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Tuesday 16th |
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| Rotherham Pollitt Williams  Beech Garner Varty Whelan Sedgwick Thompson Fortune-West Warne Hurst Subs not used |
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Cardiff
City Hallworth O'Sullivan Legg Mitchell (Jarman 76)Eckhardt Carpenter (Bonner 80) Fowler Young Bowen Nugent Hill (Williams 75) |
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| Report by
NigelBlues. Attendance: 2,312 City fans: 200 approx Weather: Mild Pitch: Good-ish - sandy goalmouths and touchlines Rotherham is not a happy hunting ground for City and so it proved again as The Millers deservedly beat a City side who put up another disappointing (some would say, woeful) display. Perhaps it was to be expected as City have had just 1 win and 2 draws in 19 visits to Millmoor. We seem to have 91 bogey sides on our travels! Of most concern must be City's failure to score goals and a lack of penetration that apart from our excellent spell during late October until December has existed all season. This was the third time in the past 6 league games that City have failed to score. In contrast, it had only happened 5 times in our 29 league games before this. The confidence does seem to be waning from the side and Frankie needs to bring in fresh faces urgently. The evening started well enough. Most City fans congregated in The Tivoli situated right outside the ground (as were half a dozen other pubs) where the rumour factory about why George Wood has become the assistant assistant manager, who the foreign signing is (a Welshman playing abroad was mentioned), activities in the boardroom plus tomorrow's boardroom meeting. Nice pint of Guinness for those of us wanting to celebrate St Paddy's Day one day in advance. One amazing quiz question cropped up. Which City employee will earn the biggest bonuses if City get promoted and/or win the FAW Premier Cup? Allegedly, it is a certain Kenny Hibbitt thanks to Kumar's 5 year contract! If there is such a thing as a stereotypical Northern industrial town, Rotherham seemed to be it. Big chimneys, a power plant as you entered it and when you got to the ground, it was situated near a scrap yard, a factory that had been demolished and industrial arches. You kept expecting to see Mr Chalmondsley-Walmer selling programmes and fans shaking rattles or is that my surreal mind? The Tivoli seemed to be a converted ballroom, and judging by the name, it probably was. The ground had the classic features of an old stadium too. The away terrace and particularly the toilets probably have not changed much since the stadium were first built other than to make changes to suit modern day laws. As at Brighton last week however, the City support was in excellent voice and was the only noise you could hear in the ground. Chief cheerleaders was the guy who goes to away games and doesn't stop singing "Frankie Burrows Blue and White Army" all match. No prizes for guessing what he was singing but, credit to the man, he gets all the support singing along. He was aided and abetted by the brother of lister Chris Davies from Denmark - what a top man he is. With regard to the match, what is there to say? City were fairly bright with Jason Fowler very prominent again and Andy Legg giving 150% effort. A couple of chances were created but the closest City came in the first half was when Rotherham's keeper, Pollitt, kicked a clearance against Kevin Nugent and was very relieved to see it go wide. He also saved well from Bowen in City's best move of the half. As for Rotherham, they hit the woodwork (why do we say woodwork when goals are now made of metal?) twice. The first time was when a cross shot hit the angle of bar and post but a corner was given by referee, A Hall of Birmingham, who was dodgy and poor in the extreme. In fairness, he was bad for both sides. Very over fussy and he didn't help the flow of the game at all. Some decisions were bizarre. Near to half-time, a good low shot thudded against the post but, fortunately for City, two Rotherham players including one-time City target, Leo Fortune- West, charged in and tangled with each other otherwise it was a certain goal. Half-time arrived and Rotherham shaded the half but an improvement was hoped for with City. Sadly, it didn't come. Half-time entertainment was supplied courtesy of a p.a. announcement. Take a bow Huw Owen-Marketing! The booming p.a. (unlike Ninian!) announcer was totally confused when saying, "We have a strange, special half-time message for the Cardiff Listers. It is from Huw-Owen Marketing who says sorry he can't be with you tonight but his message is Cambridge are drawing nil-nil" The p.a. added in a bewildered voice, "make of that what you will". The 20 or so listers present loved it Huw! Rotherham also had a half-time raffle for a signed Cardiff City shirt. How come they get one when we don't even have this at Ninian? I bet whichever Rotherham fan won it is unbelievably happy! The second-half was totally unremarkable for City as they failed to make any headway. Sorry Frankie but Jason Bowen is played out of position and will never be a centre forward. He rarely threatened and does not linked at all with Kevin Nugent. Fans were pining for more directness and the comment, "we need Dai Thomas out there" become more frequent as the half wore on. It was getting that desperate! No City player wanted to take responsibility to run at defenders or shoot. Rotherham, by comparison, seemed to have a shoot on sight policy that would do City no harm at present. Bowen rarely threatened and does not link at all with Kevin Nugent. Andy Legg ran himself into the ground and City fans responded by chanting "Andy Legg, Legg, Legg" to the same tune as Ian Wright, Wright, Wright. He has won over even the biggest anti-Jack fans which is superb. On the right side though, Wayne O'Sullivan again failed badly to beat his opponent or get in a single cross. Problem was, he was up against another very good left sided defender by the name of Chris Beech - where have I heard of him before? The midfield did not fire. The combination of Carpenter, Hill, Fowler does not work, particularly away from home. Carpenter in particular has not played as well as he can just recently and so much revolves around him. Bonner was substitute but surely it needs either him or Middleton restored. City came closest to scoring on the hour when Kevin Nugent headed superbly from the edge of the area and hit the top of the bar. But that was the sum extent of City's efforts at goal in the half apart from the last kick of the match when Lee Jarman hit a free kick into the arms of Rotherham's keeper. The winner came on 66 minutes and was an excellent goal. After Andy Legg brilliantly headed off the line minutes earlier, a ball was poorly cleared out of defence, it fell to Sedgewick about 35 yards out and wide of goal. He ran at City, eased past 2 defenders and as he advanced into the area, curled a shot across goal and into the far corner. It was slack defending but the type of run City never produced all night and a quality strike. There was no way back for City as the game always looked like one goal would be enough for either side and so it was. Rotherham fans were heard for the first time all night (sing when you're winning) and despite all 3 substitutions coming on and changed tactics, Cardiff never looked like getting an equaliser. Yet another game and performance to forget. Since hammering Brentford in January, City have free fallen. It's now just 7 goals and 8 points from the last 8 games and is clearly not good enough. Get the new faces in now please Frankie before it's too late. But yet again, (Brentford drew at home) we still look good for promotion and nobody is doing well below us. The only consolation for City fans is that Rotherham's win took them into the play-off positions at the expense of The Jacks. So it's not all gloom and doom then! Report from Soccernet. |
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