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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Safetyfirstmrwark added 19:58 - Dec 10
I have to admit, MM's stubbornness is infuriating but I do still think the trouble is more deep-seated - lack of investment and ambition is now really showing,
EVANS OUT. |  | |
alfromcol added 20:09 - Dec 10
bressinghamblue
I have sent my email, how many others have done the same? |  | |
Dissboyitfc added 20:12 - Dec 10
the football on show has nothing to do with investment. Evans could buy Messi and mm would play him out of position or leave him on the bench.
MM simply has to go! |  | |
superblue70 added 20:44 - Dec 10
That's my e-mail sent come on people send away |  | |
StochesStotasBlewe added 21:02 - Dec 10
WTF. So poor again. Cardiff are bottom 3 for a f#####g reason Mick. Williams has more movement warming up on the touchline than Douglas does for 80 minutes. Quite how he starts beggars belief.
Bressinghamblue, like the idea. However, pretty sure it will fall on deaf ears.
Evans/McCarthy/Connor OUT. |  | |
blue75 added 21:04 - Dec 10
Bressinghamblue mines sent. | | |
warktheline added 21:14 - Dec 10
Slowly but surely we are being dragged into a relegation fight. All those mind boggling numb nuts who keep preaching ' be careful what you wish for ', I think it could soon be us saying to YOU, 'BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR'!!!!!!! Food for thought boys! |  | |
H1960 added 21:19 - Dec 10
@Bressinghamblue email sent | | |
wayway added 21:26 - Dec 10
I see 23 people have marked down my 'be careful what you wish for' post
Well it WAS meant to be tongue in cheek
It is now time for direct action to rid this once great club of the crooked Evans PLC and this clearly deranged manager | | |
dirtydingusmagee added 21:28 - Dec 10
E-MAIL SENT.but little hope of achieving anything At least i can say i tried,i cant just sit and watch a once proud club ,[ive supported since 1965] die through the apathy of the owner and the stubbornness of a manager who is in denial . |  | |
corkblue added 21:31 - Dec 10
Non Stick Mick - times up! | | |
BrettenhamBlue added 21:50 - Dec 10
More concerned about the atmosphere at the ground than the game. The Mick-inners are now in full confrontation with the Mick-outers. Saw a lot of problems between supporters and the atmosphere was beyond toxic.
Thought Cardiff were slightly better than us until their sending off. Bizarrely, once the sending off happened they upped their game and I honestly thought they would win it. Some of their play with 9 outfielders was a joy to watch. I couldn't see the sending off well, though sounds deserved. A couple of friends said after though that it was a bad foul by Douglas that led up to it (a high kick/knee) and he probably should have been booked at the very least.
Thought Bialkowski was fine except his one obvious error. Lawrence played his best game for us and some of his runs were great. But drawing at home against a club that's sick-ridden and down to 10 men isn't acceptable. The club is in a real state and that's obvious. The table doesn't lie. We are in 17th and if we continue to play like this we will be facing a long and hard relegation battle.
My e-mail is sent, not that it will do any good.
My greatest concern for the club right now is the supporter split. It's almost like our fans are starting to support two different clubs:
Supporter Group 1: We are fed up of hoofball and ultra-boring football. Freebies and loans isn't good enough. No rb and no replacement for Murphy. Why is Douglas our creative threat? Our back-up players should be playing non-league. We would be competing in the top 10 at least.
Supporters Group 2: In Mick we trust. He's doing the best he can with limited resources. 17th is ok as Mick doesn't get any support. Any other manager would take us into League 1.
This split is unreal. Beyond toxic atmosphere. |  | |
airliner added 21:51 - Dec 10
Boring football, we have no superstars in our team. They aren't allowed to express themselves as the manager is a dinosaur in football terms.
But it's not his fault because the idiots that run our club have dragged us down. No proper investment in playing staff and just selling any players that can make a difference. Mick won't bring any players on because he knows Evans will sell them in a heartbeat .
Shame on you Marcus , you have destroyed our once great club.!!! | | |
BrettenhamBlue added 22:00 - Dec 10
Airliner
Think you've hit the nail on the head. IUnless there are changes in the clubs philosophy thingsaren't going to change...investment in players badly needed. | | |
Geddis78 added 22:53 - Dec 10
I get fed up reading the craps posted here every week so have decided to sign up and join in. I am lucky enough to have been at Wembley in 78 and seen us win the UEFA Cup so know our history and heritage. I am also realistic enough to know things have moved on massively and we are now a small club with a tiny budget. I can't believe how lucky we are to have a manager who has been in the World Cup and Premier League at our club but it seems most of the forumites here who have never even managed a kid's club or played football at any level know better. Don't get me wrong, there have been many games I have been pretty bored but I have not seen a Championship team play open expansive football that the Mick out brigade dream of. Also want to say something 're Douglas. He has to be the least exciting footballer I have ever seen, but he is a proper pro, and I guarantee every footballer will vouch that they would love him in their team for his work rate and discipline. Mick plays him and Skuse to allow Lawrence, Ward, McGoldrick, Varney and a full back to attack. Unfortunately, they ain't that great but the tactics make perfect sense. Yes, I wish he would play Williams and there must be reasons why he doesn't, but we have to come to terms with the fact we are most suited to the Championship under the current budget and that won't change even if we have Mourinho as manager. | | |
wayway added 23:18 - Dec 10
It's. because of supporters like you geddes78 who are prepared to put up with this utter dross thatwe are heAding for relegation and it will be a long time before we are back. I go back even further than you to the championship season in 61 and never in all that time has the club been in such a dire position. We have owners who are only here to treat the club as a tax loss against the PLC accounts and a manager who is so out of touch with the modern game it is a joke. Still as long as your happy to see this once great club go down the pan well so be it, don't have a go at the people on here who DO care | | |
Geddis78 added 23:32 - Dec 10
I guess the fact I buy a season ticket shows I do care. Mick will keep us in the Championship and that is a realistic aim for a club our size. Of course, McCarthy who has been involved in football at the top level is completely out of touch. No doubt he uses a lace up ball in training and watches betamax videos in black and white. Did you see where Varney ran to celebrate his goal with? Says a lot. No doubt you are so modern you would be playing with a sweeper keeper . | | |
airliner added 23:32 - Dec 10
The above fan must be from Norwich !!! I hate mick being made bad ? But Marcus doesn't care | | |
StochesStotasBlewe added 23:35 - Dec 10
Geddis78. Welcome. Small club. I give you Bournemouth, Watford, Burnley, Southampton, West Brom, Middlesboro,Stoke,Hull, Crystal Palace, even Leicester. All clubs with a smaller or similar fanbase than ours who showed more ambition, invested wisely & are now reaping the rewards of Premier League football. Positive management with reasonable investment. | | |
Geddis78 added 23:43 - Dec 10
From Norwich with a Town season ticket? Weird comment. Guys, I would love to have someone who would stick some money in the club so we could be like the clubs you have referenced. My only points are we don't and I honestly don't believe there are many out there who would do better than what we have. Mick does ok for us. He has unearthed another gem in Webster. | | |
StochesStotasBlewe added 23:51 - Dec 10
Agree about Webster, how long can we keep him?. My guess is he wont be here for too long. | | |
MicksZzzTactics added 00:16 - Dec 11
Really a TON of great & heartfelt post tonight .... aye let's definitely swarm ME's inbox with fed-up fan mails, this in addition to my own suggestion of creating a real live 'Angry Mob' to literally carry the dreaded Dino the heck out of TOWN .... after first having rolled him over in feathers and tar, obviously! :-
So basically nothing much to add to game review besides just dying to add a couple of truly amusing Stuart Watson EADT observations and quotes from his as customary hmmmm shall-we-say somewhat slightly less 'rosy-tinted' & less careful not-to-step-on-anyone's-toes Match Report' (compared to that of dear Phil's) :-) lol
"The atmosphere inside Portman Road felt more like a reserve game .... and the tempo of the play reflected that!"
"A melancholic rendition of ‘Noel' by a brass band did little to raise the spirits as the rain continued to fall relentlessly at half-time. The accompanying use of cheerleaders was simply bizarre!".
Thanx Stuart! |  | |
Bert added 00:19 - Dec 11
So most people on here are cheesed off, aren't we all. However, opinion on here is not necessarily shared by everyone. Posters on here represent on average less than 1% of those attending games. Most supporters are fed up with team selection and lack of goals etc but the majority do not bad mouth and sour everyone like they appear to do in the noiseless BR stand. There have certainly been worse times over the years but supporters still got behind their team whatever their opinion of the Manager and owner/chairman.
| | |
GiveusaWave added 06:14 - Dec 11
Spent ages reading all the posts, interesting read. Normally I agree with ArnieM but this is the rare occasion where I do not. Bart played well, gifted them a goal but also saved 3 certain goals. Wingers did well and there were plenty of balls into the box, problem was lack of end product. Crying out for a Murphy, he could have and would have got 5. In the end 1-1 was a fair result. Cardiff did outplay us and in the end could have snatched the 3 points but we hung on for the score draw. Could prove a vital draw at the end of the season as every point counts atm. Can see Birmingham beating us which will plunge us closer to the relegation zone. It's not a great time to be a fan but the way I see it Rotherham are as good as down, leaving 9 clubs fighting to avoid 2 places. We have players who can keep us away from those 2 spots. Less hoofing and more passing in the match, but we could do with a new striker, a midfield creative player and a right back in January. Cardiff were here for the taking and we simply aren't strong enough IMO. |  | |
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