CHARLTON V CARDIFF
Match Reports
13th February
CITY HELD TO GOALLESS DRAW AT THE VALLEY
Despite a host of chances, City drew 0-0 with Charlton to earn an away point at The Valley.
EARLY CITY CHANCES
An unchanged Bluebirds side kicked things off at The Valley, following a moving tribute to former Cardiff City and Charlton midfielder, Graham Moore.
Russell Slade’s men showed their attacking intent from the offset, going close through Anthony Pilkington and Tom Lawrence. However, the Bluebirds needed a trademark Matt Connolly block to prevent the Addicks from taking the lead early on.
City continued to build pressure for the opening half, creating several opportunities through their snappy passing and quick counters.
Charlton would have been disappointed not to break the deadlock when skipper Johnnie Jackson found himself unmarked from a corner kick. His downwards header bounced back up and over David Marshall’s bar though, before City went closest through Joe Ralls.
The young midfielder let fly from distance after some good work out on the right from Sammy Ameobi, but his low, driven shot bounced back off the post.
CONTINUED PRESSURE
At the beginning of the second half, the Bluebirds continued as they had left off just before the interval. City’s attacking play yielded two big chances within five minutes as Pilkington saw his rasping shot well saved, before Ameobi curled wide from just inside the box.
With Connolly in particularly fine form to keep the Addicks at bay, City also went close as Pilkington hit the bar from Scott Malone’s cross, while Ralls saw his deflected effort well saved.
Charlton spurned a second good chance when Reza Goochannejhad sliced well over from inside the City box, as they started to provide more of an attacking threat.
A FRENETIC FINALE
As the match entered the final ten minutes, the match developed into an end-to-end affair with chances falling at both ends, but last-ditch defending saving both sides. Charlton went the closest when Makienok beat Marshall but saw Bruno Manga clear his effort off the line.
Just before the final whistle, Ameobi was dismissed with a second yellow for firing the ball into the top corner after the referee had blown his whistle for a foul, leaving the score at 0-0.
FINAL SCORE: CHARLTON ATHLETIC 0-0 CARDIFF CITY
TEAMS: Charlton Athletic: Henderson, Jackson (Ba 65), Gudmundsson, Cousins (Sanogo 73), Makienok, Ghoochannejhad (Poyet 75), Bergdich, Solly, Fox, Lennon, Teixeira.
Subs not used: Pope, Sarr, Johnson, Lookman.
Cardiff City: Marshall, Fábio (Peltier 45), Manga, Connolly, Malone, O'Keefe (Macheda 68), Ralls, Whittingham (Gunnarsson 78), Ameobi (Sent Off 90+5), Lawrence, Pilkington.
Subs not used: Moore, Dikgacoi, Zohore, Immers.
