Saturday 27th
March 1999

Cardiff City
Hallworth
O'Sullivan (Middleton 79)
Legg
Mitchell
Eckhardt
Carpenter
Fowler
Young
Bowen
Nugent
Hill (Bonner 57)

Sub not used
Williams

Carlisle started the 2nd half looking stronger and should really have regained
their lead when our defence were caught asleep and Tracey (the girl) broke
clear and was on the far edge of the penalty area with an unmarked striker in
the centre. (S)He obviously had no vision as Graham Mitchell decided to
challenge and produce an outstanding tackle to win the ball and bring it away.
Mithc has become the unsung of the team.

How vital that tackle was became more apparent a minute later as City took the
lead. Winning a free kick near the left touchline and inside their own half,
Andy Legg hit the ball forward and it was Carlisle's turn to crack
defensively.

How can anybody explain why no Carlisle defnders were around and the sweeper
made a hash by allowing the ball to deflect off him and put Jason Bowen clear
in the centre of goal? Who cares?? Bowen (does anyone else think he looks
like the "Hannibal the Cannibal" character from Con Air?) gratefully took the
ball and rolled it past the keeper into the corner of the net.

The ground erupted, probably for the only time all afternoon, with the fans
cheering the goal and chanting,"we are top of the league".

Yet again, City picked up the pace. Mark Bonner came on to replace Danny Hill
and showed why he should have started. Every pass of his found a City player
and he buzzed around the park. He is clearly in-form, start with him at
Cambridge please Frankie!

Setting up a chance, Bonner played in Jeff Eckhardt whose glanced header was
cleared off the line by old City fave, Damon Searle. Searle's speciality at
City was doing this but the rest of his game wasn't too clever although the
awful Wayne O'Sullivan didn't beat him all afternoon. How often have we said
this since Delaney departed?

And yet again, the game went back to sleep. The only good thing was that fans
on the Grange (everyone deserted the Canton Stand today) were enjoying the
sun. The club should have hired deck chairs and started selling ice creams
and there wasn't much to watch on the pitch until the last 5 minutes.

City made a couple more chances but found Carlisle's keeper in better form as
he made 2 great saves, one of them an outstanding tip over the bar from a
Bonner rising blaster that looked in all the way.

Craig Middleton finally replaced Wayne O'Sullivan but the referee, who had a
good match, didn't seem to like Middleton and wanted to make the game more
exciting. He awarded free kicks against Middleton every time that he won the
ball and gave Carlisle free kicks in City's half bringing them forward and
making the last couple of minutes a slog and very tense.

However Jon Hallworth redeemed himself and made himself a hero by producing 2 outstanding daves at the death. Both were efforts across him and bound for
the far corner and each time, he stretched to push the ball away. As he did
for the second time, the ref blew the final whistle.

We have to play far better than this at Cambridge but now go there knowing
that a win not only takes us the absolute verge of promotion but also re-
establish us favourites for the Championship again. If City can't raise their
game for that, they never will. Bring'em on!

Report from Soccernet
Carlisle United suffered a fourth defeat in five games as
Cardiff City regained top spot with a 2-1 win at Ninian
Park.

City looked dangerous from an early stage when Jason
Bowen looked to open the home side's account, heading
goalwards, only to hit the post.

It wasn't all plain sailing though, for the high-flying
Bluebirds and hopes of a whitewash disappeared after 22
minutes, as Richard Tracey pinched a flimsy Jon
Hallworth clearance, only to return the ball past the
stumbling City 'keeper and into the net.

The visitors only held onto their lead for eight minutes,
Cardiff's Jason Bowen lifted the ball into the box where it
was met by Kevin Nugent, who headed past bemused
Cumbrian 'keeper Richard Knight.

Cardiff should have been ahead on the half hour when
Scott Young skimmed the crossbar from four yards. Frank
Burrows' side should have gone in ahead at half-time, but
it looked as if it might just be the turning point for United.

However, Carlisle's confidence took a further knock nine
minutes after the re-start - Jason Bowen capitalised on a
defensive error to score City's second goal and his first
ever for the club.

The home side survived a last minute scramble with
Carlisle's Richard Tracey and substitute Marc
Bridge-Wilkinson going close, but their efforts were
hastily cleared by the edgy City defence leaving Carlisle
to face the long road home empty-handed.