Joe Pleased With Defence Saturday, 21st Aug 2004 19:28 Town manager Joe Royle was particularly pleased with his side's backline during their 3-1 home victory against Cardiff City. Royle said "I was pleased with our defensive performance overall. "Bar one mistake, it was our best defensive performance for a long while. "We have not given them a sniff. Lee cost them a lot of money and Earnshaw may go for a lot." Jason De Vos played despite being sent back from international duty by Canada after a scan revealed a hairline fracture. However, Royle says Town's own scans have failed to show the injury: "We cannot see the stress fracture that the Canadian FA can see, but there is deep bone bruising. "Jason was terrific. He won't be risked on Tuesday [Brentford in the Carling Cup] but we can't rest too many because we have not got that many players." The Town manager also had praise for striker Darren Bent: "He is a bit of an enigma - his pace is exceptional. He scored a goal for us and he had a hand in two. "His goal record is terrific - it is one in two which is terrific for a lad still learning the game. "We are always on at Darren to use his pace more. He has not really got going yet this season - that was his best half so far in the second half. He has now got two in four for us." Cardiff boss Lennie Lawrence kept his players back for a tongue-lashing after the game and was unhappy with his side's defending: "We didn't start too well. "I was disappointed with the first goal, although it was a well struck shot. "We spoke about it at half-time and got a good equalising goal from Alan Lee. "We made wrong defensive decisions for their second goal and after that we were chasing the game."
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