That is one of the few positives from of the poorest matches and frustrating Cardiff City performances seen at Ninian Park for a long time.
City fans' had their first taste of real "Soccer Sunday" this season and found it mirrored the HTV programme of the same name. Not much production, poor direction, shoddy quality direction, something looked forward to but best forgotten. In keeping with the Sunday theme, the atmosphere was like church Sunday Service too. Have 13,000 Ninian fans ever been so quiet and apathetic watching events unfold on the pitch?
The game was regarded as a home banker. It never works like that but we had every right to expect a lot more and a lot better than what was seen.
Chesterfield, managed by ex-Jack defender Dave Rushbury (every team we play seems to have one somewhere!) came to Ninian Park in a reasonable 10th place and knowing a win would put them level on points with QPR currently occupying a play off berth ... but they had no current form at all.
A solitary win in their last 7 league games, five consecutive away league and cup defeats, only 4 goals scored away in the league all season (easily the worst tally) and, most humiliating of all, a home defeat to non-league Morecambe in the F.A. Cup last weekend. Club unrest resulted in a showdown meeting last week with the fans and their players who were left in no doubt about the perception of their recent performances and attitude.
Cardiff City had some problems too as Danny Gabbidon's back injury, surely not helped by the midweek Welsh journey to Azerbaijan, kept him absent. Chris Barker had Lennie's nod to deputise as a centre-half, the rest of the side was the same line up that has appeared in league action. Despite making good claims for a starting chance, Martyn Margetson, Des Hamilton and Jason Bowen in particular all had to settle for more subs bench warming action. With a punishing schedule of 3 games in 6 days just starting, there is no doubt they will get action as the week progresses.
It wasn't just the Sunday feeling that contributed to the subdued atmosphere, Ali the usual tannoy announcer is currently directing episodes of EastEnders. He can probably claim to be the only City fan to see any meaningful action and drama this weekend. His stand-in did the job but with no thrills, a bit like the team.
The weather was good but did the recent rain affect City so badly or were they playing in slippers? The most astonishing feature of the opening 15 minutes was how many times City players fell, slipped and struggled to turn while their opponents seemed to have few problems in comparison. As the game went on, you began to notice that most slips were on the Grandstand side of the pitch which doesn't dry as quickly because it gets less sun and light and with City attacking the Canton end and overloading the left, it didn't help. The pitch was green and grassy and held firm (unlike the Millenium Stadium for our egg chasing cousins eh?) but must have been greasy on top.
City made a terrible start. The first time they put more than two passes together was for the opening goal on 12 minutes and the first time they played passing, flowing football was after 25 minutes. At the end of that spell, we didn't deserve to be ahead and survived some outrageous luck, most of the problems caused by City's own play.
On 10 minutes, the n-n-n-n-nervous N-n-n-n-n-Neil Alexander, having a personal nightmare which seemed to p-hysically drain his confidence charged out to meet a through ball. He came too far and found himself outside the area so shakily juggled the ball on his thoughs before passing to Layton Maxwell, another to have a stinker. Maxwell's only option with back to goal was to smash the ball away but he tried to control and dispossessed.
The ball ran to Hurst with Alexander still at the edge of his area with a couple of defenders but he placed wide with the goal gaping. From the goal-kick, Alexander was at it again as he messed up a back pass and the same player fired wide again, slightly more difficult this time.
Ninian was jittery and so were the team. When they got forward and Andy Legg prepared to launch a long throw only Earnie and Thorne went in the penalty area. But Spencer Prior, perhaps the only one to impress in the early stages, nearly met a Boland through ball.
On 12 minutes, it was all smiles and happiness as City went ahead, arguably against the run of play. Peter Thorne did brilliantly to win a ball in the air and flick on, Earnie did just as well to run into space wide to get it and flick back to Boland whose measured ball to the far post was met with perfection by PETER THORNE to climb above his marker and cushion a majestic header past the static Carl Muggleton (on loan at City 2 seasons ago) into the top right corner from where the cross came.
How Chesterfield never equalised within the next 10 minutes I'll never know. Two minutes after the restart, Chris Brandon (who along with Chesterfield's centre half Blatherwick were the best players on the park) superbly spun and turned Gary Croft inside the area, cut past another and blasted straight at Alexander with the goal exposed. N--n-n-n-n-nervous N-n-n-n-n-neil dropped the ball, let it squeeze between his legs and as players closed in, a srambled ensued. There was an argument over whether the ball had crossed the line, it was hard to tell but. The only thing the ref seemed to decide was that it didn't but why did Alexander restart with a goal kick???
More agony came on 21 minutes as outstanding interplay between Brandon and Hurst ripped City open through the middle. Hurst tried to get around Barker and was brought down for the most obvious penalty I've seen anywhere this season. The ref, Mr Beeby, was also perhaps lenient in not even talking to Barker. He was the last defender stopping someone who would have been clear on goal, he could easily have been red carded.
Neil Alexander has faced a few penalties for City and I don't recall him ever saving one yet and in his nervous state, my money was on Brandon. Alexander seemed to help him by diving a touch early giving him the entire middle and right side of goal to aim at but Brandon got in a pickle! His kick was one of the worst penalties I've ever seen.
It didn't just go a fraction wide, it almost found its way into the away fan section tucked away in the corner of the Grange End! It ended towards the back to the no mans land between home and away fans. The cheers and laughter by City fans took a while to die down.
No wonder Chesterfield have scored so few away goals this season and, being objective, for all their justifiable claims about how they did enough to earn at least a draw and criticism of City's display, Chesterfield only gave Neil Alexander two more saves in the entire game, both late on. City were hardly better though.
Cardiff's finally settled to some composed football with some good passing but it was very disjointed and they could never maintain it. Kav had a good game but Maxwell probably had his worst match in a City shirt. He got into the side for his drive and energy but where was it today? He was slow, ponderous and just knocked balls sideways or backwards finding red shirts as frequently as his own blue ones. Twice, City created openings for him but he fatally hesitated or tried to check inside and wasted chances. His confidence seemed as shaky as Alexander's.
The rest of the half (and match) was awful. For City, Thorne had a header which Muggleton saved, Kav won 4 successive corners but no City player could get on them and there were a couple of half chances, nothing worth writing about so I won't.
For Chesterfield, a close range header went harmlessly wide on half time and a free-kick from 25 yards went into the middle of the wall. It was nervous stuff that no doubt had some fans wishing they had stayed home to watch whatever repeats were on telly, visit relatives or stayed in to do some d.i.y. instead.
On second thoughts, nothing that's bad !!
Half-time: CITY 1 CHESTERFIELD 0
There really is very little that can be said about the 2nd period. The first half saw City play as badly as they have in any 45 minutes of action this season but at least we had some thrills, spills and a goal to talk and shout about. The 2nd half saw a better City (not much but better) and composed too as they took the sting out of Chesterfield but there was very little else to commend. To saw it was poor entertainment would be praising it too highly.
Everyone was nervous that Chesterfield would equalise but City held firm. It also showed, once again, how the home support has matured. As deathly quiet as it was, there were no boos, no audible or visible criticism or any sign of anyone getting on the players backs. Of course, there was always the possibility that we had all been bored into a Sunday afternoon nap.
You get the picture by now so I'll keep it brief.
Cardiff City failed to give Carl Muggleton a single shot to save in the entire half. Every cross or corner or shot was blocked or overhit or wide and there weren't a fantastic number of them to recall anyway. Things got so desparate that Kav tried to shoot for goal from a 20 yard free kick that was way too wide to cause any damage and, like many this season, sent it tamely into the stands behind goal. The style wasn't pleasing, it was long ball and those crosses were mostly from deep which is why it is no surprise so many were headed away.
Layton Maxwell was replaced on 65 minutes by Disco Des Hamilton who, not for the first time, injected some more life and energy into proceedings, he has more presence. Andy Campbell appeared for Earnie for the final 10 minutes. Earnie ran and worked hard but not quite at his usual sharpness. He tried, sometimes over-tried but he was well marshalled by Blatherwick and it was one of those games when none of his touches and turns seemed to come off.
Andy Campbell should have made it 2-0 and killed the game with 2 minutes remaining after a superb Peter Thorne turn on halfway made it two against two, he advanced and only passed when Campbell found space. Campbell took the pass well inside the area facing Muggleton but managed to hit the bar from 8 yards to induce 13,000 fans into anguish.
For the Spirites, the only significant efforts were headers from set pieces with 15 and 7 minutes remaining, both held by Alexander. The latter take was a redeeming save to get across to the far post and hold a firm downward header. He had more 2nd half nerves though, he seemed too afraid to kick upfield with the greasy surface, and once fell running out of goal forcing Barker to desperately sweep away.
Chesterfield though had largely run out of steam and ideas although there were several instances of City defenders getting in great challenges. Along with Willie Boland now working like a demon in midfield to close and harry them, they never found the time and space they seemed to enjoy when Maxwell was on the field.
Very few Cardiff players emerged with credit, let's just be relived we get out of it with the three points. There were some impressive facts though. It was City's
City's 7th successive home league win and the 4th successive home clean sheet too. Crewe and Stockport are the only visitors to have scored at Ninian Park in the last 8 home league games.
Defence showed why today. They weren't fantastic but solid enough after that poor start. Rhys Weston and Prior got in some great tackles. Prior did enough for me to win man of the match, he made sure he was first to the ball every time it was anywhere near him, but Chris Barker got it from the sponsors (still not sure why) and Willie Boland got it from a new serice where fans can phone a nominated number for each player costing 5p until 5 minutes before the end of a match (Boland as a choice was much easier to understand).
Midfield has been a problem area of this team most of the season and they're doing little to change anyone's view of that. Boland was great, Kav played very well too, Leggy showed great composure on the ball but, as a unit, they still fail to dominate as they should and have never been as effective as the Boland-Kav-Bonner axis from last season. With Bonns now back and getting closer to full fitness, perhaps it's a matter of time before we return to that.
Peter Thorne was in and out of the match but most of our best moments came from his runs, headers and distribution.
It was a battle, anugly one at that, but we won. Promotion teams show their mettle by getting through these sort of games but home fans have a right to entertainment and we're seeing a few too many games of this nature in recent times.
The surest sign of how unsatisfying today was came after the match. I couldn't even be bothered to go to the pub for a celebratory pint and went straight home. That's worse than saying the Pope didn't bother praying today!
Report from FootyMad.
A 12th minute header from Cardiff striker Peter Thorne secured three points for his side as they climbed to second place in the table.
Thorne outjumped Kevin Dawson at the far post and planted a firm header into the top left-hand corner of Carl Muggelton's goal.
However, had Chris Brandon scored a 21st minute penalty then this game could have slipped away from the Bluebirds.
Chesterfield were awarded their penalty after Chris Barker had blatantly tripped Glynn Hurst just inside the box.
But Brandon sent his penalty high and wide of Neil Alexander's goal and with it went Chesterfield's best chance of getting anything out of this game.
City were far from impressive and the visitors will feel more than aggrieved that they didn't get anything out of this game. Only a superb save from City keeper Alexander with five minutes remaining helped secure three points for the Bluebirds.
Andy Campbell had a late chance to make it two but he smashed his shot off the crossbar and following the far from convincing 1-0 victory, Bluebirds manager Lennie Lawrence was a relieved man.
He said: "Credit to Chesterfield they came he with a system that caused us problems and they could've got something out of this game.
"If they score the first-half penalty then the game takes on a very different complexion. But they didn't and we ground out the win.
"It wasn't pretty but these are the types of game we need to win if we are to go up this year.
"We defended badly and they attacked well but they just couldn't get the goal."Chesterfield manager Dave Rushbury was left to rue the first-half missed penalty.
He said: "I thought we deserved at least a point from the game. If the penalty goes in then it becomes a completely different game. But he didn't and that's the way it goes.
"I fully expected him to score, he's already scored two this season but for some reason he missed the target.
"I don't attach any blame to him though as that's just the way football goes."
External reports
BBC (inc audio)
The Western Mail