This was a great day out, a outstanding atmosphere and a result which , I believe, could be viewed as a big win next May as I fancy Oldham to finish high in the table.
The first day of the new season always brings optimism and, in City’s case, current expectancy like no other season I can remember. My personal optimism almost became disaster before we started out thanks to the coach company who arranged our trip. Aware that we were supporters, they called the day before we went advising they switched us with Bebb’s instead but there were no problems.
Bebb’s duly arrived with a brand new, never used before, coach but were inexplicably told that we were a youth athletics team going to a meeting with parents!!! The driver choked and needed extra toilet roll as he saw 50 adults who were mostly shot putter and discus thrower lookalikes and whose recent training programme consisted of regular intakes of Brains, Guinness, Strongbow and assorted lagers. He needed persuasion but we headed towards Manchester in the poshest of the 20-odd coaches.
The 200 mile trip was tortuous – holiday traffic, motorway roadworks, motorway delays – with the occasional opportunity to banter with mostly Brighton and Palace fans also heading North but worth it once we arrived at our arranged stop off – a Brass Band clubhouse!! Excellent though with beers selling from £1.10 a pint and the most expensive lager was £1.70, they must have had record sales.
Boundary Park is a strange ground, it still amazes me to think it hosted Premiership football not too many years ago. The away end is excellent, a large capacity stand behind the goal which City filled – our near 4,000 away support making almost half the crowd but just about all of the noise and atmosphere. Oldham were encouraged to try and outsing us, they were no competition at any time. The opposite stand is impressive too but the sides are older stands, some appearing derelict.
The initial impact of the loss of tv revenue seems to be greater charges to fans. £15 for away fans to get in and £2.50. Both seem set to be standard charges for this season. The programme was not worth the money but Iain Dowie’s banal 2 pages of programme notes were so bad that they were good! Littered with cliches (how many times did he say "first of all" and "first and foremost"?) and total nonsense, the best example being, "It is great that fans can now sit down and when you see them sitting outside before the game, they are as vocal and vociferous for their own team as well as other teams". Anyone have the slightest clue what he’s on about???
As for the game, atmosphere was fever pitch in the City end, it was a party atmosphere. Oldham’s plan to whip up their home support by playing "You’re Just Too Good To Be True" just before kick-off rebounded on them as they obviously did not realise it was initially adopted into football by Wales and Cardiff City fans.
City marched out to a deafening ovation wearing the "Brazil" style away shirts (although it’s a much brighter yellow), they also have yellow shorts and socks to complement them. A toilet roll flew over the crossbar, "Shaggy" Rhys Weston perfectly tossed it back and saw it fly his way again! City lined up 4-3-3 but with two big surprises as Chris Barker has to play as an emergency centre-back with Scott Young withdrawn due to late injury whilst Earnie, who has been indifferent pre-season, on the subs bench as Leo started instead. Campbell—Thorne-Earnie as the attacking axis must have brought back painful memories to Oldham’s rearguard as they were the trio who caused mayhem in the famous 7-1 away win 5 months ago.
Cardiff made a nervy start but Barker settled quickly winning a couple of big headers and gradually eased their way into the match before completely dominating the hosts with a passing display that was accomplished and had the look of a promotion side. Oldham did appear to be a bit of a "one trick" team with their main threat coming from the left with ex-City player, Tony Carrs and Eyres trying to expose Rhys Weston. City responded by pushing Willie Boland wider to help and they became more comfortable.
Chances were few but the only on-target efforts came Cardiff’s way. Leo, easily man of the match (more later) put a shot on the turn into Pogiacomi’s chest before the Latics Aussie keeper produced a late fingertip save to deny Leo again as he flicked on a Gareth Whalley shot. City’s support were in brilliant voice. Oldham’s pocket of about 20 fans chanting "Ing-er-lund" were swiftly dealt with by responses of "There’s only 1 David Seaman" and to the Brown Girl In The Ring song, a chant of "Ron-al-din-ho la la la la la".
You had the feeling a goal was coming and it was worth waiting as Peter Thorne won a corner. Kav swung it over for Chris Barker to head towards goal near the edge of the area, it skimmed off his forehead but turned into the perfect assist as it found ANDY CAMPBELL on the right edge of the area with no defence who flicked a perfect looping ball back across goal clearing the keeper and a defender on the line to send 4,000 fans mental with everyone chanting "we want seven", a reference to last season’s efforts.
It lifted the players and the support as City settled to play outstanding football, looking superior in every single department. Oldham had no answer at all as several times, Cardiff put together strings of 10 or more passes, stroking the ball around. When Oldham took possession, it was rare, City found the commitment and passion to quickly break them down and win the ball back. It left the home side reduced to a series of niggling, and some brutal, fouls with Gareth Whalley and Andy Campbell seeming to be singled out. Tow or three were booked, ref Wolstenholme seemed lenient at times, it could have been more. The ground echoed with "It’s just like watching Brazil" and, at times, it really was that good.
There were no more major chances for City but they were so good that my hands were already sore from almost continual applause for the efforts.
Half-time: Oldham 0 CITY 1
The second-half was different. Oldham had to come out and fight more than they did whilst City were probably happy to absorb things more and hit Oldham on the break, the game also became more disjointed and a stop-start affair too.
Oldham’s tactics were a sound way to try and combat our 4-3-3 system as they pushed up more and concentrated on switching the ball wide and from side-to-side as quickly as possible to expose City’s lack of width. The main threat was still from the left where they continued to double up on Weston they eventually had chances but still Alexander didn’t have a single effort to save, his first one being routine taking a ball under the crossbar.
Oldham should have done better though with a couple of clear openings as a player broke through after deflections but his angled shot across goal hit the corner flag whilst another placed wide from 8 yards.
Then the game started to break down. Oldham withdrew Chris Killen, their £200,000 striker from Man City who they hope to get 25 goals but did nothing to suggest that today. Shortly after, they introduced another, Laurenco, whilst City introduced Earnie for Campbell. And then the game stopped for several minutes as a hole appeared in the Boundary Park pitch near the penalty area City were defending. Groundsmen seemed to use a couple of buckets of sand to fill it.
While all this was going on, City’s support got louder and louder with a new style ayatollah as fan shouted the standard "whoooooooaaaahhh" with fingertips in front then did a quick "ayatollah" with a "wooooosha" before immediately going back to the "whoooooooahhh". After a couple of minutes of that, the City chants were the loudest I’ve heard for months, it was blaring, before the ‘Zulu’ ayatollah started up again. We’re bizarre sometimes!
Leo Fortune-West was, by far, the star of the show for City. Before Lennie arrived, most of us ridiculed him for his 50p shaped head with flicks that rarely went in wrong directions, a terrible first touch and a game largely based on intimidating goalkeepers and centre-halves. He has been transformed and this was probably his finest game in City colours.
In the first-half, he won every header and used the ball well. In the second-half, it was usually his first touch and flicks that held up the ball and brought others forward. He worked tirelessly and also won a succession of corners, throws and free-kicks, all taking the pressure off City. And then there were his backheeled party pieces, he was truly immense and Oldham never managed to deal with him all afternoon.
The pressure was still on City and going into the closing stages, Lennie made a correct call being bringing on Collins for Thorne and switching to 5-3-2. Almost instantly, City made it 2-0.
Earnie started things with a charge down the line to win a free-kick. They pushed forward and Kav flicked the ball over, Leo caused mayhem by challenging between an Oldham defender and the keeper who lost the ball. It fell loose to EARNIE who hooked the ball into an empty net from 10 yards to start a manic party. There was the usual antic of somersaulting, dancing with quick feet and throwing a shirt off. It looks horrible when 4,000 City fans try to do that!!
The game appeared over and won when there was some exasperation of 7 minutes of added time. "SEVEN" shouted City fans, this time referring to the add-on rather than goals scored! Two minutes in, Oldham grabbed what turned out to be a consolation as Alexander was clearly impeded as he took the ball at the far post, it ran loose and DUXBURY stabbed home.
Alexander and City were furious, there was a feeling the ref may have allowed it to equal Leo’s challenge for City’s second goal but he made a genuine challenge for the ball and the ball wasn’t in the keepers hands at the time, you felt the Oldham player clearly went for Alexander.
It was nervous but it has to be said that City played it well, Oldham never had sight of City’s goal and Leo took the ball into corners, won us throws and possession and killed the clock. Fantastic stuff which won him more acclaim.
Oldham never quite convinced but with new faces, they may take time to gel (as we did last year) and they were missing a couple of key players too. I think we caught them at a good time as they will improve in time and few teams will come away from Boundary Park with all the points.
If play-offs are excluded, I believe that is City’s 16th unbeaten Division Two fixture. We have been notorious poor starters to the season but this is now the 3rd successive season (all since Sam has been here) that we have won our opening fixture following up on Exeter away two years ago, and Wycombe at Ninian last term. Most importantly, it sets us up to make a great start with home games this week against Port Vale and Northampton hopefully producing a big (maximum please) haul of points. City have consistently produced on the road and looked the part, now they need to produce in style at Ninian too. A great start … but it’s just a start but let the season and partying begin!!
Report from FootyMad.
Cardiff grabbed their third consecutive win at Boundary Park to get their promotion campaign off to the perfect start.
The Bluebirds had to work much harder than in last season's 7-1 romp but goals from Andy Campbell and Robert Earnshaw were enough to see off Oldham.
Home manager Iain Dowie was withought nine players through injury or suspension but he refused to blame the absences for defeat in his first game incharge.
Oldham had plenty of possession but the cutting edge belonged to a Cardiff team who lost in the semi-finals of last term's promotion play-offs.
Cardiff Boss Lennie Lawrence said: "It doesn't matter how much you are favourites to win a division, you still have to get off the mark.
"Oldham started each half well but after that we passed the ball and were quite comfortable in the end."
Dowie added: "I'm disappointed but Cardiff have outstanding players and we gave them a tough time.
We dominated the second half and just needed to get on the end of some excellent delivery."
Oldham started brightly and went close through Matty Appleby but Campbell opened his account in the 21st minute.
A right-wing corner was knocked on by debutant Chris Barker and Campbell - scorer of a superb hat-trick against the Latics last season - swivelled six yards out to apply a sweet finish.
Oldham had most of the possession but the visitors were strong in defence, with Barker and Danny Gabbidon in outstanding form.
They were happy to play on the break and after 84 minutes Earnshaw sealed the points.
Graham Kavanagh centred from the right, goalkeeper Les Pogliacomi didn't gather cleanly and sub Earnshaw tapped in from close range.
Oldham got their consolation in stoppage time as visiting keeper Neil Alexander also dropped a cross for Lee Duxbury to score from six yards out.
External reports
The Western Mail