Report from NigelBlues.
Cardiff City (1) 1 Gillingham (2) 2
Legg 20
Hessenthaler
15 seconds!
Thomson
21
Attendance: 7,608
Gillingham support: 500
Atmosphere:
Cardiff: Excellent, supported the side when clearly being outplayed and rousing in the 2nd
half particularly. Good to hear decent vocal support at home.
Gillingham: Excellent too, they were happy, understandably.
Weather: Overcast and mild
Pitch: Damp, Excellent
Despite City being 17th after this result and
having won just 4 out of 19 league games, it is still rare to admit we had player a better
than ourselves in this division. I've missed one league game this season and Stoke are the
only better team I have seen until today when City were largely outplayed by the best team
to visit Ninian in a long time. Gillinham were outstanding at times and obviously a level
above where City are currently. It shows how far the club have to progress on the pitch.
The scoreline definitely flatters City who could not be faulted for effort, and yet, the
reason for their defeat could be pinpointed on more defensive nightmares.
Cardiff came into the game buoyant with £3M of new investment whilst Gillingham fans were
gutted to lose one player, leading scorer Bob Taylor, to Man City for half that amount
yesterday. Not surprisingly, City had the novelty of naming an unchanged side although
there was a small switch on the sub's bench as Mike Ford was called up instead of Scott
Young.
With Steve Borley at their side, new Directors Michael Isaac and Clive Sullivan were
paraded to the crowd immediately before kick off holding a huge scarf in the time honoured
fashion. Wouldn't it be fun if just for a change, new faces had to sing us a song instead?
Maybe not.
As they walked back down the players tunnel, who would have believed City would be behind
before they reached their seats? Incredibly, we were one down within 15 seconds and before
any Cardiff player had touched the ball. Maybe the quickest goal ever at a Cardiff City
match and it was horrid to watch.
Gillingham kicked off played the ball wide, a punt upfield was flicked on and Hessenthaler
was through the middle and clear on goal. City's defence were nowhere and the supposed
backtracking midfielders forgot their duties. Hessenthaler flicked the ball into the
corner of the net from 15 yards.
City were totally stunned and lucky not to fall further behind as Gills rained efforts on
goal but shots and headers were going just over, wide or saw Hallworth make a couple of
saves. At times, City seemed like spectators as Gillingham were first to the ball, their
movement and passing was hurting City.
Cardiff however equalised on 20 minutes against the run of play, the scorer, Andy Legg,
was easily our best player on the park, possibly in both sides. I'm still not sure how it
went it though! Having won a corner, Carpenter played a short ball to Legg who was wide on
the angle of the penalty area. He instinctively smacked a hard and low cross cum shot. It
was a blistering effort that a shock to see it fly across the goalmouth and straight into
the opposite corner.
City's support roared, a mix of joy and relief. It was the lift everyone needed and there
was a feeling that Cardiff would now raise their game. However, City, time and again, seem
to fail in home matches where the support returns to Ninian, last season being the first
exception in a long time. Today was 'back to normal' but nobody expected the next twist
which happened within a minute of the goal.
Russell Perrett is getting match fit, improving all the time (and getting over the
interesting option offered for his surname when spellchecker is used on your p.c.'s)
always seems to look suspect in one on ones. He tried to manoeuvre the ball past
Hessanthaler but he intercepted and was away again. In desperation whilst chasing back,
Perrett tugged his shoulder. Hessanthaler made the most of it and crashed to the ground.
Although the most innocuous challenge which may not even earn free kicks in other areas of
the pitch, it was obvious what would happen next. 20 mins, Perrett, red card, off.
The Bob Bank booed the ref (who seemed happy collecting City autographs on yellow cards
through the game but failed to caution Gills players for similar offences) but Mark Warren
had undoubtedly made the right decision, much as it hurt, and prevented the match being a
spectacle.
As if City hadn't made things hard enough, they next made it impossible as Gillingham
regained the lead within 2 minutes of the sending off but where was the defending? A
corner across goal was met by two clean headers, no City player near the ball, and the
final flicked header by Thomson went a fraction under the bar with Hallworth motionless.
As superb as Gillingham were, you could pull your hair out watching City. Just ask Mike
Morris. When all was said and done, the game was lost by conceding goals straight from
kick off and then getting a man sent off and conceding another soft goal within moments of
equalising. It is naive.
As usual, City were giving us a rollercoaster ride, after all the highs of the last week,
it was mainly back to earth today. City's game seemed to fall apart. Gillingham were a
class act but it was criminal watching City give the ball away nearly every time they took
possession, Tony Vaughan being the biggest culprit but he smartened up in the second half.
Frankie introduced an understandable substitution on 25 minutes with Mike Ford replacing
Matt Brazier. You had to feel sorry for Brazier but by pushing Legg up and City having a
flat back four, the balance was better for these circumstances. But why didn't Frankie do
it immediately after the sending off rather than wait 5 minutes and see us go behind
again?
City got to half time without further damage but with Bowen and Humphreys shut out of the
game and anonymous, it was hard to see a way back. The fears were that Gillingham were
going to give us a hammering.
H/T City 1 Gillingham 2
The second half saw huge commitment from City and Gillingham still looking impressive but
the main action of the game had already happened in the first 22 minutes.
On 50 minutes, shortly after a header without power on goal, our only effort on target
other than the goal, Richie Humphreys was substituted for Roberts. A quick word with Frank
and he was sent down the tunnel, presumably with some sort of injury. He was unable to
follow up his outstanding efforts at Colchester. Roberts gave it everything but never had
a sniff in the penalty area.
Jon Hallworth yet again gave City palpitations at the back. If City have a Christmas
shopping list, a new goalkeeper must be top of it. It's happening way too often this
season and just cannot be allowed to continue, Hallworth has been superb for City but is
now a "spent" goalie and a liability to the team. Nobody doubts his shotstopping
but his failure to leave his line, such a basic requirement but one he is clearly unable
to perform, gives no assurance to the defence.
In the second half, it was scary to watch him refuse to leave his line for simple things
such as stop an effort rolling across goal. A less than brilliant backheader which saw a
Gillingham player dummy the ball saw Hallworth scrambling across goal to push the ball
away. He also managed to let one Gillingham forward get around him and play the ball
across goal thankfully for no reward but how did he let that happen? Gillingham fans loved
it all and chanted "dodgy keeper". I couldn't resist and joined in with them on
this one!
Ten minutes from time, a Gillingham player tried to chip Hallworth from 30 yards. One
spectator shouted, "that's the only way you won't score against him, he's never out
of goal". He had a point.
City never looked remotely like equalising but you had to credit the way they battled. It
was rousing and so was the support in the second half especially with all parts of the
ground singing. The support again showed how much passion there is for the club, few other
clubs would have their fans cheering the side on in these circumstances. Gillingham by
contrast were chanting. "it's just like watching Brazil" as their excellent
passing and movement continued. City were a much tighter unit in the 2nd half, lead
admirably by Ford and Legg. Gillingham remained bright could not capitalise.
Frank Burrows had a hard job but was he negative today or what? Why we waited until there
were less than 10 minutes remaining to introduce Danny Hill, the only player likely to
give City an edge, only he can explain. He failed to alter the formation or commit more
players forward in the closing stages too, seemingly more worried at avoiding a bigger
defeat rather than pinch a draw. It worked as the game became sterile but, as the home
team in front of a bigger and expectant support, it was up to City to change the game and
they didn't.
At the final whistle, City were deservedly applauded off. They gave it their best but it
was unfortunate that we had to play an outstanding Gillingham side on top of their game,
they are now unbeaten in 10 games. City had showed huge hearts to compete over the 90
minutes. Ultimately however, it takes more than that to win games and challenge for
promotion. Gillingham would have won comfortably if it was 11 versus 11. It shows there is
still a long way to go at Ninian to get things right. Thankfully, the new investment
together with the undoubted ambitions of the current Chairman and Board will mean that
it's possible.
Don't lose heart, we'll be back! We've also only got to play Gillingham once more this
season!
Report from Sports.com
Cardiff City's mini-revival came to a shuddering halt as The Bluebirds had
their wings clipped by high-flying Gillingham at Ninian Park. The game turned on a
dramatic four-minute, first-half spell when City equalised a shock opening minute goal,
then had defender Russell Perrett sent off and were then stunned by a second Gillingham
goal.
Ten-man Cardiff made more of a game of it after the break but rarely looked capable of
unlocking a well-drilled defence as Gillingham's unbeaten run was stretched to double
figures.
Cardiff's would-be buyer Clive Sullivan, brother of millionaire publisher David, had
hardly settled into his seat after being introduced to the crowd when Gillingham took the
lead - after just 15 seconds.
The ball was played forward to Nayron Nosworthy, whose overhead kick sent in Andy
Hessenthaler and from just inside the area, he beat the helpless Jon Hallworth with a
delicate right-foot shot.
Four minutes later, it was nearly 2-0 but this time the Cardiff keeper managed to tip
skipper Paul Smith's drive over the bar.
Cardiff were all at sea and gave the ball away far too easily but equalised against the
run of play in the 18th minute. Richard Carpenter's short corner from the left was
hammered across goal by wing-back Andy Legg and the ball flashed into the far corner of
the Gillingham net.
But almost immediately, City shot themselves in the foot. Perrett was sent off for hauling
down Hessenthaler just outside the box and three minutes later Cardiff paid dearly for his
reckless professional foul.
Hessenthaler's corner from the right was headed goalwards by Guy Butters for Andy Thomson
to head past Hallworth from close range.
City replaced Matt Brazier with club captain Mike Ford to restore their shape at the back
as the Gills threatened to run riot. Their slick, first-time passing was always a threat
and ten minutes before the break, Roland Edge's shot was superbly kept out by Hallworth.
New boy Richie Humphreys, making his home debut, had little chance to add to his
spectacular brace of goals at Colchester in midweek and was withdrawn five minutes into
the second half.
With man-of-the-match Legg driving forward from the midfield and substitute Christian
Roberts injecting pace into their attack, City battled bravely to salvage a point.
The hard-working Hessenthaler and Smith made sure the Gills were always in control, but
the visitors wasted a series of promising opportunities to put the result beyond doubt
throughout the second half. |
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