Match Report | West Bromwich Albion 2-0 Cardiff City

Cardiff City were defeated by the Baggies on Tuesday night.

Erol Bulut made five changes to the side that started over the weekend, with Ethan Horvath, Josh Wilson-Esbrand and Famara Diedhiou making their first starts for the Bluebirds.

The hosts pulled ahead with their first attack of the match, and less than one minute played. Mikey Johnston received a cut back pass from Tom Fellows on the right wing, finishing with his first touch towards the back post.

Responding, both Wilson-Esbrand and Rubin Colwill had shots on goal in the opening 15 minutes, with the former forcing a good save at the near post and the latter being blocked and sent out for a corner-kick.

Play continued throughout the first half at pace, with City fashioning more shots on goal through Colwill and Perry Ng, whose crosses from the right often found themselves challenging the hosts to clear away under pressure.

Meanwhile, West Brom found their outlet in Fellows, whose overlapping runs down City’s left granted him more chances to cut inside or cross, though the Bluebirds cut out any clear-cut chances quickly.

Fellows threatened once again with a lofted cross with five minutes of the half remaining. However, Horvath was on hand to claim the high ball, reading the pass well under pressure from the hosts’ forwards.

Holding fast with an unchanged lineup immediately following the break, City tempered the early pressure well, with possession remaining even between both sides.

With substitutes made as the half progressed, Aaron Ramsey very nearly made his mark, as he headed on goal at the far post. However, his effort went wide of the mark, and was cleared to safety.

Ramsey was again involved a few minutes later, head down Wilson-Esbrand’s well-weighted cross towards Kion Etete. The forward was in a good position to strike with his first touch but sent the ball just high of the target.

At the other end, substitute Jed Wallace fired a free-kick over the crossbar, before another cross from the left flew across City’s face of goal without intervention.

With ten minutes remaining, the hosts doubled their lead, as Andi Weimann finished neatly from a low cross following a swift attacking move by the hosts.

FINAL SCORE: WEST BROMWICH ALBION 2-0 CARDIFF CITY

West Bromwich Albion: Palmer, Furlong, Townsend, Kipre, Pieters, Swift, Thomas-Asante, Johnston, Mowatt, Fellows, Yokuslu. Subs: Griffiths, Wallace, Chalobah, Weimann, Reach, Marshall, Pipa, Malcolm, Hall.

Cardiff City: Horvath, Ng, Goutas, Phillips, Collins, Wintle (C), Turnbull (Siopis 59’), Meite (Etete 59’), Colwill (Bowler 76’), Wilson-Esbrand, Diedhiou (Ramsey 63’). Subs: Turner, Romeo, Sawyers, Ralls, Tanner.