CITY 1 CARDIFF 0
City took another stride towards the play-offs with a narrow but well deserved victory over the team immediately below them at the start of play. A measure of Leicester's improvement this season has been the ability to win close games like this one which in the recent past would probably have been a draw at best.
It was difficult to predict how Cardiff would approach this game given their need for points but mindful of their lack-lustre away record. In the event they, like City, were cautious as both sides showed respect for their opponent’s potential. The outcome was a decent game with thoughtful football the order of the day but also a game rather devoid of passion. In boxing parlance both opponents kept their chins well tucked in and avoided being dragged into a knockout contest. So a nominal 4-3-3 for both sides was all too often a 4-5-1.
For City the one was Martin Waghorn who was closely marked throughout and even in one chase matched for pace by his marker the wily veteran, McNaughton. Not one of his best games but he did score the all important goal around the half-hour mark when he latched on to King's deliberate header from a left-wing cross and sent a left-foot shot across keeper, Marshall, into the corner of the net…
For Cardiff their attack centred on Jay Bothroyd who threatened whenever he touched the ball but the lack of support meant that City contained him well. His prospects seemed to have improved when debutant, Bruce, limped off after half an hour with Morrison moving from right back to replace him and Solano coming on a sub.
I have never really considered Nobby to be a full back but he had a good match, usually using the ball to good effect and marking so well that Cardiff managed nothing down their left side all match. Morrison and Hobbs were solid throughout and although Hobbs had to play left centre-back in the absence of the injured Brown, he had an outstanding game.
The first half like the second was shaded by City although the repeat of the slow start made at Sheffield Wed was worrying. Unlike Wednesday, Cardiff failed to capitalise on City's one-paced opening being reduced to shots from outside the penalty area as they were all game. A couple from Whittingham, so often a scorer against us, reminded the crowd that a one goal lead is precarious and the nervousness of the fans in the last few minutes was acute. On the subject of fans Cardiff managed a mere 900 so I can only presume they are as cash-strapped as their team.
You will have realised by now that this was not a match full of goal-mouth incidents though City, in both halves, had little spells of strong pressure, Dyer usually to the fore. In one such spell prior to City's goal Hobbs' excellent header from Gallagher's equally excellent corner beat Marshall all ends up but was cleared off the line.
We came no closer than that apart from the goal but Gallagher was narrowly wide from 30 yards and both Dyer and Gallagher missed very good opportunities in the final moments to make the game safe.
So an invaluable three points gained in a six-point situation. The whole team did well but special mention must be made of Wellens, my man of the match, Dyer whose work-rate was commendable throughout and of course Hobbs.
Cardiff will pose more of a threat on their own patch, particularly if they avoid the habit of requiring the physio at regular intervals. This led to a gentle contretemps in the second half when a Cardiff player needed a lie down and Bothroyd tried half-heartedly to kick the ball out of play. He failed so Wellens did it for him only for the throw to be used by Cardiff to set up an attack.
The crowd with its innate sense of fair play protested vigourously but to no effect so Berner applied rough justice and body-checked the guilty party for a deserved booking. The crowd cheered Bruno to the rafters of course.
The referee generally had a good match though the players made it easy for him by very gentlemanly tackling given what was at stake. He did however miss the attempted strangulation of Vaughan which was a cast-iron penalty. Vaughan, coming on for the last 30 minutes, looked like a poor man's Colleymore and is obviously not match fit but he will add strength to an attack which is often light-weight.
So we now have a cushion in the quest for a play-off place aided as so often this season by the other contenders managing to slip up. Is it written?
City: Weale, Morrison, Bruce (Solano), Hobbs, Berner, Gallagher, Oakley (Vaughan), Wellens, King, Dyer, Waghorn (Howard)
Cardiff: Marshall, McNaughton, Gerrard, Kennedy, Whittingham, McPhail, Burke, Blake, Matthews (Rae), Bothroyd, McCormack
The views expressed in this report are the opinions of the Trust member nominated to file the report only and do not represent the views of the Foxes Trust organisation