http://nigelblues.blogspot.com/2009/03/southampton-1-cardiff -city-0.html
Slideshow (with half the pics)
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You know how dreadful it was when the number of fans as I walked away telling me to write a match report just saying "That was ******* ****" . That was the calmest quote too! Losing is bad enough; the manner of it was upsetting and hard to stomach.
Southampton are fighting for their lives currently residing in the drop zone and full of enthusiasm but were nothing special in a game that lacked any real quality and was as bare as Mother Hubbard's cupboard with thrills yet City still contrived to make The Saints look World-Beaters as they crumbled in alarming fashion before our eyes. Southampton scored early, a gift of a penalty, and City had no answer at all.
Just as last Wednesday against QPR, they looked a million miles away from Premiership challengers as, shorn of a couple of star men, they were bereft of quality, ideas and belief as established first teamers, except one or two, failed to perform and those getting a chance due to injuries of others didn't step up. The worst fears of City fans - that the squad doesn't have the quality some would suggest and the backlog of games would take their toll - are currently being realised.
The only positive was that the Top 4 all lost and those below failed to take advantage. A wonderful opportunity to catch up tossed away yet no major harm as it turned out but Cardiff cannot afford anymore slip ups like this.
With railworks on the South Coast, I took to the roads and a pleasant, straightforward trip it was. Out of Barry by 9, M4 to Newbury/A34 & M3, parked and in a Southampton waterside pub - away from the city centre crew - before midday. The pub soon filled and other City fans found it too with talk on who was out - Chopra, McNaughton, Bothroyd definites, even Gavin Rae and Roger Johnson were doubts apparently.
St. Mary's is a 10-15 minute walk from the City Centre or waterside, a stadium that resembles the new City ground but bigger and has been shoe-horned into the middle of an industrial estate. I've now been here a few times but with the home side struggling and the current economic mess, I've never seen it so empty yet it was 18,526 inside a 33,000 stadium including almost 2,500 from Cardiff but it does produce swathes of "empty seats" for everyone to sing about..
CITY were forced into changes through injuries and made another (Gyepes for Purse as the former was available again). One of the consequences of the fixture backlog means injured players get no time to recover from knocks and miss two or 3 games, instead of 1, due to the pile-up, City have to deal with it and fast.
City's side today read: Dimi; Comminges-Gyepes-Johnson-Kennedy; Whittingham-Rae-Ledley-Burke; Parry-McCormack. Subs: Capaldi-Johnson(Eddie)-Owusu-Purse-Scimeca.
Southampton have looked nailed on certainties for a visit to League One but with the drop staring them in the face and their manager walking out, they've finally decided it's time to fight under Mark Wotte who also looks after their reserves and academy. Their last two home games saw them fight back to draw with Swansea and last week hammer Preston for their first home victory in almost 5 months and now we get done too!
Southampton: Davis; James-Saeijs-Perry-Skacel; Lallana-McGoldrick-Gillett,-Surman; Saganowski-Euell.
Suiting their performance, Cardiff City played in all yellow. What the hell not our blue and whatever happened to the second kit that was mulberry which only seems to appear in the club shop???
The game opened brightly, although hardly thrilling, City won the first corner which Gyepes tamely headed nowhere near goal - a sign of things to come. Then the game was decided in the only telling moment of the game on 11 minutes. A Southampton hit and hope cross saw Mark Kennedy jump with both arms raised high in the air (why???), I've still not seen it on TV but the ball appeared to hit his side first and then his arms as it flew up. The ref wasn't going to do anything but the lino flagged and penalty it was. Arguably a bit harsh but someone explain to me why Kennedy had his arms up in the air anyway?
McGoldrick looked confident and, after the week he's had debuting for City, I'm sure few expected Dimi to save us - sure enough, he dived to his right, McGOLDRICK sent it the other way, 1-0 and, as it turned out, game over.
The rest of the half, and the match itself, was more depressing than a recession. City had few ideas, no cohesion and were bankrupt of quality, Southampton just about the same but with a little more energy and enthusiasm. The dull-athon produced little to write home about, the home side almost doubling their lead as a near post header saw City's defence nowhere but it went wide while Cardiff's response were a couple of half-hearted Paul Parry penalty appeals and, in their only real efforts on goal all game, Roger Johnson's shot and then Ross McCormack's header moments apart were both well saved by Davis. City had corners, none came to anything.
Instead, City fans had to endure the lack of passion, basic passing and movement as understandable moans, turned to groans and then some howls and anguished shouts at what was going on. "Jonesy do the ayatollah" which was being sung after we were behind turned to "Jonesy, Jonesy sort it out before the interval", it was that bad.
It was easier to name the exceptions than the culprits. Roger Johnson was fantastic, City's best defender and best forward and, yet, nobody else seemed to be getting inspired by him. Chris Burke tried. I've idea where to start with the rest but particularly awful were Kennedy (normally reliable but not today), Whittingham (did he make a tackle? did he beat anyone? did he find anyone in the same colour shirt?) and McCormack. Paul Parry offered nothing up front except arm waving in the vain hope of winning set pieces and why our central midfield pair of Rae and Ledley dramatically gone to pot? They've both way down on what they can, and should, be.
Half-time: SAINTS 1 SINNERS 0
City re-emerged with Quincy replacing the completely ineffective Whittingham. Huge cheers and applause greeted Quincy, 45 minutes later, we wondered why we had bothered. It soon became apparent why Jones hasn't been picking him or starting him? Has he really spent a month training with City as he looked a stranger out there, both linking with his team-mates and in terms of his positional play. He entertained just once as his fast feet went at 100 miles an hour while he never moved the ball at all but what was use was that? If Michael Flatley is ill for Riverdance, he's the perfect replacement but an end product is needed and quick.
On the hour, City came closest to levelling the game. In a match where their open play was more limited than the average X-Factor contestant, it predictably came from a set piece. I honestly thought McCormack's effort curled over a wall from 25 yards had squeezed in the corner for a moment but it was inches wide with Davis sprawled.
The game became open and stretched. To their credit, the home side didn't exactly shut up shop and defend for their lives, they tied for another which was a telling comment on City's display. They almost got it as well as City's defence were shred in the best move of the match by either side (come to think of it, the only move of the match by either side) which ended with Saganowski clipping the top of the bar.
Cardiff tried to pressure and won a number of corners but, minus
Bothroyd, there's an air of predictability that any set piece ball in the middle is looking only for the head of Roger Johnson and the Saints were more than capable of dealing with that.
10 minutes remained as Cardiff City finally surrendered and gave up all hope - they brought on Eddie Johnson! Funny thing is, as painfully limited and well … absolutely bloody useless and waste of time … that he is, there's an argument for trying him because he at least can win flick ons which no other forward player in the QPR or Southampton games could do.
Eddie replaced Comminges and had a chance near the death as the ever willing Chris Burke sent a low ball over, Eddie took aim, pun and shot … 20 yards into the air to give catching practise to City fans. Before that, another penalty appeal for what may have been a helping hand sending a ball back to the keeper. Roger Johnson closed the game out playing as a third striker but nothing came his way.
A truly desperate afternoon which produced discontent as a small handful of City fans argued and fought amongst themselves, stewards and police getting involved on two occasions and then at final whistle, as the players led by Roger Johnson came to acknowledge us, a few gave him abuse which, Roger being Roger reacted to.
City fell to 6th but it could have been so much worse. 2 points out of 9 and two successive poor displays is worrying as is the realisation that a couple of players missing makes us look painfully ordinary and limited. Yet, for all that, they remain in a string position.
Upto 3 games in hand on everyone, a winning run could take them to the summit and 14 games to go with 8 of them at home. They need to wake up fast though and show more power, belief, application as this type of display makes you wonder, rightly or wrongly, if they really want it.
Two winnable but tough home games this week against Barnsley (Tuesday) and Doncaster (Saturday) - they now have to make them count.
Report from FootyMad
David McGoldrick's early penalty gave Southampton a much-needed victory in their battle to avoid the drop and derailed Cardiff City's promotion hopes.
The match was won in the 11th minute when Jason Euell's cross was needlessly handled by Mark Kennedy and referee Kevin Wright pointed to the spot.
McGoldrick stepped up and placed the ball into the middle of the net, sending Dimi Konstantopoulos the wrong way.
Saints, playing the better football, came close again through Polish striker Marek Saganowski in the 25th minute.
Several passes were exchanged by the youthful home midfield, which led to a cross from Andrew Surman and Saganowski flung himself at the ball and saw his header flash wide.
Spurred on by the 2,000 travelling away fans, Cardiff almost levelled on the half-hour.
Captain Roger Johnson powerfully headed at goal but was denied by a reaction save from Kelvin Davis. In the following melee Scottish striker Ross McCormack looked certain to net, but Davis brilliantly scooped the ball away one-handed.
Following the double save, Davis sent Jason Euell on a quick break and he unleashed a shot which stung Konstantopoulos' hands.
Saints almost went two up before the break when danger-man Saganowski swivelled in the box and steered a curling shot inches wide.
The promotion hopefuls came close when McCormack fired a free-kick wide from 20 yards seconds after the restart.
The Welsh side pushed on and almost levelled in the 56th minute through Gabor Gyepes' header, after Gavin Rae's driven shot from the middle of the area was blocked.
This woke the home side up and on the hour they should have been given a second penalty, when Saganowski was tripped.
Sixty-five minutes in Saganowski was unlucky not to increase the lead after he hit the crossbar. A deep cross into the Cardiff area was volleyed at goal by the Polish striker and only a lick of paint saved the Welsh defence's blushes.
Cardiff penned the home side in for the last ten minutes and should have been awarded a penalty when the ball rolled down Chris Perry's arm.
The referee was unsighted and let play continue. The Cardiff players surrounded the official, but his decision had been made and Saints held on to a deserved three points.
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