A late deflected Jon Stead goal saw the Blues come from behind to a record a 2-1 victory at Cardiff City. The home side went in front via Peter Whitingham’s stunning first-half volley, but the Blues were the better side after the break with Jon Walters equalising and then Stead netting the winner.
The game started in soaking wet conditions with heavy rain still falling. Cardiff’s new ground is very much taken from the same shelf as the Ricoh Arena or the Madejski Stadium, although with one or two unfinished details, most notably empty spaces where the executive boxes will eventually go.
Town made three changes from the side which drew at home to Sheffield Wednesday last week, new signing Stern John replacing Lee Martin up front, Gareth McAuley taking over from the injured Alex Bruce and Richard Wright returning for Asmir Begovic, who was recalled by Portsmouth earlier in the week.
The Blues should have gone in front in the fourth minute when Carlos Edwards crossed from the right and Jon Walters running in from the left headed over at the far post when he should have scored.
Cardiff came close to going ahead three minutes later when Jay Bothroyd’s shot from the right was turned on to the bar by Peter Whittingham with Richard Wright beaten. Stern John was booked for a fairly innocuous foul on 11.
Whittingham struck the woodwork again soon after when he hit a dipping effort which Wright did well to push on to the crossbar.
Cardiff were by now on top and Town were doing well to stay on terms. On 14 McAuley got an important boot on the ball after Chopra had taken it past Wright on the left of the Blues area.
Grant Leadbitter sent a Town freekick over from 30 yards, then Richard Wright went down requiring treatment, the Blues keeper having appeared to have hurt his knee when kicking a ball in an earlier incident. Eventually Arran Lee-Barrett replaced the former England man, making his debut against his former club.
New loan signing Stern John should have netted his first Town goal in the 28th minute, the Trinidadian getting his head to a Leadbitter freekick from the left but sent the ball wide of the post. The game could conceivably have been 2-2 at this stage with the home side hitting the woodwork twice and the Blues failing to take two very good chances.
There was another scare for the Blues on 33 when David Wright fouled Chopra on the edge of the let of the Town area with the home fans appealing for a penalty. Referee Jarnail Singh felt the initial offence was committed outside the area, Liam Rosenior clearing the low ball into the box.
A minute later the home side finally broke the deadlock. Jay Bothroyd flicked on a long ball, Michael Chopra knocked it down and Peter Whittingham struck an exquisite volley into the top corner, giving Lee-Barrett no chance.
Town should have hit back immediately, Leadbitter playing Stern John in on goal. The debutant looked likely to score but the ball ran away from him as he took it in on David Marshall and the former Norwich keeper blocked. The Scot required treatment having collided with John in the aftermath.
Cardiff deserved to be in front at the break, although both sides had had enough chances to score on several occasions. The home side had looked the more confident and had played the more controlled football, however, the Blues had been no means outclassed and had enjoyed a few decent moments of their own.
Peter Enckelman was the game’s second sub keeper at the break, taking over from Marshall, who was unable to continue after his collision with John.
Whittingham hit an early low shot through to Lee-Barrett but aside from that the early stages were scrappy with neither side able to get on top in the increasingly sodden conditions.
On 51 Jon Stead replaced Tamás Priskin, who had hardly got into the game, one late first half run aside. Just before the hour mark Stead hit a low shot through to Enckelman, who claimed comfortably, despite otherwise looking very uncertain.
Alan Quinn replaced Carlos Edwards in the 64th minute, the Irishman going to left midfield to allow Jon Walters to switch to the right, the Town skipper again seeming far less happy on the left flank.
The Blues had enjoyed more of the ball after the break but without threatening too much until Walters headed a Leadbitter corner at the keeper. Moments later, David Wright lobbed a shot through to Enckelman.
Town got back on terms in the 73rd minute when Alan Quinn won a tackle and brought the ball out of his own half. The Irishman was tackled and the ball bounced out to Owen Garvan, who played a first time cross-field pass which found Jon Walters on the right, the Blues captain hitting a half-volley across Enckelman and into the net.
Cardiff, who up to now had generally been happy to sit back on their lead, started to look a more attacking force again. In the 76th minute Damien Delaney picked up a yellow card for a foul on Chopra, Mark Hudson putting the ball into the net from the freekick, but after straying offside.
But it was the Blues who were continuing to look the better side and with 11 minutes left Stead hit a low cross-shot which Enckelman pushed wide. From the corner, Delaney headed to the keeper. Moments later, Owen Garvan was booked for what appeared to have been an earlier incident spotted by referee Singh.
With five minutes remaining, Town went in front. Quinn chased an overhit cross on the left flank and played the ball in to Garvan, who found Stead unmarked inside the area five yards ahead of him to his left. The striker struck a shot which caught a defender before nestling in the back of the net.
Cardiff went looking for an equaliser in the final five minutes of normal time and four additional minutes, but rarely threatened aside from David Wright nodding a freekick away from the six-yard box ahead of Jay Bothroyd.
At the final whistle the Town players ran over to celebrate near the supporters up in a corner of what was by now a half-empty ground, a significant number of home fans having left well before the end.
On the balance of the second half the Blues deserved the win, sub keeper Arran Lee-Barrett having hardly had anything to do after the break. Cardiff had been the better side in the opening period, although both sides had their opportunities.
Town controlled the game for the most part in the second half, but without threatening to break down the Cardiff defence until Walters struck the equaliser, Garvan creating the chance with a superb pass after Quinn’s break out of defence.
From there the Blues looked a more confident side and Jon Stead’s winner, his third goal in three away games, was well deserved, even if a touch fortuitous given the deflection.
Stern John showed the hold-up play mentioned by Roy Keane at his press conference on Friday but probably should have taken his two first half chances. That said, he got himself in the right areas and looked a threat.
The second victory of the season takes Town to third-bottom and is an important step forward, particularly as it came against one of the division’s fancied sides and away from home. Another trip west next week sees the Blues at Bristol City, a fixture which on today’s evidence looks well winnable.
Town: R Wright (Lee-Barrett 24), Rosenior, D Wright, Delaney, McAuley, Leadbitter, Garvan, Walters, Edwards (Quinn 64), Priskin (Stead 51), John. Unused: Martin, Peters, Smith, Colback. Att: 19,463.