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Southampton 2 Cardiff City 2 Championship, Tuesday, 13 March 2007 |
» Match reports |
"...Cardiff comeback kings..." The offer of a free ticket sent me hurtling down south to enjoy a day wandering about the, err, highly variable architecture of Southampton - a WW2 bomb-blasted city with a bland 60s city centre stuffed to the gills with shopping malls and multinationals. [See our Southampton photos] But I wasn't here to make notes on post-modernist brutalist architecture and failed 1960s redevelopment schemes - I was to get pissed and cheer on the mighty City! Seeing as I was with a couple of Southampton chums, I remained 'undercover' as we fuelled up in a couple of boozers before wandering off to their shiny St Mary's Stadium. Once inside I had to suffer the emotional turmoil of sitting with the enemy and trying not to attract attention to myself while every bone in my body implored me to leap up and shout, "Blooooooooooooooooooooooooooobirds!"  Built in 2001, St Mary's Stadium replaced Southampton's home for over a 100 years, the Dell.  From the Southamptom FC football club programme. Ooo-err, missus.  The first half was pretty tight, although City didn't seem able to get their game going.  In a well worked free kick, Chris Baird smashed home from outside the box on the half hour.  1-0 to the Saints. I think I was the only person sat down in this part of the ground at this point. No fun.  2-0 to the Saints. Bradley Wright-Phillips scores. Even less fun. 
 The shed-like refreshment area at half time.  City looked a lot brighter in the second half.  Piling on the pressure.  
 2-1! Steven Thompson gets one back for the Bluebirds. I try and look disinterested in the Southampton stand but inside there's deep deep joy.  Goal line clearance.  Like most modern grounds, St Mary's Stadium offers great views but feels a bit corporate, bland and 'Anytown.' The singing from the Cardiff fans (in the centre) was magnificent throughout the game - so much so that even my Saints-loving mate was moved to comment on their passion. The Saints fans in the far corner and to my right gave out a few good tunes too.  We're about to score in a minute! Oh yes!  2-2! With just five minutes on the clock, Whittingham drove home a 30 yard sizzler. While everyone around me screamed in rage and exasperation, I felt a warm glow inside.
 Cardiff cuddle up!  Southampton booking as the stadium resonates to the Cardiff chant of, "2-0, and you fucked it up."  It was all Cardiff for the last few minutes as their superior fitness started to show. If the game had gone on any longer, I reckoned we would have won it. Report/photos: urban75 editor © 2007.
I did not think we turned up in the first half, we were lethargic and did not do anything.
It took us 45 minutes to wake up. I was a bit angry at half-time and the players dared not come back in at full-time unless they got a point. To come to a place like this and fight back from 2-0 down feels like a win. Dave Jones, Cardiff manager. 
Match stats Cardiff: Alexander, McNaughton, Johnson, Loovens (Gunter 66), Whittingham, Parry, Scimeca, McPhail, Ledley, Chopra, Byrne (Thompson 60). Subs Not Used:: Forde, Walton, Green. Booked: McPhail. Goals: Thompson 61, Whittingham 85. Southampton: Davis, Baird, Powell (Makin 46), Lundekvam, Bale, Surman, Pele, Viafara, Skacel (Dyer 65), Saganowski (Best 82), Wright-Phillips. Subs Not Used: Bialkowski, Rasiak. Booked: Viafara, Saganowski, Pele. Goals: Baird 30, Wright-Phillips 44. Attendance: 20,383. » BBC report <Back to match reports index <Back to homepage |
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