CARDIFF CITY (0) 2
Loovens 52
Chopra 74
DERBY COUNTY (0) 2
Howard 66
Barnes 90
ATTENDANCE:
17,371
DERBY TRAVELLING SUPPORT:
1,000
WEATHER:
Grey skies, heavy rain in morning
THE ‘You're The Man' AWARD to:
We didn't win because of Chopra's misses but what a fantastic goal he scored, his all-round game was fantastic. Although we're talking about Cardiff, I also thought Derby's on-loan forward Lupoli was a strong 2nd half threat and nuisance to our defence.
THE “You're Not Very Good” BOOT goes to:
Neither Chambers or McNaughton shone at right and left back, McNaughton visibly short of fitness and the McPhail/Scimeca midfield combo had a rare off day, McPhail quite anonymous..
ATMOSPHERE:
From City - 1st half subdued at times - little wonder with what we were witnessing, 2nd half excellent..
From Derby - they are well supported at home, not as raucous as us but one of the few clubs who get close with their home backing.
THE TEAMS:
CARDIFF- Chops was back from a one game ban, Glombardi thankfully went from starting place to out of the 16 altogether, Gilbert started a 3 match suspension, McNaughton was back after injury and Chambers switched from left to right which gave us Alexander, Chambers-Loovens-Purse-McNuaghton, Parry-Scimeca-McPhail-Ledley, Thompson-Chopra. Subs were Howard, Campbell, Flood, Johnson and Kamara.
DERBY- Billy Davies left Preston for Derby and hasn't found it easy but he has a team who perform well away with 4 wins and struggle at home with just 1 win. As their style was a counterattacking game, it was soon easy to see how their results have worked that way. The Rams' away wins have come at Hull, Wolves, Sheff Weds but with their last 4 games reading WLWL, finding overall consistency has to be their key.
Their side for this game, starting 4-3-3, were Bywater, Edworthy-Camara-Leacock-Johnson (Michael), Oakley-Bisgaard-Johnson (Seth), Lupoli-Howard-Stead.
Stephen Bywater holds the distinction of spending a month on-loan with City with ever getting on the field, kept out by Neil Alexander in 2002. Seth Johnson is probably the founder member of the Peter Ridsdale Leeds United Appreciation Society after our new chairman lost the plot by splashing out a £7M transfer fee and £7M in wages over 4 years at £37,000 a week for 43 average games. Matt Oakley was briefly linked with City over the summer and ex-Liverpool man Morten Bisgaard made up the midfield. Strikers were the brick outhouse Steve Howard signed from Luton (after City were rumoured to be offering £500k and doubling his wages - I don't believe it either), Jonathan Stead who didn't cut it at Spurs and 19 year old Italian Arturo Lupoli on-loan from Arsenal.
THE DAY & THE MATCH:
CARDIFF CITY's 2-2 with Derby was bittersweet, somewhat fitting for the home sign-off of Sam Hammam who produces strong mixed emotions amongst the support to the very end but was given a send off by them. On the pitch, City missed enough chances to have won a couple of games against very dangerous opponents and twice failed to hold onto a hard earned lead, all the goals coming in the 2nd half, Derby's final goal in the 2nd minute of added time.
Derby acted as though they had won promotion, Billy Davies gesturing to Grandstand fans, their players running to their fans for adulation. It feels so bizarre to see a team celebrating a draw against us, especially one who we have mostly looked up at over 30 years. For City, it was a crushing blow but thanks to both 2nd place Preston and 3rd place Birmingham losing away over the weekend, we still stretched our lead at the top to 4 points in rattling up 30 points after just 14 games.
Ninian Park was not quite a sell-out, the Bob Bank terrace not as packed as recently and there was a few empty seats on its wings but those there mostly stood as one to applaud Sam Hammam appeared in the directors box just before kick-off. It's been some week when City are top of the league but nobody has talked football with Peter Ridsdale fronting a promised moneymen take-over, positive signs with the stadium, hints at a possible groundshare with rugby, attempts to get us back into Europe, fans and business met, a lame tv documentary and blanket media coverage across the media.
For all his football wonders, past misdemeanours and financial mismanagement had ultimately knocked out the Lebanese street fighter as he again came closer to delivering a nightmare instead of a dream. Observations were that City would never land a new stadium with Hammam at the helm whilst his claims to fans about ongoing club revenue from retail had no basis. The finance still wasn't forthcoming to start a stadium, nor his ability to be open and transparent about who held those multi-million secured loan notes. It was apparent another black day was looming early in the new year with millions in repayments due on loans and City or Hammam fearing inability to meet that. Sam walked because he was out of options, he couldn't take City any further and was more likely to take us to the precipice again.
However supporters are ultimately there for the football and you have to acknowledge it's been a wonderful rollercoaster ride. Two promotions, an F.A. Cup masterpiece of a giant-killing, another never to be forgotten day with a hometown play-off win and progress to the top of the Championship from the bottom tier with a strong Academy in place for future development. He deserved his moment of recognition and ayatollahed as some, the Grange especially, sang "Sam Hammam My Lord" and "We want Sam Hammam walking round the pitch" for one final time and the first time since Black Friday in March 2005. Quite dignified and we could get on with the football.
City started brightly with their trademark high-tempo football but let themselves down with poor passing or options in the final third. Chops was clearly making up for lost time after suspension, his eagerness earning a talking from ref Marriner in the first 30 seconds after he caught a Derby defender. Before 10 minutes had elapsed, City spurned tow glorious chances after carving open Derby with smart interplay but failing to make final passes to Chopra and Thompson who were clear and waiting to be set free on goal. Chopra brought any goalkeeper into action for the first time when Bywater saved a low effort just before the quarter hour and then he scrambled after panic in the Derby defence under City pressure saw the ball drop invitingly for McNaughton on 12 yards but it was a defender's shot as he fired a couple of foot wide when he would surely have scored had he just got it on target.
5 minutes later, it was Paul Parry's turn but he blazed over in a good shooting position as all opened before him when Thommo was taken out from behind. The ref did not play advantage, he just failed to spot the incident and was poor for most of the afternoon with Thommo particularly frustrated at the number of occasions he was jumped on without getting anything but any touch the other way saw him penalised..
With Chopra, Ledley, Thommo and Parry all in good form, it was City who had the chances to have won it by half-time but Derby were by mugs at all. They competed strongly in midfield whilst Stead and Howard, playing roughhouse rather than refined football, had a battle with Loovens and Purse.
Derby lost key central defender Michael Johnson to injury, the more compact Jackson replaced him and Derby appeared to switch to 3-5-2 and it should have cost them immediately as Michael Chopra, of all people, missed the first of two chances that you would have bet every penny in your pocket on him converting. The first came when Joe Ledley superbly powered 60 yards through the middle on the break and fed Chops on the edge of the area but he fired into the nearest side netting. He was then so unlucky to hit the post 10 minutes before the break with a shot ion the turn that left Bywater helpless but 5 minutes later, a great Thommo touch sent him racing clear only to fire just wide of the opposite post to his earlier miss. After that, Chops immediately changed boots but he knows it was criminal to miss the target both times, let alone fail to score.
The chances may have been one-sided but it was hardly that as a contest. City offered Derby most hope a few times when overplaying at the back get them caught out and possession was given away in the wrong area of the park. However they didn't turn it into shots on goal although Stead brought a save out of Alexander midway through the half and was the only player to net in the half when his shot embarrassed Neil Alexander who spilled it over the line but a linesman had flagged offside a while before for his clumsy challenge on Loovens which Derby players and fans of both sides did not immediately notice.
On half-time, Chopra fired a speculative shot just wide ... it had been one of those 45 minutes for him. As so often happens, missed chances like ours so often are regretted later, this was another one of those games.
H/T: CITY 0 DERBY 0
And so to a dramatic 2nd period with Chops opening it by a shot at goal within the opening 10 seconds and Riccy Scimeca making Bywater tip over the looping effort 5 minutes in. Two minutes later, City were ahead with a well worked corner. Paul Parry was ready to take when Michael Chopra ran to him, dragging two defenders with him, Parry hit then hit to the far post and there was GLENN LOOVENS to nod down and home firmly. Ali called it Loovens first City goal but overlooked he scored in identical fashion at Burnley last season but he was right in calling him as City's 9th different scorer of the season - that is impressive. Chops fired wide again not long afterwards but then came a controversial moment just after the hour.
Derby knocked a long ball through the middle, Howard took out Loovens with an elbow outside the box. With Loovens out cold, the ball ran loose to Stead in the box who was bundled over by Chambers. It could have been a red card for Howard it could have been a penalty for Derby and red card for Chambers and confusion reigned. I'm not sure what the ref gave but the game stopped for 3 minutes whilst Loovens was treated. There were calls for a stretcher but he got up and walked off in a very groggy state, nobody is sure if he was concussed or suffered physical damage. What is more certain is that we didn't look as secure without him, stats bear that enormously too, and can only hope that he is available in midweek. Roger Johnson replaced him.
5 minutes later, City were rocked by a Derby equaliser that may not have come had Loovens been out there but did ask questions about us defensively. There was good build-up play on City's left by the Rams, Jackson was found in space, not closed by McNaughton was covering 2 men and his square lifted pass to the far post saw HOWARD rise high above Purse and power home a header inside the 6 yard box.
After providing little threat on goal, Derby almost did a smash and grab as, from the restart, Lupoli now coming to life went on a mazy run across our back line and forced Alexander to save. Chances were suddenly becoming more even, Johnson tested Bywater from 30 yards and Paul Parry embarked on a similar run to Lupoli before spanking a shot of real venom which flashed across Bywater's far post but in-between that, Stead turned City's defence and fired over ugly with a good opportunity.
On 74 minutes however, frayed nerves turned to mass ecstasy as City scored a goal of natural beauty to grace any level of football and which deserved to win any game. Michael Chopra was the architect taking the ball 35 yards out and drawing three Derby players around him. One swivel left them all and fed Paul Parry on the right, he brought the ball forward and placed a calculated low pass to Thommo inside the area, his first touch was majestic to put the ball directly into the advancing CHOPRA's path and he fired low across Bywater. That was football heaven, a truly outstanding move and goal.
You hoped City were home and dry after that. The "that's why we're top of the league" chants were ringing and other assorted anthems coming from all sides. Chopra missed another effort and Derby committed men forward and brought on Arsenal's Ryan Smith (with Leicester last season) as a final throw of the dice having earlier introduced Giles Barnes but City were standing firm although, worryingly, they had fallen back in numbers (at times, all 11 men) and had dropped deep but that often happens late in games with opponents chasing matches.
The closing moments were more memorable for the number of stewards that suddenly appeared from nowhere and completely ringed the pitch. I never knew we had that many, did we hire more for today? Did they really think thousands of City fans were going to rush onto the pitch to idolise Sam for one last time? It was perhaps a precaution but unnecessary.
There were 4 minutes of added time, mostly due to Loovens injury, and we looked ok but the calamity in the third of those minutes. Roger Johnson nodded back under pressure to Alexander in the centre of goal, that wasn't convincing and Alexander being closed down had to kick away hurriedly but sliced the ball into touch. City should have marked up but the throw was dropped to Howard who turned and sprayed the ball across the park where there were three Derby men with McNaughton, physically tiring, not about. Derby advanced, McNaughton unable to cut the cross, it was deflected into the air by McPhail but, as it dropped in the box and despite everyone back, GILES BARNES was free in the middle of the box waiting for the ball to drop unchallenged and he then unleashed an unstoppable belter high into the net. Brilliant technique, gutting for City but what were they doing defensively? Preston boss Billy Davies got a bit carried away in the moment and despite getting no stick during the game suddenly turned and was gesturing away in celebration the Grandstand.
Devastation almost turned to capitulation when, from the kick-off, Derby broke down McNaughton's left again, Howard got behind our defence and his shot across goal was brilliantly finger-tipped behind by Alexander, it could so easily have been defeat.
It was a choker but tempered by City knowing, from earlier results, that it still extended their lead at the top. Credit to Derby, they were dangerous opponents who will continue to get results on the road and other scalps without doubt. Attacking-wise, they're a handful and they matched us in midfield where Scimeca and McPhail were both quiet but also capitalised on McNaughton being short of fitness. He'll still benefit from this outing which can only be good news for City.
We can only hope history repeats. City's previous loss at Preston saw a player sent off (Loovens) was followed by Plymouth grabbing a last minute draw and then we went on a big winning run. Last week we lost at Norwich with a player sent off (Gilbert) and now allowed Derby a last minute draw. Three points at Sunderland coming up then!
Report from FootyMad
Cardiff City extended their lead at the top of the Championship table to four points despite seeing Derby County score a last-gasp equaliser.
Rams substitute Giles Barnes' superb last-minute volley rescued a point for Derby in an entertaining game at Ninian Park.
Centre-back Glenn Loovens opened the scoring for Cardiff with a powerful header on 52 minutes and Michael Chopra added a brilliant second 22 minutes later.
Derby forward Steve Howard brought Derby back into the game after Cardiff's first with a top-corner header on 66 minutes.
Both sides wasted good opportunities in an even first half, but the best of the chances fell the way of the home side.
Chopra, returning from a one-match suspension, had the best of Cardiff's chances but spurned a number of good positions.
His first opportunity came on 23 minutes when he received the ball on the right from Joe Ledley, but his shot was wide of the target.
Chopra had an even better chance after 40 minutes when he was put through on goal by a deft touch from strike partner Steve Thompson, but dragged his shot to the left of the goal.
Derby competed well in midfield but rarely threatened the Cardiff goal. On-loan striker Jonathan Stead thought he had put the visitors ahead on 32 minutes but his left-foot strike was disallowed for a shirt pull.
Both sides raised the tempo in the second half and it was Cardiff who struck first, seven minutes after the restart.
Loovens scored his first goal of the season when he rose unmarked to head home from a Paul Parry corner.
Derby clawed their way back into the game 14 minutes later when Howard out-jumped Cardiff captain Darren Purse at the back post to nod home a Richard Jackson cross.
The hosts regained the lead eight minutes later when Parry found Thompson with a low cross and he expertly laid the ball off to Chopra, who drilled a shot low into the bottom corner.
Just when City thought they had done enough to take all three points Barnes rifled home a 20-yard volley from the edge of the area to salvage a point for Derby.
The equaliser left County in 12th position in the table, five points off the play-off places.