Ipswich Town 1-1 Cardiff City - Match Report
Saturday, 10th Dec 2016 17:21 Luke Varney netted an equaliser just after half-time as Town drew 1-1 at home to Cardiff City, who had central defender Sol Bamba sent off for abuse towards the fourth official during a bizarre second-half temper tantrum. Aron Gunnarsson put the visitors ahead following a Bartosz Bialkowski error in the 38th minute, Varney levelled on 52 but despite the one-man advantage the Blues were unable to find a winner.
Town boss Mick McCarthy named an unchanged side, while Teddy Bishop and Brett Pitman, for the first time since suffering an ankle injury at the end of September, returned to the bench for Myles Kenlock and Leon Best.
Former England striker Rickie Lambert was back in the Cardiff side after missing last week’s 0-0 draw with Brighton through injury, while Lee Peltier returned at left-back after a one-match ban.
In steady, persistent rain and in a slippery conditions, Cardiff started the game brightly and went within a whisker of going in front in the fourth minute when Icelandic midfielder Gunnarsson crashed a 25-yard volley against the outside of Bartosz Bialkowski’s left post from a headed Luke Varney clearance.
Moments later, Bluebirds keeper Ben Amos failed to deal with a Tom Lawrence cross from the left when he punched the wet ball with little confidence, but rather fortunately it ran out to the right flank rather than falling for a Town player in the box.
Having started slowly the Blues began to get on top with visitors’ keeper Amos having another wobbly moment in the ninth minute.
After Lawrence had made a tricky run into the area on the left, Jonas Knudsen crossed to the far post and skipper Luke Chambers, whose header ought to have been claimed comfortably by Amos.
However, the former Manchester United man somehow allowed it to squirm from his grasp to Lawrence 12 yards out, but the former Cardiff loanee’s first-time effort at goal was blocked by the on-loan Bolton keeper as he chased after the loose ball.
The Blues threatened again two minutes later when Lawrence sent over another ball from the left towards Chambers but Joe Bennett got ahead of the Town captain to nod behind.
On 24 Town keeper Bialkowski was twice forced into action as the impetus moved back towards Cardiff. First Gunnarsson hit a powerful shot into the ground from a tight angle on the right, which the Pole pushed away out to the left.
The loose ball was collected by Junior Hoilett, who whipped over a cross, which Bialkowski bravely punched away before being clattered by Lambert.
Four minutes later Matthew Connolly picked up the game’s first yellow card for a foul on Jonathan Douglas.
Just before the half hour, after Cardiff had counter-attacked quickly following another impressive Lawrence run down the left, Christophe Berra made a fine challenge on Bennett on the edge of the area as he prepared to shoot. The loose ball fell for Gunnarsson, who smashed his latest effort well back into the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.
Amos had had a difficult first half hour in difficult conditions for keepers but on 33 he confidently claimed David McGoldrick’s well-struck effort from 25 hards down to his left.
Moments later, the Republic of Ireland international, who was starting to become more influential, hit a dipping effort from a similar distance which sent Amos scrambling across his goal before watching it fly past his left post. On 37 Lawrence was booked for a foul on Bennett.
While Cardiff keeper Amos had had the tougher half due to the conditions, it was Town keeper Bialkowski whose error led to the game’s opening goal.
Peter Whittingham sent over a corner from the right, Bialkowski looked to catch but dropped it and Gunnarsson slammed into the roof of the net from close range.
An Adam Webster error saw the Blues put themselves back under pressure almost immediately after the kick-off, the visitors winning another corner from which Bialkowski punched without getting any distance but fortunately without it leading to another Cardiff opportunity.
In injury time, a long spell of Town passing ended with Lawrence playing in McGoldrick but a defender just took the ball away from the Blues’ number 10 as he was about to shoot.
Town were continuing to press - Douglas feeling he had been fouled in the area as a final moments corner was sent across - as referee James Adcock blew his whistle for half-time.
As was the case at Bristol City last week, Town found themselves behind in a game which had had little in it and the scoreline was harsh on the balance of the half.
After the early stages the Blues had had most of the ball, but prior to the goal - Cardiff making the most of Bialkowski’s error whereas Town hadn’t been able to profit from Amos’s earlier slips - the visitors had created the better of the game’s opportunities.
Seven minutes after the restart, Town got back on terms. Following a corner on the right. Lawrence brought the ball into the area on the right, fed Webster to his right and the centre-half - by now wearing a bandage on his head - cut back to Varney, who slammed home off Gunnarsson before celebrating with the Blues bench.
Lawrence had proved a big threat down the left all game against his former loan side and on 54 claimed a penalty when he was left grounded as he sought to take the ball past Bluebirds skipper Sean Morrison. Despite loud appeals from the crowd it looked to have been a shoulder to shoulder challenge.
On 56 Cardiff manager Neil Warnock made a double change with Craig Noone and Anthony Pilkington replacing Joe Bennett and Kadeem Harris.
Lawrence continued to be a thorn in Cardiff’s side and on the hour the on-loan Leicester man cut the ball to Grant Ward, who hit a powerful shot past Amos’s right post.
It was Varney’s turn to appeal for a penalty in the 66th minute when he and Morrison both ended up on the ground as the collided as they chased a ball into the area. Again referee Adcock wasn’t interested, almost certainly correctly.
With 20 minutes remaining Cardiff were reduced to 10 men in bizarre circumstances. After receiving treatment following a challenge by Douglas - which hadn’t led to a freekick, the referee having wave play on - Bluebirds defender Bamba shoved his physio to the ground and marched towards the referee and Douglas, pointing his finger angrily at the Town midfielder.
The former Leeds man eventually made his way towards the touchline before turning his tirade towards fourth official Charles Breakspear, indicating that he had been caught by a high boot. Cardiff boss Warnock tried to haul his player away and as the pair grappled on the touchline referee Adcock pulled out his red card.
The Ivory Coast international was eventually persuaded to make his way along the touchline and down the tunnel.
Before play restarted Town switched Varney and Ward for Pitman and Freddie Sears, then Cardiff swapped Lambert for Bruno Manga, a centre-half to replace the dismissed Bamba.
On 80, with the Blues having been unable to make their additional man count, Bishop took over from Douglas, who made his way off to cheers from some sections of the Town support and applause from others.
Bishop made a driving run towards the edge of the area in the 86th minute and was fouled, but McGoldrick’s freekick curled well over.
The game entered five minutes of injury time with Peltier the latest in a series of Cardiff players to spend time on the ground, in his case following what looked to have been an innocuous clash with Sears.
Whittingham saw a freekick deflect over after Chambers had been cautioned for the foul which led to it, then Hoilett joined him in the book for wasting time ahead of the corner.
In the aftermath of the corner, Whittingham crossed from the right, Morrison headed goalwards and Bialkowski saved. From the subsequent throw-in on the left Berra blocked from Manga with Cardiff putting the Blues under pressure rather than the other way around in the closing stages.
Moments before the final whistle and the now familiar loud boos from the home support, Noone shot only a few feet wide for the visitors.
Having got on terms the Blues were on top and were creating opportunities regularly if not frequently up to the red card.
After the dismissal, as strange a red card as you’ll see, the Blues never built up any momentum and in the end it was Cardiff pressing for a winning goal rather than the Blues.
As has often been the case in recent weeks, the Blues put in a decent enough performance overall but without creating enough at one end, while conceding a goal caused by an individual error at the other.
The result sees Town, who have now won two of their last eight at home, drop to 17th ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Birmingham, who are seventh following a 4-0 defeat at Newcastle, and a visit to second-bottom Wigan next Saturday.
Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Webster, Berra, Knudsen, Skuse, Douglas (Bishop 79), Ward (Sears 71), Lawrence, McGoldrick, Varney (Pitman 71). Unused: Gerken, Emmanuel, Bru, Williams.
Cardiff: Amos, Peltier, Morrison (c), Bamba, Connolly, Bennett (Pilkington 56), Gunnarsson, Harris (Noone 56), Whittingham, Hoilett, Lambert (Manga 73). Unused: Wilson, Ralls, Richardson, Zohore. Referee: James Adcock (Nottinghamshire). Att:15,042 (Cardiff: 246).
Photo: TWTD
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iaintaylorx added 17:22 - Dec 10
One of the worst refereeing performances I have ever seen.
Tedious football, boring and if it wasn't for Bamba getting sent off and causing a bit of excitement then it'd have been even worse than what it was. Again, Douglas completely useless as well as Chambers and Knudsen. Felt for Bart but he saved us at the death with a great save. Fans aren't entertained at all and I can't wait to hear Mick say they defended well and are a tough team to beat and we deserved the win. To be honest, we didn't do enough to win the game and it's so boring!!
MICK OUT! |  | |
blue75 added 17:23 - Dec 10
10 men we couldn't beat 10 men!!! How crap was that well done McCarthy you didn't lose!!! | | |
midastouch added 17:24 - Dec 10
*******************
In Mick We Combust!
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In Marcus Heavens Our Dear Club Turns to Dust!
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essexbluey added 17:25 - Dec 10
Portman road is TOXIC home fan's full on fighting each other after game,
Mick and evans must go now the club i love is dieing fast. | | |
TractorCam added 17:26 - Dec 10
What even is there to comment anymore?
Simple review of the game and our current situation:
- Ipswich are at home
- Cardiff are 3rd bottom
- Cardiff have 10 men
- It's 1-1
CARDIFF ARE THE ONES PUSHING FOR THE WINNER. MICK OUT! |  | |
rendoblue added 17:27 - Dec 10
We are a joke, Still took 10 mins to get Douglas off that pitch, he did nothing at all for 80 minutes! Why take a player like Williams on loan and leave him on the bench. Pathetic, a club that is a shambles all round at present. Two poor goals in a game with two poor teams. The club deserves what it's getting but us fans and season ticket holders deserve a hell of a lot more than the constant sh&te we are witnessing week after week. | | |
Bluetone added 17:28 - Dec 10
Now let's get this right we were playing at home against a team in the relegation zone some of whose players had or were recovering from an attack of the squits. additionally they played the last 20 minutes with ten men.
And all we can manage is a 1-1 draw; Fanbloomingtastic.
Still McCarthy is doing a good job!!! It must be true 'cos McCarthy said so and we all know he's never wrong well not in his opinion anyway.
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TimmyH added 17:30 - Dec 10
Thanks to Sol Bamba, the cheerleaders and the brass band for the entertainment this afternoon. No thanks goes to Mick 'win one draw one lose one' McCarthy .
The game was there for MrWilliams and Co. to Come on the last 20 minutes or so to get 3 points - a drab Yorkshireman had different ideas (none to be honest). Bored beyond comprehension. |  | |
Taricco_Fan added 17:33 - Dec 10
#onlysixpointsofftheplayoffs |  | |
grumpyoldman added 17:33 - Dec 10
Keep things in perspective we drew a game of football, didn't we expect that when the team was announced! Some say MM is hampered by lack of funds, surely playing that lineup at home actually sums him up, he could go for a more attacking formation but his instinct is to prevent the other team playing. Funds available have little to do with the way we play, it's down to the managers ambition! | | |
jas0999 added 17:34 - Dec 10
We may have possibly deserved three points but the fundamental reason we didn't is due to MMs ego and arrogance by starting the same team who failed miserably last week. A real kick in the teeth for the fans. Bottom three opposition at PR and again we start with the painfully negative duo of Skuse/Douglas. How much longer is this going to go on? Mick puts his arrogance before what's best for the team. Evans selling our best striker and failing to replace, rather make excuse after excuse, also continues to be a problem.
The performance wasn't bad, but not great. We failed to beat Cardiff who had ten men for over twenty minutes at home. It's woeful and unacceptable. There can be no excuse for it. 2016 has been poor overall and Evans doesn't seem to care full stop. Whilst the manager continues to frustrate the fans and do his best to annoy them.
The club are in a sorry state. Attendances falling. Poor football. Poor results. Odd wins papering over the cracks. Our once beloved club rich with tradition is being destroyed by Evans and MM. Very sad. We are below average at best. | | |
warwickblue added 17:34 - Dec 10
First game I've been to since giving up my season ticket last year. Oh my God! Any doubt I had that things really were as bad as people were telling me are finally gone. The whole place is in a horrible mess - on the pitch and off. What a dire afternoon. |  | |
MicksZzzTactics added 17:36 - Dec 10
And soooo we failed to beat yet ANOTHER struggling, dysfunctional and/or diarrhea-stricken bottom crawling league opponent!!! A different & optimal starting XI .... one totally bereft of inept favorites, in-a-different-class sideways passing Usain Bolt wannabes & other 'proper blokes' one SHOULD & COULD have taken care of this rather sorry Cardiff side, which on top of everything was then also reduced to 10 men with approx. a total of 24 long minutes left! Period!!!
So what about we roll out the old feathers & tar and simply CARRY this unwavering stubborn, beyond arrogant, clearly suffering from 'Delusion of Grandeur' and nowadays completely incompetent pri@k we have as a "freewheeling" manager literally out of TOWN???????????????
C'MON now good Ipswich folks and fedup-fans everywhere: Let's form a REAL 'Angry Mob'!!! and let me thus see who of you truly has the metaphorical speaking 'sizable cojones' to be with me on this ever so noble all-out "Humanitarian Effort"? :-) :-) :-) :-) |  | |
martin587 added 17:37 - Dec 10
Diabolical, total crap.Town are an utter shambles and this Manager is killing this club.Even a few of our better players are terrible now. The confidence has been kicked out of them by a manager who is totally clueless and devoid of any idea.
Please go Now MM.
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Cotton_eyed_joe added 17:37 - Dec 10
What makes me smile most it there will still be people saying Mick is doing a good job and we have had injuries that haven't helped. Mick has all the creative players available but still sticks to the same cruddy favorites. So to all that said we will be better when McGoldrick/Williams etc are fit will play well again, think again it ain't happen while Muck sorry Mick is here.
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H1960 added 17:38 - Dec 10
BORED with all this now BORED with tedious negative football BORED with Mick Mc Carthy BORED with Marcus Evans and his lack of interest and investment in the club BORED with the endless line of spin and excuses from Portman Road BORED with the lack of opportunities given to our younger players BORED with McCarthy playing his favourites BORED with McCarthy ruining our better players by playing them out of position BORED with chosen player of the week being dragged out to say how wonderful the manager and spirit is and how they all stick together BORED with McCarthy bigging up the opposition before every game already setting us up to fail BORED with the arrogace the McCarthy has towards the fans BORED with moaning on here week in week out For gods sake something has got to change before our once great club sinks into oblivion BORED BORED BORED BORED | | |
wayway added 17:40 - Dec 10
''BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR'' | | |
ArnieM added 17:40 - Dec 10
Toothless display yet again. WHY is Williams even at this Club , let alone on the bench McCarthy, when you clearly have no intention of playing him?
2 soft goals in consecutive games both given away by Bart, who is looking decidedly dodgy in goal recently.
Town look totally devoid of ideas, a leader, confidence, and an owner who has lost interest.
"Be careful what we wish for "?........
We'll try this one Evans.
I WANT MY CLUB BACK!! |  | |
H1960 added 17:48 - Dec 10
Sorry MicksZzzTactics I appear to have marked you up and down I am totally in agree ent with you | | |
prebsa added 17:48 - Dec 10
Draw at home to 3rd bottom with 10 men is awful. Lawerence was a stand out bring us forward and a few runs from the back from Webster but other than that another boring game. Skuse and Douglas starting again with Williams and Bishop on the bench.
The biggest cheer of the game other than the red card was for Douglas getting taken off! 70 odd minutes too late!
Football really cannot go on under Mick it is so awful to watch! There is the odd bright spark but that's not good enough. Draw at home to 10 man Cardiff is shocking and unacceptable.
Mick out | | |
blue75 added 17:50 - Dec 10
I would just like to add that game sums McCarthy's time as manager!!!! McCarthy OUT!!!!! | | |
ChrisFelix added 17:50 - Dec 10
The bloke in front of me in I stand is unhappy that I show my frustration at the game. He he one of the few fans happy with both the team set up & the display | | |
bressinghamblue added 17:58 - Dec 10
I have a suggestion to all long-suffering, bored fans who want our club to enjoy free-flowing football once more.
We won't rid ourselves of Mick 'I'm doing a great job' McCarthy without Mr Evans intervention. So, lets let Mr Evans know. His PR email address is: prteam@marcusevans.com
I'm going to tell him about a club I support that was once great, and played exciting football, and nurtured its young talent; and how it has become a shambles under first the thug Keane and now the dinosaur McCarthy. The crowds are rock bottom, the football dross, and even the faithful like myself are desrting the sinking ship. The answer? A bold leader who is prepared to play football the modern way, and to excite fans in the Eddie Howe mould. Who gets the crowd behind them instead of treating them with contempt.
If we send 5000 emails, surely he's got to take some bloody notice!? | | |
Mick_Mills_Tache added 17:59 - Dec 10
Douglas should be nowhere near the starting eleven. What an absolute waste of time and money it was spending that £1m on bringing in Williams if McCarthy won't even play him. Surely Mick doesn't think that Douglas is genuinely better than Jonny...?!
Even so, when Cardiff went down to 10 men, Mick should've thrown caution to the wind and taken the Dynamic Duo (Skuglas) off and put both Bishop and Williams rather than taking Varney and Ward off. Yes, I know he took Douglas off for Bishop but, he did it 10 minutes too late. Cardiff down to 10 men and yet they were the ones trying to get/closer to getting a winner. Sums it up.
How anyone can still defend this shower of s**t is beyond me. Mick is clueless and hasn't a clue as to how to get the team playing. Can't be blaming injuries now, MM/folks. Just waiting for the "Cardiff are a good side; they're in a false position; they defended well; bad day at the office; difficult conditions" from the arrogant dinosaur.
#FOMM #MickOut | | |
bressinghamblue added 18:01 - Dec 10
P.S. Please title your emails 'My Beloved Ipswich Town' ..... I feel a hash tag coming on, on Twitter! | | |
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