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Derby fight back to secure draw against spirited Cardiff Derby fight back to secure draw against spirited Cardiff
(about 1 hour later)
Whomever the Cardiff owner Vincent Tan appoints as the Bluebirds’ new manager, be it Paul Hartley, Neil Lennon, Dave Jones, the unlikely current favourite Russell Slade or AN Other, the new man will find a squad that does not lack spirit. After seeing his side win at Scunthorpe, the Leyton Orient manager Russell Slade said he “thought” Cardiff City had made an approach requesting permission to talk to him about taking over, and if the former PE teacher does get the job, it will offer an extraordinary opportunity for a coach who has spent his career in lower league and non-league football.
What it does appear to lack, however, is the nous to close out a game after taking what should have been a decisive lead. Scoring twice in four minutes shortly after the break should have been enough to give City three points, but Derby fought back with a determination and invention that bodes well for their chances of promotion this season. As the Derby manager Steve McClaren pointed out after seeing the Rams mount a stirring fightback after conceding twice in the space of four minutes at the start of the second half, the game is about players, and no matter what has gone on, Cardiff’s squad is full of them.
Having lost only one of their nine games in all competitions this season, and won away at Blackburn in midweek, Steve McClaren’s Derby were unchanged, in contrast to their visitors. After the run of five games without a win that saw the difference in footballing philosophies, as Ole Gunnar Solksjaer carefully put it, between owner and manager grow to sufficient proportions to prompt the former Manchester United striker’s departure, the Cardiff caretaker managers Scott Young and Danny Gabbidon made three changes to the starting line-up beaten by Middlesbrough. “They’ll move up the table, they’ll be there at the end of the season, they’ll get a good manager in, and with the squad they’ve got they’ll be there or thereabouts,” predicted McLaren.
Significantly perhaps, they were able to bring in the winger Craig Noone for his first appearance of the season after recovering from a groin injury. Solksjaer had been anticipating Noone’s availability with some impatience, suggesting the 26-year-old’s creative ability made him an “£8m player”, and it was Noone who won the early free-kick that Anthony Pilkington curled into the box and Aron Gunnarsson headed just over the bar. For Danny Gabbidon and Scott Young, the club coaches asked to take charge on a temporary basis after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left Cardiff on Thursday, there was justified, albeit red-eyed, pride in a performance of considerable character from the visitors.
It was a better chance than it looked, but not as good as Chris Martin’s soon afterwards. Played in by a smart Will Hughes pass, the Derby striker tried to lift it over David Marshall, but the City goalkeeper made a fine block. “I don’t think either of us have slept much in the last couple of days, it’s felt like a month,” said Gabbidon after this draw. “We changed one or two things at half-time, scored two great goals, and though it’s a bit disappointing to then only draw, we couldn’t fault the workrate and desire. That was the main thing we wanted.”
A standing ovation in the tenth minute marked the tenth anniversary of the death of Brian Clough, and the great manager would have appreciated the interaction between Hughes, Martin, Simon Dawkins and Jamie Ward as Derby tested Cardiff’s resilience. Marshall produced another fine save when Ward seized on Cyrus Christie’s uncleared cross, cut inside and shot from close range. Young said they would speak to the Cardiff owner Vincent Tan either on Saturday evening or on Sunday, but they had begun the process of preparing the team for Tuesday’s Capital One Cup tie against Bournemouth.
A couple of long-range efforts from Pilkington and Noone, both inaccurate, aside, the rest of the half was played inside the Cardiff half. While Derby enjoyed the considerable majority of possession, however, and the pace of Dawkins and, in particular, Ward carried a threat, the lack of clear cut chances created must have concerned McClaren. A standing ovation in the tenth minute marked the tenth anniversary of the death of Brian Clough, and one sensed the great manager would have appreciated the interaction between Will Hughes, Chris Martin, Simon Dawkins and Jamie Ward as Derby tested Cardiff’s resilience throughout the first half. As Gabbidon acknowledged, the visitors sat too deep, and their goalkeeper David Marshall had to make several fine saves, notably from Martin and Ward.
He would have been a good deal more concerned ten minutes into the second half though. Having seen his shot deflected just wide after being set up by Pilkington, Gunnarsson was in the right place to hook the ball in after Matthew Connolly headed the subsequent corner – also taken by Pilkington – back across goal. Having seen his side enjoy almost 75% possession, McClaren said he was unconcerned at going in level at half-time, feeling it was only a matter of time before they made the breakthrough, and admitted to disbelief at being two down in the 55th minute.
McClaren made a change, replacing Dawkins with Jordon Ibe, but moments later the Rams were two down. Kenwyne Jones demonstrated his strength to win possession, Pilkington teed up the ball, and Peter Whittingham crashed an angled volley high past the County goalkeeper Lee Grant. First Aron Gunnarsson was in the right place to hook the ball in after Matthew Connolly headed Anthony Pilkington’s corner back across goal, and then Kenwyne Jones demonstrated his strength to win possession, Pilkington teed up the ball, and Peter Whittingham crashed an angled volley high past County goalkeeper Lee Grant.
Ibe had yet to touch the ball, but the young Liverpool loanee did so decisively just moments after the restart, controlling Christie’s pull-back, and curling a low shot beyond Marshall as he dived to his left and into the corner of the goal. McClaren had brought Jordon Ibe on immediately after the first goal, and the young Liverpool loanee had not touched the ball when his side went two down, but he did so decisively just moments after the restart, controlling Christie’s pull-back, and curling a low shot beyond Marshall as he dived to his left and into the corner of the goal.
It was rich fare after the one-sided sterility of the first half, and McLaren must have found it hard to digest as the play continued to swing from one end of the pitch to the other. Steadily, however, Derby’s pressure began to increase. Shortly after the substitute Johnny Russell had stung Marshall’s hands with a crisply hit half-volley, the City goalkeeper could only watch as Craig Bryson’s powerful effort flew past him, hit the inside of his far post, and rebounded over the line. It was rich fare after the one-sided sterility of the first half, and McLaren must have found it hard to digest as the play swung from end to end, but Derby’s pressure began to increase.
Shortly after the substitute Johnny Russell had stung Marshall’s hands with a crisply hit half-volley, the Cardiff goalkeeper could only watch as Craig Bryson’s powerful effort flew past him, hit the inside of his far post, and rebounded over the line.