Report by
NigelBlues.
Attendance: 5,238
Cardiff fans: 2,000 approx
Weather: Sunny at times, mild!
Pitch: Very good
Atmosphere: City - very good, Orient - ok but not really heard in City
end, even when apparently baiting John Williams.
Nothing ever changes. Against Hull on Monday, City didn't play well, should
still have won but lost 2 points due to defensive carelessness by Jeff
Eckhardt. Against Orient, City again did not play well, should still have
won but lost 2 points due to a Jeff Eckhardt own goal.
It's unfair to blame the defence though as the problems are up front. Kevin
Nugent, on his 30th birthday, was injured so had to miss out playing at the
club where he started his career. John Williams started and Dai Thomas came
in from the bench.
Does anyone know what has happened to the John Williams who was barnstorming
for Cardiff a couple of months ago? The one with searing pace, who made
errors but produced chaos too and who seemed to be free-scoring. His
performance yesterday was abysmal and he strolled around and every time City
penetrated the wings, Williams never made a run into the area. Bowen was
fairly similar except he showed far more passion and effort. You look to the
bench for inspiration and it's Dai Thomas instead of Earnshaw or Roberts!!
Oh yes, and we have to overlook that a certain Eifion Williams made one goal
for Torquay and scored their other by charging behind their defence and
volleying home from 25 yards. 4 goals in 3 games for Eifion, 4 goals in 4
games for the whole City team.
This first 25 minutes were very poor quality with little happening but City
gradually awoke. Central to this was Jason Fowler who was again in the mood
and looking quality every time on the ball. The chances started to arrive.
A Fowler inspired move saw Wayne O'Sullivan cross to the far post. Williams
came in but put in a powder puff challenge allowing the Orient keeper to push
away the ball, Fowler screamed an effort over the bar.
His next move saw Williams fire a cross to be met by Jason Bowen but it
produced a similar result. Then he fed Wayne O'Sullivan who had an excellent
game. Sully moved in and hit a high effort which City fans thought was going
in but was pushed over at the last moment for an unproductive corner. A
couple of minutes later, a jinking Fowler run got him into the area and his
low effort had O's keeper beaten but went just wide.
Throughout this period, there was not much seen from Orient. No saves from
Hallworth and a couple of blocked shots. It was no surprise but a huge
relief when City deservedly took the lead on 40 minutes.
In the best move of the match, Fowler was central in a passing movement
starting inside City's half which must have involved 6 or 7 players as the
ball was moved forwards, to the right side and then switched to the left with
Orient chasing shadows
until Andy Legg fired in a high cross to be met by John Williams, 12 yards
out on the far post. His header wasn't the best but it hit an Orient
defender and bounced back, Williams made no mistake firing home low. City
fans took a few seconds to realise what had happened but a celebration orgy
started. We thought City would go on to win comfortably, we should have.
Crap 1st half but great goal.
H/T Orient 0 City 1Orient took off their main
striker at half-time and all City needed to do was
consolidate for a few minutes. It was obvious Orient would come at us. So
what do we do? Concede an equaliser 4 minutes after the restart!
A terrible give-away too as Orient fired in a cross which Eckhardt blocked
for a corner. That came over and Eckhardt headed behind for another one.
This was whipped in to find Eckhardt crash his header off the top of the bar
and in the net, seemingly under little pressure, for an own goal. City fans
rightly love Jeff for his enthusiasm, commitment and goals but if his game
was truly analysed, he costs us quite a few also.
Until this happened, you really couldn't see where an Orient goal was coming
from as Mike Ford was outstanding again, Mitchell and Eckhardt were playing
well and Hallworth could really have joined us in the stand to watch the game.
It inspired Orient though and they pushed forward although I don't recall any
efforts on goal. City gradually regained their composure or would have it
wasn't for some more bizarre refereeing. The ref, Lee Cable (I wanted to
wire him in!), didn't do many favours to either side but didn't endear
himself to City in particular with some controversial and disgraceful
decisions.
The main flashpoint happened on the hour as Danny Hill went on a run across
the half-way line. He was tracked by Dave Morrison and between them, there
were pushes and nudges but the ref was happy as he allowed the game to
continue. Hill played the played wide but then, in front of the ref and
blatantly, Morrison elbowed Hill in the face. 100 times out of 100, this is
a sending off offence. Orient fans know it, we know it. Lee Cable didn't
know it as he spoke to Morrison at length then yellow carded him. However he
hadn't finished, when Danny Hill got up, he was booked too. Presumably this
for the challenge that he was happy with at the time and wouldn't have done
anything about if Morrison hadn't smacked him. Pathetic!
This lead to the ref losing control of the game for a few minutes. When he
next gave Orient a free-kick, Fowler stupidly tossed the ball away. Not far
but enough to be booked. This was an absolute needless booking that will see
him suspended for Scarborough. Madness Jason, hope Frankie fines you too and
getting yourself suspended for stupidity like that.
Next up was Jason Bowen practising for the Olympics Diving awards as every
time he was touched, he fell. A couple fo times he was chopped and Cable was
well out of order for not giving free kicks but he obviously felt Bowen was
playing up. The one time he did was embarrassing, an Orient played lashed at
him but even though he missed, Bowen dived. I was embarrassed about that one
but the O's player should at least have been booked, contact or no contact.
Then an Orient striker followed through on Hallworth cynically after he took
a high ball. The ref again didn't bother speaking to the player. Hallworth
didn't take goal-kicks for the rest of the afternoon, let's hope it didn't
worsen his knee.
The match faded as a spectacle but City finished the stronger as Danny Hill
suddenly started making forward runs. In one excellent move, he played the
ball to Bowen who flicked the ball to Carpenter 15 yards out and looking
certain to score. Chippy however rolled the ball a foot wide. 2,000 City
fans put their hands on their heads and it was nothing to do with The
Ayatollah!
Seriously, Carpenter has had a superb season although he has been on-form
recently. His goal scoring record has been a huge disappointment though,
just 1 goal with possibly his only on-target shot for City, this from someone
renowned for his midfield goals previously.
City pushed on without really creating but nearly sneaked a late winner when
Jeff Eckhardt nearly redeemed himself with a far post header that Barrett,
the busier keeper all the afternoon although not that busy himself, pushed
around the post.
Bearing in mind, 6 or 7 stoppages in the second-half and a couple were
lengthy, the ref only managed to find 2 minutes of injury time. Still City
attacked but didn't create, well we did have Dai up front didn't we?
And with the last kicks of the match, we nearly lost it. Ford seemed to slip
in the area allowing a point blank range from 4 yards. I thought the shot
hit the post but O's fans in the pub later confirmed it was shot straight at
Hallworth and a rebound was kicked into his grateful arms as the final
whistle blew.
It's so disappointing to see City limping to promotion. 3 wins, 8 draws and
13 goals in the past 13 games is mid-table not promotion form. That's more
often than we drew under Kenny Hibbitt. We only had 4 draws in the 28 games
prior to this run! However as every City fan knows, the missing factor is a
natural goalscorer. If we had one, I am certain that 4 of those draws would
be wins and we would be near certainties for the title.
As it is, we're still fighting for promotion but yet again other results have
helped. Other than Cambridge, now cruising to the title, the nearest team to
Cardiff who won this weekend were Barnet and they were in 15th place before
the day started!
Looking at things realistically, I think City need just 2 wins and a draw to
get automatic promotion in their last 5 games, possibly less, and simply
ensure we do not lose at home to Scunthorpe in 3 weeks. This is very
achievable, we're not winning but nobody looks like beating us either.
If we get 7 points from the last 5 games, the only way we will be denied is
if Scunthorpe win at least 4 games and get a draw in their last 5, Rotherham
win 6 of their last 7 and likewise for Orient who would have to score a few
more goals too.
It's going to be tense in the next months but get happy. THE BLUES ARE GOING
UP!!! I'm certain. That's all we wanted this season, just wish we did it in
a bit more style though.
Report by Soccernet.
Leyton Orient hit back to salvage a point and keep their
play-off hopes alive against title-chasing Cardiff, but they
needed an own goal from Jeff Eckhardt to earn a draw.
The giant Bluebirds defender could only watch in horror
as he headed the ball into the roof of his own net three
minutes into the second half following Matt Lockwood's
inswinging corner.
However, Eckhardt almost turned from villain to hero with
a late winner, but O's 'keeper Scott Barrett pulled off a
super one-handed stop just four minutes from time to
keep his side on level terms.
In a match that only came to life in the second half, it was
Orient, with only one win in their last six games, who then
nearly bagged all three points deep into stoppage time,
when Steve Watts crashed in an effort from close range
but Cardiff 'keeper John Hallworth pulled off a spectacular
save.
However, a draw was just about the right result, although
The O's had plenty of the play, they struggled to find a
way through a resolute visitors defence.
Indeed, the Welshmen looked well set for victory when
they grabbed the lead in the 41st minute through John
Williams.
The tall striker met Andy Legg's cross with a header that
Orient skipper Dean Smith blocked, but the ball bounced
back to the Cardiff man and Williams lashed home from
eight yards.
Apart from the goal, the first half was a sterile affair, as
the Londoners played some neat football but lacked a
genuine cutting edge, and it was the Welsh team who
fashioned the best chances up to the break.
Yet, it took almost 30 minutes before either side created a
real opening when The Bluebirds striker, Williams,
crossed from the right and Jason Fowler fired over.
Wayne O'Sullivan then sent in a 20-yard drive which
Barrett tipped over for a corner.
As the Welsh side finished the first half strongly, Fowler
shot just wide before Williams made the breakthrough on
41 minutes.
After the game, Orient's manager Tommy Taylor said:
"We played alot better in the second half. It was a bit of a
struggle early on as Cardiff passed the ball well and we
just could not get anywhere near them. But we had a lot
of the pressure in the second half and could have
snatched it right at the death when Steve Watts had a
good chance and I thought Dean Smith was brought
down in the area.
"But it would have been an injustice if Cardiff had lost the
game.". |
(Joseph R 71)