Chris and I arrived back in the UK on Thursday morning after the disappointing Braga result and a tough away trip already beckoned but first things first it was back to work on the Friday. It was on that day that my eldest son Jonny called up and asked about timings for the Cardiff trip. Jonny is studying Biological Science at The University of West England in Bristol so I had arranged a few weeks ago to pick him up on the way through. When I had ordered the tickets I had got it into my head that we were playing Blackpool the weekend after Braga and not the weekend before. This had come about from a conversation that I’d had with Chris when we had both agreed that a trip to the seaside so close to three days in Portugal was not a good idea as our respective wives would probably divorce us. I had solemnly promised Mrs Bazza that I would give a couple of weekends in December a miss because there are things that need to be finished on the DIY front before we receive relatives for Christmas. Much as I hate missing games I had reluctantly agreed given that she is generally tolerant of my obsession of all things Blues. Missing out on Blackpool was bearable in view of the distance involved from the south of England and the time investment to go. Of course we had played Blackpool by the time of the Braga trip but with everything going on it had failed to register that I had got the weekends mixed up. We were not away at Blackpool with Cardiff next week; in short I had screwed up big time and I now had to break it to my wife that I had tickets to Sunday’s game in Wales having only been back a day!
“Don’t shout” I said, when I got back on Friday evening from work. “Why, what have you done?” replied my missus adding that it depended entirely what it was she was about to shout at me about. I tried as gently as I could to explain the circumstances of my mistake but before the tale was told we had a scene reminiscent of the Standard Fireworks Advert with all the oohs and arghs. The blue touch paper was well and truly lit and yes readers she shouted and I was left in no doubt as to the error of my ways! 🙁
I promised that I would get all the jobs that she wanted done on the Saturday which mainly involved ripping out some fitted wardrobes from our bedroom that my beloved has always hated to make way for other units that she does like. She was adamant that it wouldn’t get done and there was no chance and my longevity was in severe question when it wasn’t completed etc. I’m glad to say that the tasks set were all done on the Saturday as those of us who have done these things know that it is so much easier to dismantle than to build. Folding her arms and looking at me severely, Mrs Bazza gave me a load of goodies to take to our eldest son for his comfort on Sunday morning and remarked that she may be at home when I returned but it was touch and go. Chastened, I set off for Bristol and reached Jonny’s place mid-morning. Now Jonny has a VW Polo which actually belongs to me and I obtained originally for going to football in as it is relatively economical to run. Jonny asked to borrow it to take his kit down to Bristol at the start of term and that he would bring it back soon. Yeah right! Moreover, Mrs Bazza soft talked me into leaving him with it for the first term at least until he found his feet so my idea of keeping high mileage off my other car fell on stony ground. I had said to Jonny that we would go on to Cardiff in the Polo rather than mine. We got in, Jonny turned the key and it wouldn’t start. Now I expected that he wouldn’t have much petrol in the Polo but I had expected that he would have enough to get to the garage at least; yes you guessed it – empty! So off we went in my car with my rebukes ringing in Jonny’s ears.
We parked up opposite Cardiff’s new swanky stadium and got in just as the teams had kicked off. This match was to be honest pretty non-descript in the first half. Miller had the first chance of the game for Cardiff, heading wide from 12 yards following Lee Naylor’s cross from the left after four minutes. Birmingham took 10 minutes to mount their first serious attack when a chance fell to Nikola Zigic who was unable to direct his header from Marlon King’s centre on target. This has come as little surprise in recent times and it amazes me that for such a tall bloke how unproductive Zigic is in the air with the goal in sight. Aron Gunnarsson shot high and wide from distance for Cardiff to the jeers of the travelling faithful assembled behind the goal. Chances were few and far between and generally from distance with little to trouble either keeper. Myhill made the first save of any note from the first shot on target from Whittingham but it was comfortable for all that.
Birmingham although comfortable throughout the first half produced little of note themselves and Zigic wasted their best chance just before the break when he headed over the bar from Chris Burke’s corner when well placed. The big Serbian seemed to be a magnet for the few chances Blues created and blew by far the best chance we were to get all game just after the interval when he found himself 15 yards out with an opportunity to shoot across the keeper. Inexplicably he tried to square it to King who was marked anyway and even then he put the pass behind him and the ball was hoofed clear. At least the second half was better than the first with both teams looking a little more interested in moving the ball about effectively. Whittingham shot over from the edge of the area whilst Burke headed straight at Marshall at the other end. Frankly the game had 0-0 written all over it until Davies challenged Miller on the edge of the box on 63 minutes. The striker had cleverly got the wrong side of the defender and would have been clean through had Davies not upended him. A red card was inevitable and despite Chris Hughton’s protests that the decision was harsh, I don’t think the referee had much choice. Whittingham smashed the free-kick against Myhill’s right-hand post with the keeper beaten. This lucky escape was short-lived I’m afraid when Pablo Ibanez who had come on for Davies headed a tame clearance from a cross that presented little danger straight into the path of the onrushing Miller who had gambled with the primary intention of putting the substitute centre-half under pressure. The ball hit the striker in the midriff and could not have bounced more kindly in front of him. The Cardiff man was like a kid in a sweet shop as he gleefully netted from six yards with a chasm of goal to aim at past Myhill. Cardiff capitalized on their fortunate break and frankly the game was over as a spectacle. Exploiting the numerical advantage they dominated from then on and could easily have increased their advantage with better finishing.
The sending off was the turning point in this game but Zigic’s failure to take the best chance for Blues early in the second half was instrumental in denying Birmingham a draw that on balance they probably deserved. I expected more from Cardiff given that they are third in the League and one has to surmise that this was not one of their better performances at home. However, Birmingham probably have to take credit for that in that they kept the hosts at arm’s length for most of the game and I am certain that had it remained eleven a side, a draw would have resulted.
The Good: It was good to spend time with my lad. The Polo started first time when we got back to it with some petrol.
The Bad: Conceding such a soft goal. It was a gift and probably the only way Cardiff were going to score. They hadn’t looked like they were going to up until then, Whittingham’s free kick aside.
The Ugly: Curtis Davies’ challenge; it was clumsy and despite Miller making a meal of it, deserving of dismissal.
Cardiff City: David Marshall 6, Lee Naylor 7, Ben Turner 8, Anthony Gerrard 6, (Mark Hudson 55, 6 ) Kevin McNaughton 6, Filip Kiss 6, (Joe Mason 67, 6) Aron Gunnarsson 7, (Joe Ralls 48, 6) Don Cowie 6, Peter Whittingham 7, Craig Conway 6, Kenny Miller 6.
Subs not used: Tom Heaton, Robert Earnshaw
Birmingham City: Boaz Myhill 6, Stephen Carr 7, Jonathan Spector 6, (Wood 75, 5) David Murphy 6, Steven Caldwell 7, Curtis Davies 5, Chris Burke 4, Keith Fahey 5, Nikola Zigic 4, (Pablo Ibanez 64, 4) Jean Beausejour 4, (Wade Elliott 73, 5) Marlon King 5.
Subs not used: ColinDoyle, Guirane N’Daw
Referee: Anthony Taylor 5; Reasonable in the first half, poor in the second although he got the key decision of the game correct in my opinion.
Attendance: 22,010
Bookings: Lee Naylor – Cardiff
Curtis Davies, Curtis Davies (sent off), Wade Elliott, Chris Burke – Blues.
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