by Tom Pritchard
CARDIFF City edged out struggling Stoke City 1-0 in a tense affair in south Wales to give new manager Neil Harris his first win.
Harris took over from Neil Warnock earlier this month after the 70-year-old left the club by mutual consent.
Leandro Bacuna’s 11th minute strike – his first for the Bluebirds – was enough to see them take all three points and move up to 10th place in the Championship.
Stoke boss Michael O’Neill suffered his first defeat in what was his third game in charge.
The Potters remain 23rd in the table, having won just four of their 18 encounters to date.
The Bluebirds went ahead when Lee Peltier’s throw-in was flicked on by Gary Madine in to the path of the alert Bacuna, whose powerful effort gave Jack Butland no chance at the near post.
Madine, making just his second start of the season for Cardiff, showcased what he could offer to the team with his ability to hold the ball up and bring in other players around him.
Stoke saw plenty of the ball in the early stages – a result of their new style of play under O’Neill – but were unable to craft out any clear-cut chances in the first-half. Their best opportunity came when Tom Ince’s free-kick from just outside the area went narrowly over the crossbar.
The hosts looked threatening going forward, with Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s cross just evading Junior Hoilett as they pushed for a second goal.
Harris’ side had much more of a cutting edge and purpose to their play going forward, and they nearly doubled their lead when Tomlin’s ball picked out Madine, who was denied by a sharp save from Butland after poking his effort on goal from just yards out.
Cardiff had won just once in their previous five games, while Stoke had only managed two victories, and both sides were clearly lacking confidence.
The Potters could have equalised when Sam Clucas, the former Swansea midfielder who received a hostile reception from the home crowd, had his shot blocked inside the area. The rebound fell to left-back Stephen Ward, whose powerful effort from the left side of the area was deflected behind for a corner.
Joe Allen, who was returning to the Cardiff City Stadium after his heroics with Wales last week, nearly profited from a Lee Gregory flick-on, but Bluebirds defender Curtis Nelson was able to block his path.
Ince shot narrowly wide at the beginning of the second-half, unable to direct his left-footed curling effort into the left corner of the goal.
The 27-year-old former Blackpool man had another opportunity from a close-range free-kick, but was unable to to beat the wall. The ball found its way to Ince, who was unable to compose himself and fired a tame effort at Neil Etheridge.
Lee Tomlin, returning to the starting 11 in place of Callum Paterson, had his shot from inside the area – which took a deflection – saved by Butland, before the Potters stopper pushed the attacking midfielder’s rebounded effort behind.
Bacuna came close to scoring a second when his shot from 20 yards out went just wide of the right post. The Curaçao international was at the heart of everything the Bluebirds did well.
After failing to get his foot to a ball played into the area, Lee Peltier did well to recover and block Clucas’ attempt, which would surely have forced a save from Etheridge.
Tomlin was Cardiff’s most likeliest source of danger going forward, and caused Stoke more problems as he dribbled his way towards the penalty area. The 30-year-old went down just outside the box, claiming he was pushed, but was instead shown a yellow card for diving by referee Gavin Ward.
The Bluebirds’ failure to kill the game off with a second goal meant the closing stages were nerve-wracking, but they were able to hold on against a Potters team who looked bereft of ideas in attack.
Cardiff City (4-2-3-1): Neil Etheridge, Lee Peltier, Curtis Nelson, Aden Flint, Joe Bennett, Marlon Pack (C), Leandro Bacuna, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing (Callum Paterson 74′), Junior Hoilett, Lee Tomlin (Will Vaulks 82′), Gary Madine (Omar Bogle 60′)
Substitutes not used: Alex Smithies, Sean Morrison, Cameron Coxe, Josh Murphy
Stoke City (4-5-1): Jack Butland, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Danny Batth, Bruno Martins Indi, Stephen Ward, Tom Ince, Badou Ndiaye (Nick Powell 70′), Ryan Woods, Joe Allen (C), Sam Clucas (Scott Hogan 82′), Lee Gregory (Sam Vokes 58′)
Substitutes not used: Adam Federici, Tom Edwards, Peter Etebo, Mame Biram Diouf
Bookings: Ryan Woods (61′), Lee Tomlin (81′)
Attendance: 20,884
