By Mackenzie Thomas
Cardiff City strengthened their grip on Championship status for another season after securing a morale-boosting 2-0 victory against Coventry City at the Cardiff City Stadium.
A superb solo goal from teenager Joel Bagan, and some individual brilliance from substitute Mark Harris rounded off an impressive victory for the Bluebirds.
Despite a number of Coventry attacks in the second half, Cardiff made it three wins from three at home, dampening the away side’s hopes of making a late swoop for the play-offs.
It was a night that showed little indication of any hangover from Cardiff’s disappointing defeat to Millwall on the weekend, with a superb second-half showing topping off a fine result in the capital.
Academy graduate Eli King was handed his full league debut on the right side of City’s midfield while Max Watters and Will Vaulks returned to the fold in place of Mark Harris, Dom Doyle and Jordan Hugill. There was a place for Joe Ralls on the home bench, too.
Isaak Davies and Watters both started in an attack that also included Ryan Wintle as Cardiff looked for a repeat of their triumph over Peterborough seven days earlier.
Clear cut chances were at a premium early on as neither gained a real foothold in the game.
A brief opportunity, however, did come for the home side just three minutes in. A delightful cross from Bagan found the head of Watters whose header was saved well by Simon Moore.
It was a chance that sparked huge controversy as to whether the ball had crossed the line or not, following the ball stinging the fingertips and cannoning off the wet gloves of the visiting goalkeeper.
Coventry did hit back midway through the first half. A great pass from Ben Sheaf to Callum O’Hare carved open the Bluebirds midfield. O’Hare drove into the City box before unleashing a right-footed effort that whistled just wide of the post.
Vaulks, who returned to the starting XI for the first time in two games, nearly provided Max Watters with City’s opening goal. The midfielder threaded a clever ball in behind the Robins defence, only for that man Moore to make a strong diving save once again.
In a move to change things offensively, Morrison made an early substitution just before the interval. Jordan Hugill was introduced in place of Watters who had City’s only two opportunities of the first half.
The home side provided late pressure towards the end of the first half, two consecutive corners from Will Vaulks endangered the Robins backline – the latter seeing Aden Flint head down for Vaulks who got a snatched shot away.
With Mark Robbin’s men sitting deeper after the restart, Cardiff controlled proceedings. The Robins continuously coughed up possession which allowed the home side to commit bodies to attacks.
Just minutes into the second half City had a glorious opportunity to take the lead.
After Isaak Davies won the ball high up the pitch, both himself and Hugill showed brilliant interchange in the final third. Davies picked out Hugill with a near-post run but he couldn’t quite make the appropriate contact.
It was the wingbacks who were the hosts’ main attacking outlet, and it was Bagan who finally unlocked Coventry’s defence in the 72ndminute. He cut inside past his marker before curling a delicious right-footed strike into the far corner.
Soon after, an instinctive reaction stop by Alex Smithies then prevented Viktor Gyökeres from volleying O’Hare’s delivery home, but the same duo combined to continue creating further chances for the away side.
But with four minutes of normal time to play substitute Mark Harris made an immediate impact and found Cardiff City’s second of the game.
After breaking the channels on several occasions prior to the goal, his work finally paid off as he showed great trickery up to fend off a number of players before firing a low and hard strike across the advancing goalkeeper.
Cardiff City: Smithies; Ng, Flint, McGuinness; Drameh, Wintle, Vaulks, King (Doyle 52), Bagan; Watters (Hugill 37), Davies (Harris 80).
Subs: Phillips, Denham, Ralls, Ikpeazu.
Coventry City: Moore; Hyam, Rose (Clarke-Salter 57), McFadzean; Kane (Maatsen 74), Allen, Sheaf, Bidwell; O’Hare, Shipley; Gyokeres.
Subs: Wilson, Jones, Waghorn, Tavares, Howley.
Attendance: 18,860