Cardiff 0 Wigan 0. Match Report

They were proved right as the sides conspired to serve up a 0-0 stalemate, the first goalless draw witnessed at Ninian Park … ever since Cardiff City played Wigan Athletic last season!

It was a game where both teams will reflect on a couple of missed chances, not many, that was always going to be decided by a moment of magic which neither team were able to produce or a horrid mistake (there were few but nobody capitalized). City had most of the play and possession but the fluency, energy and zest was never quite there – John Robinson was missed for those qualities – and they quite simply never found a the final ball to unlock Wigan in the final thirty yards.

City will be delighted with their 4th Division One clean sheet but it was Wigan’s 5th in 8 league games and there lies a story. The visitors produced a display to show exactly why they have only lost three on the road in league action over one and a half years with solid uncompromising defence (who certainly had Earnie and Thorne worked out), a midfield who protected them and a big front two who defended from the front. It meant a physical battle where Wigan’s ethos was simple, frustrating but admirable – they worked unbelievably hard behind the ball to simply ensure they gave away nothing, they gave City little time to play or create anywhere you looked – and burst hard on breaks hoping to make something happen.

Cardiff named an unchanged line up from the side that comfortably “ac-Crewe-d” (if you can use awful Crewe puns, Morris, so will I) three points after Alexandra 72 hours earlier, they certainly deserved another chance but with an injury list now extended to Whalley, Robinson, Bowen, Young, Maxwell, Gordon and Lee, Lennie simple selection task was made simpler, he had no real options.

So it was Alexander, a back four of Weston-Gabbidon-Vidmar-Barker, the midfield quartet of Langley-Kav-Boland-Bonner and Earnie-Thorne in attack, the latter taking another dose of painkillers to play through neck ligament damage.

Wigan were the best team in Division Two last season, they won the title by a mile collecting over 100 points and, so far, even though every promoted side have established themselves in Division One, they take the honours again. They came to Ninian Park second in the table, only 1 goal difference separating them from current leaders, Sheffield United.

The Latics kicked off unbeaten in 10 matches, their only defeat in league and cup action came in the opening day fixture at Millwall and they are currently the most successful away side in the country having lost just 3 of their last 30 away fixtures dating back to March 2002 – a fantastic record. Their reputation is carving out 1-0 wins, a feat they had achieved 4 times already this season but they have performed on the road this term – that Millwall loss followed by a 2-0 win at Burnley, a 3-0 success at Rotherham, a 4-2 victory at Wimbledon before they grabbed an injury time draw at Coventry last weekend.

Their line up was vastly experienced Aussie Jon Filan between the sticks (the sticks of metal, that is!), a back four of Nicky Eaden, Michael Jackson (the 2nd dirtiest – but he’s ultra-physical really - player in Div 1 according to fouls committed), Breckin and McMillan. Midfield were Peter Kennedy (sent off at Coventry), Tony Dinning, the excellent Jimmy Bullard (their version of Kav) plus Andy Liddell with a brick-outhouse strikeforce of Nathan ‘the Duke’ Ellington and Geoff Horsfield giving City’s defence an entirely different test and threat to that offered by Crewe.

On a clear, chilly evening in front of 15,143 fans including just 100 from Wigan (“Is that all you take away” sneered the Grange End but surely that’s good support considering they don’t get many more at home!) and on a pitch good enough for snooker (as they all have been in Div One, what a difference – no wonder we see more football), City tried to make the early running as Langley fired a couple of feet wide, Earnie was blocked, Filan raced out of goals top deny him and then blocked a Thorne effort. Ellington responded with a distance effort that comfortably went wide.

The game settled into a pattern with Wigan frustrating and repelling Bluebird advances through a combo of strong, physical defence but also poor City play causing moves to break down as they could not get their passing game together in the final third. Their main outlet was Richard Langley but he was having a ‘mare and he misplaced pass after pass and seemed to lose confidence to take the left back when given the chance.

Wigan, when they broke, sent 5 or 6 forward at extreme speed to try and catch City out but their best chance of a goal seemed to be giving the ball to a City defender.

Twice City nearly cocked-up as Tony Vidmar under pressure, got a nod down but Neil Alexander failed to come for the ball when shouted at, Horsfield nipped between them and fired from an angle which Alexander just turned behind, Vidmar and himself then had a heated exchange. Minutes later, Vidmar nearly scored his first City goal –an own goal – as the ball got stuck under his feet trying to sweep a cross away and was fortunate it went to Alexander with little pace.

Earnie looked very sharp but around the box, rather than in it. His run to beat the right back then cross for Thorne to powerfully head wide was the best football of the half and match (even if big screen replays showed the header was well wide) then link-up play with Langley and himself was the closest City cam all night to unlocking the visiting defence and he was next brought down near the edge of the area by Breckin in prime position for Kav or Langley.

Prime position that is until over-fussy “Premier” (Premier- my a**e!) referee Rob Styles (incredibly, in 5 previous games this season, he had sent off 5 and booked 28!!) booked Dinning and brought the free-kick forward to the edge of the area. No advantage at all as it made the chance harder, Kav’s effort predictably hit the wall and deflected wide. Mark Bonner had a couple of efforts too which gave goalkeeping practice to unsuspecting Grange End punters where they ended up.

Half-time: CITY 0 WIGAN 0

Cardiff opened the 2nd period trying to up the tempo and briefly threatened to do that as the game finally opened up - not much but enough to produce a little more action.

City tried pushing on and creating more pressure but they were unable to breakdown Wigan’s defence as a Kav blaster was blocked then Weston, having a storming 2nd half, made Filan save. As City pushed on so cagey Wigan saw chances and twice nearly – and should have - punished us as Horsfield completely turned Vidmar meeting a flick and was clear on goal but completely misfired into the Grange End then turned City again but didn’t get a shot off, Ellington who hardly featured all match reminded us what he was about as he hit a terrific snapshot on the left wing that flew wide across goal.

Overall though, it was a game that Wigan never looked look losing and City never looked like winning. Wigan manager Paul Jewell introduced attacking subs who livened them but they never really created chances. Lennie had few options – three defenders, a keeper and Andy Campbell. I think Campbell could have had an influence on the game but Lennie was never likely to bring him on unless City were comfortably ahead or behind and chasing the game. He would have been happy with the point, hoped for all three but not gamble for that, that’s his way.

There was frustration as the referee’s assistants never assisted the referee at all. Cardiff had three half-hearted penalty appeals although one did appear to be a handball from a low Weston cross and when the assistant flagged, it was wrong as, not for the first time, Ninian saw the official flag offside for a City player coming back and not interfering rather than the player about to chase the ball. When Peter Thorne was yellow carded for a great challenge after all the stick he had taken and showed his disbelief, there was plenty of empathy for him.

Late on, City had two great chances but it summed up the entire night as two defenders tangled meeting a corner, the ball dropped behind them and Thorne was first to react. The ball however fell to his wrong foot and he fired his instinctive effort over from 10 yards when the crowd was ready to rise to acclaim it. Then Richard Langley, having a better 2nd half (it couldn’t have been worse), was allowed to take a free-kick from an identical position to where he scored at Sheffield but floated the ball at least 10 yards over the bar.

Kav was awarded man of the match and it was easy to understand why but it was a game where nobody truly shone precisely because nobody was allowed to. That was a tough match, no spectacle but interesting, the draw undoubtedly fair.

It’s always said the table takes shape 10 league games into the season and Cardiff in 9th place, three points off the play-offs, is better than anyone predicted before a ball was kicked. Injuries haven’t helped but I don’t think there’s any doubt the squad needs further strengthening if they are to make a major push. However there is nobody to fear and no side have looked better than us so we’ve every right to be there and be optimistic.

Wigan meantime dropped to 3rd. They’re certainly going to remain high. They won’t let in many and won’t lose too many either but whether they can win often enough to sustain that over 46 games, I’m really not sure.

What will be interesting, and tough, is for City to sustain their position over the next 4 weeks. They have three away games – at Palace, Sunderland and Coventry – before they next appear at Ninian Park and that’s a major test against West Ham in 25 days time.