CARDIFF CITY vs HUDDERSFIELD

REPORT: CARDIFF CITY 2-0 HUDDERSFIELD

Cardiff City continued their unbeaten run and rose to second in the Sky Bet Championship table with a 2-0 home victory over Huddersfield Town.

FRAGMENTED FIRST HALF

The Bluebirds leapt out of the traps at Cardiff City Stadium as Joe Ralls played the ball into Joe Mason – the young striker taking the ball on the chest and bursting through the Terriers’ defence. When it then fell to his strike partner Kenwyne Jones, his shot was parried clear by debutant ‘keeper Jed Steer.

Chris Powell’s men soon got their foot on the ball though and racked up their fair share of possession. The match was then disrupted twice in the opening period, as first Lee Peltier and then David Marshall went down injured. While Marshall was fine to continue, Peltier was replaced in defence by Scott Malone.

The Terriers carved out their first real chance when Sean Scannell then found space to run clear on the right. Fábio was on hand to turn his dangerous, low cross away though, before Matthew Connolly also did well to deny the lively Nahki Wells.

CITY SEARCH FOR OPENER

As the half-time whistle approached, City thought they had found a way through the Terriers defence as Anthony Pilkington curved his run and slotted past Steer. However, the linesman had already raised his chequered flag, and after Joel Lynch headed wide for the visitors, both sides went in level at the break.

After the interval, Harry Bunn looked most likely to threaten for the visitors as he cut inside from the left wing. But the Bluebirds came closest on fifty-six minutes when Kenwyne Jones latched on to a Ralls pass, turning Joel Lynch superbly, before firing too close to the ‘keeper.

Peter Whittingham was then next to trouble the Terriers, as his effort from twenty-five yards looked set for the bottom corner. Unfortunately, it dropped just wide of the post though, as City couldn’t quite find the first goal.

BLUEBIRDS UP TO SECOND

The home side were certainly on top, but they then needed Sean Morrison to prevent Bunn from driving into the box once more, with the Terriers midfielder appealing for a spot-kick.

However, it was City who would take the lead, as the newly introduced Sammy Ameobi strode down the left wing before squaring the ball into the box. Pilkington had drifted in from his position on the right, and controlled the ball with his back to goal, before turning and firing low into the net to break the deadlock.

The breakthrough came as a relief, and fired the Bluebirds on to secure the points. With City high on confidence, the goal which settled things came within a further ten minutes, as Mason latched on to another Ralls pass, rounding Steer and hitting home from a tight angle to make it 2-0 and send City up to second in the league.

FINAL SCORE: CARDIFF CITY 2 – 0 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN

Scorers: Pilkington ‘69, Mason ‘77

Cardiff City: Marshall; Peltier (Malone 19), Morrison, Connolly, Fábio; Pilkington, Dikgacoi, Whittingham, Ralls; Mason (Gunnarsson 87), Jones (Ameobi 59).
Subs not used: Moore, Manga, Noone, Revell.

Huddersfield Town: Steer; Smith, Ward, Crainie, Lynch; Scannell, Whitehead, Hogg (Huws 65), Bunn (Carayol 72); Paterson (Miller 72), Wells.
Subs not used: Allinson, Davidson, Lolley, Dempsey.