Fans/atmopshere

Cardiff has a bad reputation of crowd behaviour, but there was no trouble around. The banter between fans at the back of the terrace was good, although most of them were about 11 years of age. The home crowd were loud at most times of the game, but Luton fans were also noisy despite the low(ish) turnout. No problems before the game, although too much fake Burberry doing the rounds, even had a few beers in a Cardiff pub, full of the aforementioned types!

Day's ratings

Stadium- 8/10 Ninian Park

Home fans – 7/10 good passionate support but quite a few dodgy types about.

Away fans- I expected more to travel, but nevertheless we made up for it in noise generated.

Journey- 2/10 Long and sluggish with the coach driver doing about  25 miles an hour on the motorways. Some of the passengers were undesirable to be with. Saw some nice Welsh scenery though.

Programme- Didn't want a programme with Welsh written on it - didn't purchase, sorry.

Match itself- 8/10 Supporters of both sides and neutrals would have got their money’s worth.

Performance- 8/10 Not an easy place to come and win but we did and played some great passing football aswell.

Star man- Ahmet Brkovic a constant threat on the wing and picked out some lovely long range passes and whipped in some great crosses.

 

 

Cardiff City 1-2 Luton Town

 

---

 

 

Match Report

 

The Hatters' impressive form on the road continued as they bagged 3 points in a good game of football against an unpredictable Cardiff side.  Both sides started lively and on four minutes Bluebirds Kevin Cooper shot into the arms of Beresford. Soon after, Cardiff’s Jason koumas tested Beresford with a 30 yard free kick.

However, just a few minutes later on the nine minute mark when Cameron Jerome held on to the ball outside the area before passing to Ricketts, who’s shot across goal found the bottom corner of the goal sending ‘parc ninian’ crazy.

 

 *GOAL 9 MINUTES BLUEBIRDS 1-0 Hatters.Luton soon got their act together and started to use both wings with great effect, Brkovic crossing numerous times to lanky Howard in the box. But soon after Cardiff’s opener, a Dean Morgan cross found the head of little Warren Feeney who’s header hit the crossbar to the dismay of 600-700 travelling hatters. 

 

It was soon to get better for Mike Newell’s Barmy Army as on 30 minutes, a cross field pass by Brkovic from right wing to left wing found the attacking Dean Morgan,  who on the egde of the area volleyed at goal and looped over stranded Alexander into the bluebirds net after slack defending.

*GOAL 30 minutes Bluebirds 1-1 HATTERS

 After the equaliser both teams settled down and only one real chance from Coyne as his long range shooting this time unfortunately was not up to scratch and blasted over in the lively terrace behind the goal.

 *Half time Cardiff City 1-1 Luton

 

Refreshed from the break, both sides were ready to lock horns together again and a melee in Cardiff area lead to Howard and Holmes having chances but Cardiff’s defence doing their job. On 56 minutes however, another scramble in the box meant the ball fell to Peter Holmes who made it 2-1 to the hatters in his first appearance this season replacing the injured Robinson.
*GOAL 57 minutes Bluebirds 1-2 HATTERS

 Cardiff started to press forward and Darren Purse rattled the cross-bar with a powerful header on 65 minutes. The game was opening up, with Cardiff attacking more now, they left their defence exposed, Howard hitting the post from 25 yards and Alexander making a top save from Morgan’s shot.

 

Unlike most teams, Luton decided not to absorb the Cardiff pressure just yet, they went in search of goal number 3 and Howard steered his header from inside the area excruciatingly wide around the 75^th minute time.

 

In the last ten minutes Cardiff threw the kitchen sink at Luton, even the keeper came up for a corner, and from that corner Ricketts made contact with the ball which looped over Beresford but again clanked the cross-bar. In injury time Ricketts shot over Beresford into an open goal and it would have been 2-2 if it wasn’t for a superb Carlos Edwards clearaway.