HALF TIME FROM NINIAN PARK

From Barnsley FC Website
Posted on: Sun 04 May 2008

CARDIFF CITY 1 (Parry 43)
BARNSLEY 0

BARNSLEY'S defence must already be on their summer holidays as they went walkabout to give Paul Parry the easiest of chances to give City a half time advantage.

With an end of season injury crisis keeping out Stephen Foster, Martin Devaney, Brian Howard and Kayode Odejayi, Reds manager Simon Davey was forced to shuffle his pack as he looked to end the campaign with an away win - his side's third on the spin following their Wembley FA Cup heartbreak against City in early April. Jacob Butterfield, making his full debut, and Istvan Ferenczi came into the starting eleven while youngster Jamil Adam was on the bench alongside Oakwell's forgotten man Dwayne Mattis. Jon Macken skippered the team for the first time as the Reds looked for their first win at Ninian Park since 1983.

There was a late change for the Reds after Daniel Nardiello's return to the Club ended with an injury in the warm up meaning a rare appearance on the bench for Dane Kim Christensen.

Cardiff made just one change from the side that drew with Burnley last week with Parry coming in at the expense of promising youngster Aaron Ramsey. Skipper Darren Purse was included on the bench after City controversially went to the Welsh FA to have his red card against the Clarets overturned.

Referee Clive Penton insisted of putting his mark on the game with just three minutes on the clock when he booked Dennis Souza for handball on the half way line. It was harsh on the Brazilian especially when there was nothing at all riding on the outcome of the game.

City went close to the opening goal just two minutes later when Kevin McNaughton did well to find Jimmy Flloyd Hasselbaink in the area and the Dutchman brought a fine stop from Luke Steele with a well-struck low shot. A slip by Diego Leon gave Hasselbaink another sight of goal on 13 minutes and this time the striker went even closer as he fizzed a shot past Steele but agonisingly an inch wide of his top corner.

Steele had to be at his best again on 16 minutes as Gavin Rae raced past Bobby Hassell and through on goal but the Reds keeper was quickly down to smother the danger. Joe Ledley then had Steele scrambling on 21 minutes as the Bluebirds continued to press as the winger's cross-shot looked to be heading for the top corner but again the keeper was in the right place to save.

Ferenczi eventually gave Peter Enckleman a scare on 23 minutes when the big Hungarian charged down a backpass but the ball cannoned out of play.

Cardiff pushed again and Hassell had to be alert on 25 minutes to hack Stephen McPhail's shot away off the line after the Reds had failed to deal with Ledley's left wing corner.

Jamal Campbell-Ryce fired over on 27 minutes after Hasselbaink had theatrically thrown himself to the ground on half way under the lightest of touches before presenting the ball to the Reds winger. Butterfield then tested his shooting boots three minutes later and brought a smart low save from Enckleman.

Cardiff went even closer on 33 minutes after Rob Kozluk had sliced his clearance out to Peter Whittingham on the edge of the box. The former Aston Villa midfielder smashed it back and Steele could only watch as it crashed off the bar and away to safety.

Steele again kept City at bay two minutes later as he managed to grab Parry's shot after the frontman had let fly from the penalty spot after being played virtually clean through by Ledley. Butterfield then tried to drag his side back into the game on 38 minutes as he found space on the edge of the area and left Enckleman flat-footed but his shot crept wide of the post. Marciano Van Homoet then picked up a yellow card on 40 minutes after tripping Hasselbaink before Rae flashed a shot wide following a scramble on the edge of the Barnsley box a minute later.

Barnsley were cut wide open on 43 minutes as Hasselbaink, McPhail and Ledley were given time and space to carve a path through the heart of the Barnsley defence to give Parry the simplest of tap ins.

CARDIFF CITY: Enckleman, McNaughton, Capaldi, Rae, Loovens, Whittingham, McPhail (c), Parry, Johnson, Ledley, Hasselbaink.
Subs: Oakes, Purse, Sinclair, Thompson, Ramsey.

BARNSLEY: Steele, Van Homoet, Hassell, Souza, Nyatanga, Kozluk, Leon, Butterfield, Campbell-Ryce, Ferenczi, Macken (c).
Subs: Letheren, Togwell, Christensen, Adam, Mattis.

 

Macken Captain?

Strange 1.

Id have picked Bobby myself