to challenge but you really have to question the management for making such a silly move.

The second substitution, Hamilton for Bowen (who had been superb again but had faded from the game) was understandable especially when you saw Hamilton push Kavanagh forward, something that should have been done much earlier. Hamilton gave City some presence at last as he hit Tranmere players all over the park and showed a level of intensity that had gone out of the team in the second period.

They came close with a couple of efforts as Willie Boland had one shot blocked but hit the rebound into the Canton Stand when he should have done better but so should have N'Diaye with a far post header.

The referee and linesman also showed they don't even know the rules as an Earnie shot was blocked by a Tranmere defender and ran to Gordon inside the area but he was flagged for offside, how could he be? It denied a clear scoring chance.

Spencer Prior was awarded sponsors man of the match which got a huge cheer but it only emphasised the team hadn't performed well at home if the centre-half is the star player.

With 4 minute of added time being played and half of that time had elapsed, City crumbled but in controversial circumstances. Tranmere played a long and hopeful ball forward which Rhys Weston was comfortably covering and allowing to go behind when Graham Barlow, a late sub, blatantly body checked him. Weston fell on the ball and went crashing off the field.

13,070 spectators (including all of the 300 Tranmere fans if they were fair minded) thought it was a foul and waited for the free-kick but the linesman flagged for a corner and the referee inexplicably agreed. Weston argued with both in disbelief.

City lined up for a corner realising it was almost certainly Tranmere's last chance of the match but, they feel apart, as they allowed 37 year old Paul Rideout a free header with 2 players around him, the ball glanced inside the far post. It was almost a replica of Spencer Prior's goal at Port Vale in midweek.

There was an inquest as to who was to blame, Leggy and Weston argued with each other, it was a sickener.

Alan Cork may have to consider whether his formation and tactics, which seems perfect at away games, is worth persevering with at Ninian Park as we were nowhere near as fluent or coherent as we can be. He may also need to go back into the market as the balance doesn't look right with no natural left sided midfielder/forward in the team.

Six games unbeaten and 7 points out of 9 in a week should be something to celebrate but City should have taken all 9 points in the past three games and, if we'd won 4 but lost 2 of the last 6, we'd be 2 points and 7 places better off emphasising the value of wins over draws.

The good news given recent events, is that we have two very winnable away games at Wrexham and Bury in the next 11 days, before we next have to try and prove ourselves at home again. It may be exactly what's needed.

Report from The Wales On Sunday.
TWO points thrown away by the Bluebirds as a Paul Rideout goal two minutes into injury time stopped Alan Cork's men making it three wins in a week and marching up to eighth spot in Division Two.

Seldom has Cork looked so down after a game as he blamed the referee for not awarding Cardiff a free kick prior to Rideout's equaliser and then slammed his defence for slack marking which led to the goal.

The upshot is that City, 17th in the table before their game with Swindon last Sunday, today still stand only 15th - despite victories over the Robins and Port Vale and a home game yesterday they really should have won.

Jason Bowen's gem of a goal in the 40th minute seemed to have set Cork's men on the way to capturing nine points out of nine in a six-day period.

But after Rideout struck deep into stoppage time, Cork said: "It's such a disappointing way to go home tonight. I'm fed up with the result.

"Our goalkeeper Neil Alexander has hardly had a stop to make in the 90 minutes again, yet we still haven't won. I'm fed up saying the identical thing time and again.

"The referee should have awarded a foul on Gavin Gordon before Tranmere's equaliser. Refs do what they want - but if you can't defend set pieces, you give games away.

"We're still undefeated in six games, but the truth is there is no point in drawing games. You have to win them."

The most impressive thing about Cardiff's resurgence in the past six days was the goals against column, which for 270 minutes of action read none.

Prior to that period, clean sheets had been a constant problem. The defence cracking in the closing moments yesterday, just when City should have closed up shop and their defenders concentrating extra hard, proved costly.

Things had begun so brightly in the first half when City, understandably brimful of confidence following those Swindon and Port Vale wins, set about Tranmere with purposeful, positive and energetic football.

Predictably Cork kept the adventurous line-up which won in midweek, meaning Gordon and Earnshaw up front, Bowen and Brayson rampaging around just behind them and Kavanagh and Boland pushing up from mid-field.

Giving an extra dimension were Legg and Weston who, as a pair, overlapped far more as full-backs than Weston and Simpkins.

Tranmere had no real answer to the problems posed early on, in particular from Bowen, whose pace, skill and directness left them in danger of looking exposed.

It was Bowen who first tested Tranmere goalkeeper Murphy with a shot on the turn after Weston had raced past Roberts and crossed from the right, but the in-form Bluebirds man couldn't get power in his shot and the effort was stopped.

Murphy then had to be alert to get behind a Gordon piledriver and was fortunate when a Brayson header went inches over the bar after a superb shimmy past Roberts and cross by Gabbidon down the right.

Yet despite having a glut of possession, Cardiff still created little in the way of clear-cut openings.

When the breakthrough came five minutes before half time it was courtesy of a sweeping move which started deep inside City's own half and was finished with real aplomb by Bowen.

Prior won possession outside his own penalty area and played a neat one-two with Boland.

The ball was worked left to Legg who, as Bowen made a surging run from the other side of the pitch, struck a diagonal 40-yard cross deep into the Tranmere box.

Bowen timed his run to perfection, ghosting behind the Tranmere back four to meet the cross 12 yards out and head with power and precision beyond the despairing dive of Murphy.

It was a brilliant goal and City came within a whisker of a second six minutes into the second half when Kavanagh latched on to a weak clearance and drilled a 20-yard shot which flew centimetres wide.

At this stage Alexander hadn't been troubled in the City goal.

But for some reason Cardiff totally lost their way after that, their fluent football giv -ing way to hesitancy.

Hume and Henry spurned good openings for Tranmere and Alexander had to be on alert to keep out a Parkinson 20-yarder.

Cork, in a bid to tighten up his team who were beginning to be opened up too much,

sent on Low for Brayson and Hamilton for Bowen.

Low really should have done better in the 88th minute when, with Hamilton and Earnshaw either side of him in a three to two overlap, he opted to go down the middle on his own and lost possession.

A simple pass right or left would have set Hamilton or Earnshaw up for a simple finish.

Instead the chance was wasted and City were left to rue it as Barlow won a corner on the left, despite City fans claiming he had fouled Weston. Cork went further and said there had been an even earlier foul on Gordon which wasn't awarded.

Anyway, Mellon took the corner, Rideout moved free of his markers and sent a header hurtling into the City net.

Tranmere manager Dave Watson thought it was a fair result, pointing out: "This is an intimidating place to come.

"We kept our discipline, but you can see how if teams don't do that when they go a goal down, many players will crumble in the hostile surround-ings."

There, perhaps, is the nub of what went wrong yesterday. City dominated possession early on, went a goal up - but

never looked capable of finishing off Tranmere at what should be a fortress Ninian Park.

It is something Cork needs to address urgently if his team are to become credible promotion challengers.

Report from www.sports.com
Cardiff must be wishing they could play all their matches on the road after Tranmere's veteran striker Paul Rideout had snatched an injury-time equaliser to deny them a third successive victory.

The Bluebirds went into the match with their confidence boosted by back-to-back wins at Swindon and Port Vale earlier in the week but found Tranmere a much more determined proposition.

The pace of Rovers' striker Seyni N'Diaye caused them constant problems and although Daniel Gabbidon and Spencer Prior dealt capably with most things thrown at them, there was always the thought that one slip would be costly.

So it proved in the second of the four minutes added on by referee Tony Bates. Cardiff thought they had won a free-kick on their own bye-line but Mr. Bates thought otherwise and awarded Rovers a corner.

Micky Mellon sent his flag kick to the near post where 37-year-old Rideout managed to force himself between two defenders and meet it with a glancing header that flew beyond Neil Alexander and into the far corner of the net.

But Cardiff have only themselves to blame for not making sure of all three points long before Rideout struck.

With Graham Kavanagh and Willie Boland in fine form, they dominated the midfield and kept Tranmere penned in their own half for long spells, especially in the first hour of the match.

Jason Bowen could not get enough power into a side-footed effort from Rhys Weston's cross to test Joe Murphy but the goalkeeper had to get down low and quickly to hold a fierce drive from Gavin Gordon at the foot of his right-hand post.

Kavanagh saw his shot blocked and Murphy came smartly off his line to collect a dangerous Andy Legg corner and, as Cardiff kept up the pressure, Paul Brayson was only inches too high with a header from a Gabbidon cross.

After Bowland had bravely flung himself at a Gareth Roberts free kick and N'Diaye had shot wide from 25 yards Cardiff moved back up field and eventually grabbed the goal they deserved in the 40th minute.

Prior broke up a Tranmere attack and sent Legg scampering down the left touchline. The Welsh International made good ground and then sent over a deep cross well beyond the far post where Bowen met it with a peach of a header that left Murphy flat-footed.

Cardiff had plenty of chances to put the match out of Tranmere's reach but they failed to take them and paid a high penalty that did not please manager Alan Cork.

"I thought it was a foul on both Gordon and Weston before the Referee gave the corner so it's particularly disappointing" Cork said.

"But it's our own fault if we can't defend set pieces. Our goal was a fantastic one but I am still fed up at having to settle for a draw. Seven points from the last nine on offer is a good return but we should have had them all. I thought we looked a bit tired today."