Bluebirds boost bid with Watford win

21 March 2010 17:12
The hosts had endured a poor run of form in recent weeks, losing four of their past six games, but Sunday's Championship win moves the sixth-placed Bluebirds five points clear of Sheffield United, who visit the Welsh capital on Wednesday, with a game in hand.[LNB]An excellent strike from McCormack, meeting a Whittingham corner, had given Cardiff an early lead.[LNB]From that point, the relegation-threatened Hornets were the better side but they were punished for a failure to take their chances when Whittingham headed in his 21st goal of the season after 63 minutes.[LNB]Burke added a third after a fine run in the 78th minute before Heidar Helguson got a late consolation for Watford.[LNB]The Bluebirds were without defender Kevin McNaughton, who was ruled out with a thigh injury, while Anthony Gerrard was also an absentee with a calf strain. Striker Michael Chopra returned from a two-match suspension on the bench with Gabor Gyepes fit to start at the back.[LNB]Watford were without centre-back Jay DeMerit and midfielder Henri Lansbury after they suffered back and hip injuries respectively. Lee Hodson came in for DeMerit with Adrian Mariappa moving into the centre of defence.[LNB]The home side have relied heavily on Whittingham's goals from midfield this season, but he turned creator to give Dave Jones' side the perfect start in the seventh minute.[LNB]His pinpoint corner to the far edge of the penalty area found McCormack and the striker showed excellent technique to meet the ball on the half-volley and flash a low strike beyond Scott Loach for his fourth goal of the season.[LNB]Watford had made a timid start and the goal seemed to stun them into action with Will Hoskins seeing his spectacular overhead effort go just over the crossbar from a Don Cowie corner.[LNB]The visitors' best chance of an equaliser looked to be from their set-piece with Helguson seeing his 24th-minute header deflected wide before Martin Taylor hit the post from the next corner, with Cardiff keeper David Marshall relieved to recover the loose ball.[LNB]Watford continued to pile on the pressure, much to the frustration of the home faithful and, after yet another corner, captain John Eustace looped a header of the crossbar.[LNB]Tom Cleverley then freed Hoskins down the right and it took a superb clearance from Paul Quinn to deny Helguson a simple tap-in when the ball was eventually fired across the box.[LNB]Jones brought Tony Capaldi on for Mark Kennedy at the interval to give the former Plymouth man his 200th career league appearance.[LNB]But the change made little difference to the pattern of the game with Hoskins continuing to prove a real handful for Gyepes and Darcy Blake in the Cardiff defence.[LNB]But Whittingham eased Cardiff's nerves as the Bluebirds grabbed their second goal in the 63rd minute.[LNB]Burke, who had been making little impact on the right flank, produced a high cross to the far post and Whittingham showed his strength to head the ball past a flat-footed Loach.[LNB]And it almost became 3-0 as Loach denied City skipper Jay Bothroyd by keeping out his header with an acrobatic save.[LNB]But Loach was beaten moments later when Burke embarked on a mazy run from the halfway line and, after briefly losing control, fired a low shot into the net.[LNB]Watford then got a deserved consolation late on as Helguson fired a fine shot beyond Marshall in injury time.[LNB][LNB]

Source: Team_Talk