Match Report: Cardiff City 2-1 Ipswich Town

Cardiff City scored twice in injury time to defeat the Blues 2-1 at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Town, looking to win seven games in a row in the second tier for the first time since 1989, took the lead through former Bluebird Kieffer Moore and were on course for three points, which would have returned them to second place, until home skipper Ryan Wintle struck on 95 and Callum O’Dowda scored the winner in the tenth minute of added time.

Town made three changes from Tuesday’s 3-2 win over Bristol City, bringing in Harry Clarke, Wes Burns, and Jeremy Sarmiento.

Clarke, making his 50th league appearance for his hometown club, replaced Axel Tuanzebe at right-back; Cardiff fan Burns, who was released by the Bluebirds as a schoolboy, replaced Omari Hutchinson on the right; and Sarmiento replaced Marcus Harness on the left, with all three players dropping out of the starting lineup, along with Nathan Broadhead, who returned from a thigh injury.

Cardiff made two changes, swapping Emmanouil Siopis for Joe Ralls and Yakou Meite for Diedhiou.

Moore, Town’s former Bluebirds striker, had the first shot on goal in the second minute, but his stooping effort from Clarke’s cross was too near to Ethan Horvath in the home goal.

Cardiff forced the game’s first significant save three minutes later, with David Turnbull cutting onto his right foot and hitting a shot from just outside the area that moved across Vaclav Hladky in the air, and the keeper, who was also making his 50th league appearance for the club, did well to palm the ball wide.

The Welsh side got much closer after taking a corner. Cameron Burgess’ flicked headed clearance barely reached Josh Bowler beyond the far post, where the former Hull City winger sent a low shot that Hladky palmed into the crowded six-yard box. Perry Ng was first to it and appeared to score, but it bounced off his shin and Moore cleared from in front of the line. A later Bowler attempt was also thwarted.

The Bluebirds continued to threaten, with their fans rallying behind them. On eight, Josh Wilson-Esbrand came in from the left, but Luke Woolfenden was able to close him down and block.

Two minutes later, Burns burst down the right and crossed for Moore, whose deft heel-flick at the near post hit the stanchion, much to the delight of his former supporters, who had booed his every touch, presumably due to the Wales international’s decision to join the Blues on loan in January rather than return home.

Following a brief period of Town control, the Bluebirds attacked again, expertly working Bowler space on the right side of the box, but the wideman’s effort was too close to Hladky, who mishandled the ball into the air before claiming on the second try.

On the quarter-hour mark, Sam Morsy was fortunate to avoid a booking after sliding in on Siopis as the Greek midfielder approached the area and failing to win the ball; however, referee Oliver Langford ruled that he had, much to the chagrin of the home fans.

Cardiff maintained their lead, and in the 22nd minute, Karlen Grant whipped over a curling cross from the left that went just beyond Turnbull at the far post.

As the game approached the half-hour mark, Town gained control of the game, seeing the majority of the ball and moving into advantageous positions. Conor Chaplin glanced back across goal to Moore, who headed into a dangerous area but was too close to a defender, colliding with Sarmiento and requiring treatment; Burns was sent away on the right, but his cross went behind the goal.

The Blues continued to dominate the game, and on 43, Burns was played on the right and passed back to Chaplin. Town’s 12-goal top scorer swiveled and attempted a shot that was blocked. Woolfenden’s subsequent strike went high and wide.

In injury time, Horvath was forced to head clear from just outside his area, finding Moore, who passed it on to Massimo Luongo, making his 50th start for the club in two spells, who in turn passed it to Sarmiento, who attempted to break into the area but was stabbed back to the keeper by a defender.

Grant pushed the ball forward into the left side of the box just before the whistle, but shot over, clearly frustrated.

For the majority of the opening half hour, the Bluebirds appeared to be the more dangerous team, and Ng had a golden opportunity to put them ahead after Hladky saved Bowler’s attempt.

However, in the final quarter of an hour, the Blues began to gain control of the game without producing a significant chance or forcing Horvath to make a stop.

Meanwhile, Grant’s late effort at the finish demonstrated that Cardiff could still pose a threat from the other end.

Neither side threatened in the early stages of the half, and the game was halted for a lengthy period on 53 when Moore and Dimitrios Boutas collided on midway while attempting a chipped Leif Davis ball. The Town striker got a cut to the head and was bandaged.

Town’s first chance of the second half came in the 64th minute, when Burgess flicked on a Clarke long throw from the right and Moore hooked a shot wide, definitely off a defender, but referee Langford awarded a goal kick.

Aside from that, the Blues had posed little threat during the break, and as Cardiff prepared to resume, Broadhead and Hutchinson replaced Sarmiento and Chaplin.

Town began to hold possession for extended periods of time, and in the 74th minute, Morsy fired a 20-yard shot straight at Horvath.

Cardiff replaced Meite and Turnbull with Rubin Colwill and O’Dowda two minutes later, then Burns and Luongo with Harness and Jack Taylor on 77.

Within a minute of the changeover, Hutchinson cut in from the right and curled a shot that Horvath blocked.

However, the Blues were gaining momentum, with Cardiff struggling to clear the second corner.

And, in the 79th minute, Town seized the lead. Harness passed the ball wide to Moore on the left side of the box, and the former Cardiff player took it outside Nat Phillips and fired a low effort that curved away from Horvath and went perfectly inside the post.

Moore refused to celebrate his sixth goal in eight starts and one substitute appearance against his previous club, despite earlier booing from his former fans.

Cardiff made another change to try to get back into the game, with Diedhiou replacing Bowler in the 84th minute.

The Blues removed striker Moore in the 89th minute to a standing ovation from the travelling fans and boos from the Cardiff crowd. Moore, who was replaced by Ali Al-Hamadi, smiled as he applauded across the stadium.

Referee Langford had kept his cards in his pockets throughout the game, but as the game entered the last eight minutes, Hladky was booked for time-wasting while preparing to take a goal kick.

Cardiff were taking the game to the Blues and three minutes into added-on time, they really should have levelled. Colwill’s cross from the right clipped a Town defender on its way over and reached O’Dowda at the far post from where the Irishman turned it over the bar. It came at an awkward height but nevertheless, O’Dowda should still have scored.

But the home pressure continued and five minutes into injury time, they did equalise. O’Dowda headed a right-wing cross back across goal, Burgess failed to get enough on the clearance and skipper Wintle slammed a low shot through a crowd of players and into the net.

Having got back on terms, the Bluebirds maintained their pressure with the Blues appearing to have run out of steam.

And in the 10th minute of injury time, they won it. The Welshmen won a corner on the right, which Town felt should have been a free-kick for a foul on Davis.

The ball was floated in and fell loose, Ng hooked to the far post and O’Dowda smashed into the roof of the net to send the home fans wild.

There wasn’t time for Town to hit back and referee Langford’s whistle confirmed the Blues’ fifth league defeat of the season.

Having gone in front, Town appeared to have the game won but they were put under significant pressure by the home side in the lengthy injury time, caused by the clash of heads involving Moore and Goutas, with the Blues looking unusually tired at the end, Town having made a habit of finishing games strongly this season, scoring a number of late goals in recent matches.

Cardiff had presented little threat in the second half until going behind but the Blues were faced with wave after wave of attacks in injury time and might have conceded prior to the first Bluebirds goal.

The Town defence won’t want to look back at the defending for the two goals, although there was a clear question mark surrounding the corner which led to the second.

The Blues are now third following Leeds’ 2-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday last night with leaders Leicester in action at Hull City later this afternoon.

Cardiff City: Horvath, Ng, Goutas, Phillips, Wilson-Esbrand, Siopis, Wintle (c) (Ralls 98), Turnbull (R Colwill 76), Bowler (Diedhiou 84), Grant, Meite (O’Dowda 76). Unused: Turner, Romeo, Collins, Tanner, Ashford.

Town: Hladky, Clarke, Woolfenden, Burgess, Davis, Morsy (c), Luongo (Taylor 77), Burns (Harness 77), Chaplin (Hutchinson 66), Sarmiento (Broadhead 66), Moore. Unused: Walton, Tuanzebe, Travis, Al-Hamadi, Jackson. Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands).