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Cardiff City 0 Charlton 0.
Kevin Nolan reports from Cardiff City Stadium.
Cast as bit players on a tumultuous evening when Cardiff City were meant to imperiously clinch promotion to the Premier League, Charlton came close to ruining the script and upstaging the champions-elect. Well before referee Stuart Mathieson blew his final whistle, City had unashamedly settled for the point they needed, with goalkeeper David Marshall clearly under instructions to make a meal of his goal kicks. Confirmation that Watford had lost at Millwall removed the last vestige of doubt and the celebrations duly commenced.
The Addicks had done their sturdy best to prolong the agony. Those of us educated by their record away from home recognised the ingredients of organisation, discipline and plain old bloodyminded stubbornness that have defied so many of their hosts this season. But it’s equally true that despite Cardiff’s domination of possession (59%-41% apparently), it was Charlton who came closer to scoring.
The Bluebirds, still referred to as such despite the contemptible boardroom decision to bin over 100 years of tradition and make a showbusiness change to red, made marginally the better start. Craig Bellamy curled a free kick narrowly too high before Aron Gunnarsson’s clumsy foul on Yann Kermorgant conceded a setpiece 30 yards out, over which Johnnie Jackson thoughtfully deliberated before bending a superb setpiece, which left Marshall groping helplessly but cannoned to safety off his left post. If nothing else, City had been warned that these hardnosed Englishmen had every intention of pooping their promotion party.
Still a potent threat in his football dotage, Bellamy’s duel with Chris Solly, one which Charlton’s imperturbable right back progressively dominated, was a pivotal feature of the first half. Before resorting to his customary Bellamyaching as he disappeared into Solly’s hip pocket, City’s prodigal son moved dangerously on to Gunnarsson’s inviting pass but sidefooted wastefully over the bar. To be fair, it’s impossible to ignore him.
The same could be said of the excellent Solly, who stood alone like Horatio at the bridge as South Korean international Kim Bo-Kyung led a three-on one fast break over the halfway line. With Bellamy and Rudy Gestede in space to his left, Bo-Kyung’s heavy touch was all Solly needed to step in and alertly snuff out the danger.
After Gestede glanced Andrew Taylor’s cross wide, Mathieson’s cockeyed decision that Rhoys Wiggins’ scrupulously fair tackle on Bo-Kyung was in fact a foul, the Blue/Redbirds were provided with a late chance to grab the lead before the interval. Bo-Kyung’s free kick beat a scrambling Ben Hamer but rippled the sidenetting. Justice was seen to be done.
Left back Taylor opened the second period by clipping the outside of the left post from long distance but the visitors were far from toothless themselves; Michael Morrison swivelled gracefully on to Solly’s throw in City’s penalty area before realising where he was and slicing wildly over Marshall’s bar. Hamer’s awkward save at the second attempt from Leon Barnett’s deflected shot kept the sides level before the Addicks again put the wind up their increasingly anxious hosts just past the hour mark.
Turning cleverly on to Solly’s low free kick, Ricardo Fuller moved across Ben Turner to make space for a left-footed drive which was heading inside the left post until Marshall, at full length, brilliantly touched it to safety.
Six minutes later, the increasingly fraught locals erupted in unrestrained joy as Craig Noone headed home Taylor’s cross. Unrestrained that is, until a linesman ruled that he had done so from an offside position. It was almost cruel to witness their despair. As if.
Enough was enough decided City manager Malky Mackay, a decision inspired by the dangerous shot from Callum Harriott which shaved the bar five minutes from the end. A draw suits South Welsh purposes, he concluded, leaves Charlton’s honour intact and everyone a winner of sorts. With a pitch invasion imminent, that included referee Matthieson, clearly complicit in the mutual agreement to shoulder arms. Having alerted players, managers and his fellow officials of his intentions, he blew his final whistle, then burned off speedster Harriott on his everyone-for-himself sprint to sanctuary. Impressively rapid though he was, he was outsmarted by former Swansea City player Mark Gower, whose judicious deployment near the tunnel had him in the showers before the natives could engulf him. This was no place for a “Swansea Jack” to be hanging around. Or anyone else who didn’t know the words of Men of Harlech. We used to sing it at school but you’ll understand that it’s a bit foggy these days. Rousing song, though.
N.B. It was a mischievous quirk of the fixture list that sent Charlton to South Yorkshire (Barnsley) on Saturday, then South Wales (Cardiff) on Tuesday.
Was it my imagination but did both of these mining areas have their backs turned?
Cardiff: Marshall, McNaughton, Turner, Barnett, Taylor, Noone (Smith 72), Mutch, Gunnarsson, Bo-Kyung, Bellamy, Gestede. Not used: Lewis, Whittingham, Cowie, Conway, Mason, Nugent.
Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Dervite, Morrison, Wiggins, Hughes (Gower 81), Pritchard (Green 88), Jackson, Harriott, Kermorgant, Fuller (Obika 81). Not used: Button, Taylor Kerkar, Wilson. Booked: Fuller.
Referee: Stuart Mathieson. Att: 26,338.