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  • Kick-off: 19:45
  • Venue: Ninian Park
  • Attendance: 18506
  • Referee: Foy, C

Live Commentary

90mins

The ref has blown his whistle for full time.

85mins

Cardiff are replacing Paul Parry with Willo Flood.

81mins

Ronnie Wallwork is being taken off, Junichi Inamoto has come on in his place.

73mins

Steven Thompson is replaced by Kevin Campbell.

63mins

West Brom are replacing Jonathan Greening with Richard Chaplow.

61mins

The referee has booked Chris Perry.

61mins

The referee has booked Michael Chopra.

46mins

The second half is under way with the score currently at 1 v 1.

45mins

The ref has blown his whistle for half time.

45mins

The referee has booked Zoltan Gera.

43mins

Nathan Ellington is replaced by Darren Carter.

33mins

Goal!! Cardiff have scored with Riccardo Scimeca putting it in the back of the net.

18mins

Ronnie Wallwork is booked for unsporting behaviour.

4mins

Goal!! Zoltan Gera scores for West Brom.

0mins

It's 7:45pm on Tuesday, August 8th, the match has kicked off.

Match Report

Cardiff suffered a blow before kick-off when skipper Darren Purse was ruled out through injury. Roger Johnson replaced him to make his home debut.

West Brom were at full strength with former Wales international John Hartson leading their line.

Hartson's abrasive style brought two early free-kicks and he also forced Neil Alexander to palm behind an effort for a corner from which the visitors took a fourth minute lead.

When the cross came over it was flicked on and with the Bluebirds defence in a tangle, the ball rebounded off the crossbar and Zoltan Gera was on hand to side-foot into an empty net.

The Bluebirds were finding it difficult to make headway as the Baggies were quicker to the ball in the early stages and stronger in the tackle.

Steven Thompson did fashion a 15th minute chance for stand-in skipper Riccardo Scimeca but the midfielder sliced his shot wide.

The visitors could have doubled their lead in the 28th minute when Nathan Ellington broke free down the right before lashing a shot just inside the near post, but Alexander reacted brilliantly to club the ball behind for a corner.

Kerrea Gilbert came to City's rescue on the half hour when he hacked clear as Hartson was about to pounce.

The Bluebirds went straight back up-field to level with a superbly taken goal on 33 minutes.

Stephen McPhail swung a deep cross to the far post and Scimeca rose to head beyond Swiss keeper Pascal Zuberbuhler and into the corner of the net.

City were now well on top and both Thompson and Joe Ledley went close as the Bluebirds looked to go ahead.

Baggies boss Bryan Robson pulled off Ellington and put on an extra midfielder in Darren Carter three minutes before the break in an effort to stop free-flowing City but it was one-way traffic as the half came to a close.

City started the second period as they finished the first by sending waves of attacks against the Albion rearguard.

Hartson was left to fight a lonely battle up front as the Baggies tried to stem the tide of blue.

Kevin Campbell came on for the tiring Thompson and as the match drew to a close and Michael Chopra struck a first-time effort that whistled past the far post with the keeper rooted to the spot.

Cardiff City Team

West Bromwich Albion Team

Cardiff City

West Bromwich Albion

Corners

105

Fouls

617

Goal attempts

1411

Shots off target

106

Offsides

82

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