“We knew they would have the majority of possession. We stayed compact, made it hard to play through us and hit them on the counter,” Junior Hoilett explains.
You can say that again.
Leeds might be out of sight at the top of the table by now if they had a striker more suited to their style. Bamford just looks a little lost up top but maybe I am being harsh.
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Leeds miss out on going back to the top of the table, while Cardiff move up to seventh. That win will give Harris’ men even greater confidence that they can reach the playoffs.
Full-time
Cardiff did the intelligent thing of taking their chances when they arose. Leeds certainly played the better but the Welsh side just had a more pragmatic approach, aided by the visitors gifting the two chances which led to the goals. Bielsa will be doing some head scratching later.
90+4 mins: Pinball in the Cardiff box results in Harrison firing a bouncing ball at goal from five yards out but he sends it high and wide.
90+2 mins: Harrison fires in a cross but it is deflected behind for a corner. Phillips sends in the corner but Nelson heads clear. The ball makes it back into the box, Roberts goes down but the referee is having none of it.
89 mins: Poveda digs out a cross, which takes a deflection towards goal and spins just in front of Smithies who cannot collect. Luckily, for Cardiff, Morrison is in the right place to boot it off the line.
88 mins: Phillips lifts the ball over the defence for Bamford to chase but his outstretched leg just cannot reach the ball. A deeply frustrating game for the Leeds striker.
86 mins: Cardiff now have two left-backs on to face up to Dallas and Poveda, where they see Leeds’ threat coming from. Poveda sends a dangerous ball through into the box but no one in a Leeds shirt can get on the end of it.
82 mins: Klich pulls back Bacuna when the Cardiff make looked to be heading through on goal. Needless to say, the Leeds man has been booked.
Leeds break, with the ball getting to Harrison in the area but Sanderson reads what the winger is trying to do and dispossesses him.
80 mins: Leeds try to work something down the right but they seem to have lost a little edge and Cardiff easily remove the danger.
77 mins: Former Manchester City kid Poveda comes on, replacing Costa. It will be interesting to see if he is capable of changing things.
75 mins: Cardiff fail to clear their lines, with Costa collecting the loose ball in the box, he makes space for himself but scuffs his shot.
Ralls is replaced by Pack in midfield.
73 mins: Leeds’ greatest strength has become their weakness in this game, with sloppy passes leading to both goals.
67 mins: Glatzel holds it up well before laying it off to Ralls but the midfielder’s shot goes well wide.
Digvijay asks: “Out of curiosity, if you were a fan of a club in the PL that got relegated, would you watch them home and away in the Championship?”
No, I work a lot of weekends.
65 mins: Bamford combines with Costa, who then sends it back to the striker but he cannot control the pass, instead shinning it to the goalkeeper. A frustrating day for the Leeds striker.
A double change for Cardiff as Mendez-Laing and Glatzel, replace Paterson and Adomah.
61 mins: WHAT A SAVE! Dallas lifts the ball to the back post for Bamford to knock down to Roberts who charges in and smashes a shot from two yards but Smithies sprints across his line before diving in front of the shot.
59 mins: Bamford really not bringing much to the party here. He hangs around the box but does not really look like he is going to score. Bielsa must long for the days of having Toquero at Athletic Bilbao.
57 mins: Bacuna takes the ball 50 yards up the pitch but is caught by a trailing leg, resulting in Roberts being booked.
Mick McCarthy questions whether Lee Tomlin will be as fit as his teammates following lockdown. His reputation goes before him, it would seem.
55 mins: Paterson is now down after being caught on the back of his head by Ayling when jumping for a header.
53 mins: Paterson has his first chance of the match thanks to a lovely Ralls cross but the striker’s header goes wide.
51 mins: Costa curls in a dangerous low cross from the right with his left foot but it misses everyone and squirms away for a goal kick. More frustration for Leeds.
49 mins: A few robust challenges culminate with three players being left on the turf. Impressively, no one has been booked.
JR is feeling optimistic: “We’re top of the league, top of the leeeeaaaague, West Bromwich Albion, we’re top of the league! I might regret that by the time this game is over but if there’s one thing I’ve learned about supporting a football club is that you have to take every chance to taunt and/or denigrate everyone who supports another club.
“As for Adomah’s yellow, it was because he almost kicked Dallas’s head off, not because Dallas pretended he got kicked. Now Helder Costa, he should have been booked for diving when he got himself in front of Bennett and threw himself to the ground.
“Hang on you Bluebirds!”
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47 mins: If Cardiff win this 4-0, then they will go into the playoff sport but I suspect they would be ecstatic with three points regardless.
Peter Harris says: “Pretty churlish stuff. They didn’t foul their way to the goal . They’ve been very well behaved and Adomah’s booking came about from a piece of acting by Dallas.”
Half-time
Cardiff do not deserve to be ahead but they have taken their one chance of the match, while Leeds have struggled overall in the final third. There might be a few Leeds fans biting nails already.
45+1 mins: OH NO! Roberts flashes a cross into the box, Harrison sends it towards the bottom corner but Bamford is in the way, blocking a certain goal on the line. The assistant then compounds the matter by pointing out that the striker is offside. Not a great few seconds.
45 mins: Harrison belatedly wins a free-kick after being caught by Sanderson. Phillips whips in the set-piece from the left wing but he fails to beat the first man.
Three minutes added on.
43 mins: YELLOW! Adomah is done for a high boot on Dallas. The winger was looking to control the ball before the defender but the referee called it right. Hoilett is booked seconds later for pulling back Ayling.
41 mins: Bielsa must be very excited at the prospect of being able to make five subs in the game.
39 mins: Cardiff will just be looking to hold this lead until the break as the visitors are looking to increase the tempo once again.
37 mins: YELLOW! Costa goes into the book for catching Bennett with the shoulder when jumping for the ball. Bennett needs treatment due to his head injury.
GOAL! Cardiff 1-0 Leeds (Hoilett, 35)
Phillips gives the ball away on the halfway line, Hoilett picks it up, dribbles towards the box and fires a shot from 18 yards which flies into the net. It’s fair to say Cardiff do not deserve the lead.
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34 mins: Costa shows some trickery and earns a corner. Leeds are really dominating here. All they need to do now is threaten the goal!