by Jack Cook
EFL Championship: Cardiff City QPR
Date: Wednesday January 20, 2021
Kick Off: 19:00
Venue: Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff
CHRIS Wilcock’s goal for QPR saw the visitors take home all three points against a lacklustre Cardiff City.
Neil Harris now sees his side lose six games in a row with the pressure mountain on the Bluebirds boss.
Early shout for a handball inside the first 5 minutes for QPR as the ball seem to strike the arm of Captain Sean Morrison inside the penalty area, but nothing was given.
QPR’s first chance of the game came through star striker Charlie Austin as the forward nicely set himself up for a volley from the cross to him, but the volley went over the bar.
The returning Kieffer Moore goes close for Cardiff’s first chance of the game. He headed just wide from a Will Vaulks long throw in.
Cardiff midfielder Joe Ralls did well to get behind the QPR defence and find space to get his shot off but was straight at QPR’s keeper Seny Dieng
Good double save from Seny Dieng to keep the game level. After Ralls shot was initially blocked. The ball bounced back to Perry Ng who was waiting on the edge of the box, but his shot was saved and so was the rebounded effort from the off balanced Sean Morrison.
The second half started off slowly with both teams not creating the best of chances. Harry Wilson’s shot from distance was the best chance early in the second half from both sides, but the effort was comfortably saved by Dieng.
QPR had the ball in the back of the net but was disallowed after good build up play from QPR which had Ilias Chair one on one with the Keeper but the balled bounced off Keeper Alex Smithies after his initial save. The ball bounced up to Charlie Austin who turned the ball into the back of the net but was ruled out after a high foot from Austin.
QPR finally had the ball in the back of the net thanks to Chris Wilcock after poor defending from Cardiff from a throw in allowed the ball into the box and the ball was laid off for Wilcock which put the visitors ahead.
Brilliant save from Alex Smithies kept the deficit to one goal, after a good corner was whipped into the box and met nicely by substitute Macauley Bonne, but Smithies reacted quickly to save the close range header.
A chance for Cardiff from a close range free kick which was hit by Leandro Bacuna but met with a good save from Dieng.
Late chance from the Bluebirds as Cardiff looked to find an equaliser. As a good cross by Sheyi Ojo found Kieffer Moore at the back post but his headed attempt was again saved by Dieng.
This result means that the Bluebirds remain in 15th in the league and QPR climb up to 17 two points behind Cardiff City.
Star players:
Chris Wilcock and Seny Dieng (QPR)
Key incidents:
36’ Yellow card for Yoann Barbet (QPR)
47’ Yellow Card for Geoff Cameron (QPR)
71’ Goal for Chris Wilcock (QPR)
89’ Yellow card for Ilias Chair (QPR)
Cardiff – Alex Smithies, Perry Ng (Robert Glatzel, 75), Sean Morrison (C), Curtis Nelson, Joe Bennett, Leandro Bacuna, Will Vaulks (Sheyi Ojo,75), Joe Ralls, Harry Wilson (Josh Murphy,84), Max Watters (Mark Harris, 54), Kieffer Moore
Substitutes- Dillon Phillips, Joel Bagan, Tom Sang, Keenan Patten, Sheyi Ojo, Junior Hoilett, Josh Murphy, Mark Harris, Robert Glatzel
QPR – Seny Dieng, Todd Kane, Rob Dickie, Geoff Cameron (C), Yoann Barbet, Niko Hämäläinen, Dominic Ball, Chris Wilcock (Osman Kakay,82), Ilias Chair, Lyndon Dykes, Charlie Austin (Macauley Bonne, 69)
Substitutes – Joe Lumley, Osman Kakay, Macauley Bonne, George Thomas, Conor Masterson, Stephen Duke-McKenna, Faysal Bettache, Charlie Kelman, Albert Adam
