Better From The Bluebirds

In the end, Cardiff City could only take a point against Blackburn Rovers, but it was a much improved team display to what we have been used to over the past couple of months. There were two changes to the city side that were under par against Brighton last week, with Eoin Doyle and Matthew Kennedy coming in for Stuart O Keffe and Conor Mcaleny.
Before the game, I felt fairly optimistic, going for a 1-1 draw when asked by my Dad. City old boys Rudy Gestede and Craig Conway lined up for Blackburn, and Gestede won most headers during the match. It was good to see them receive  nice reception form the bluebirds faithful.
We started the game on the front foot without creating any clear cut chances. Our passing was crisper and we were moving the ball to wide areas more frequently, instead of the routine hoof up to Kenwyne Jones. The exciting strike partnership of Eoin Doyle and Jones was showing some nice touches, with Kenwyne winning flick-ons a lot when the ball was in the air. Rovers didn't really settle into the game in the first half, and they were a stark contrast from the team that beat Stoke on Saturday.
City's danger man was new boy Matthew Kennedy who was direct and dangerous throughout. He took on his full back on numerous occasions and injected some much needed pace into the side. It was really good to see a player who knew when to run and pass. He did the simple things so well.
The first half ended with no goals, but it was a much improved performance. Eoin Doyle had a shot cleared off the line in the middle of the half. Our play was more fluent, but if I was being picky, I would have liked to have seen us create a few more chances.
The second half started with Blackburn controlling the play a lot more than in the first period. For 5 minutes, we had to defend and weather the storm, but the visitors never really looked like scoring.
The second half was pretty even, but I felt we just shaded it. Peter Whittingham controlled the game, something we haven't seen from him for a while. Kennedy carried o looking potent, and Lee Peltier put in a solid performance.
In the 84th minute, Sean Morrison headed past the Blackburn goalkeeper, Steele, to send the Cardiff City Stadium into raptures. But just when I thought we were heading for precious three points, a defensive blunder cost us the win. Scott Malone took one for the team with a heroic goal line clearance to prevent a certain goal, only for team mate Craig Noone to slip and put the goal on a plate for ex city man Rudy Gestede to finish. My heart sank a million miles!
In the end, the points were shared, but it was great to see city put in a good display and the crowd getting behind them. It's been a long time since I enjoyed a game at the Cardiff City Stadium like I did yesterday. New head coach Paul Trollope certainly made a difference technically, with less "hoofball" tactics being implemented.
We face a tough game away at Huddersfield on Saturday. It certainly won't be easy, but I definitely see this as a game we can get something out of. We need to carry on with these positive tactics in the coming weeks, and I think it's vital that we see a similar side to last night being used.