‘Our fans would have loved that’, says Harris
CARDIFF City delivered their second resounding victory in a row, beating Huddersfield 3-0 after manager Neil Harris named the same team that started against Luton.
Harris said: “The players who started deserved to go again, on the back of a dominant performance against Luton. “
Cardiff played direct football, putting Huddersfield’s defensive organisation to the test early on. Will Vaulks’ long throw-ins gave the Cardiff forwards the chance to win some early headers in the opposition box, and these long throws caused problems throughout the game.
Huddersfield, meanwhile, looked to keep hold of the ball and had 66% of possession in the game. The three centre backs passed the ball between them and tried to create chances with diagonal passes to runners down the flank, but with limited success.
The Bluebirds worked hard throughout, the forwards harassing the Huddersfield back line when they were out of possession and making it difficult for the Terriers’ defenders to settle on the ball.
Winger Sheyi Ojo was at the heart of many of Cardiff’s best moments in the first half. On the 29th minute, he found himself with some space on the right of the Huddersfield box, and flicked an aerial ball across the face of goal. It reached the head of Moore, who nodded it towards the far post but the onrushing Mark Harris was unable to connect with the ball and it ran out of play.
Ojo had greater success on the left wing on the 35th minute. He found himself with the ball on the edge of the box, being blocked by a fullback. His slight shimmy gave him a small amount of space, and he hit a low cross which found Moore, who finished calmly past the goalkeeper, making it 1-0.
Cardiff continued to press Huddersfield after going ahead, and the Bluebirds seemed more comfortable with the system that they were playing in than their opponents.
Half-time Cardiff City 1-0 Huddersfield Town
As the second half began, Huddersfield started to play with more urgency. Their centre backs began to drive into the midfield when in possession, and winger Josh Koroma began to regularly receive the ball in space on the left wing.
Huddersfield’s tempo and their shape in attack were both an improvement on the first half, and they began to create some half-chances. The best of these chances came when Koroma shot from the left side of the Cardiff box towards the near post, but his effort was well saved by Smithies.
It looked like it might be difficult for Cardiff to hang onto their lead, but they remained organised and energetic in defence.
They received fresh impetus in attack with the arrival of Junior Hoilett on the 62nd minute, and his hard work led to a goal just six minutes after he came on.
Huddersfield keeper Ben Hamer passed the ball out to centre back Naby Sarr, who was immediately closed down by Hoilett.
Sarr tried to dribble the ball out from inside his own box, but he lost his footing, allowing Hoilett to nip the ball away from him. He squared it to Moore, who tapped it in easily for his second of the evening and his seventh in the league this season.
Cardiff did not press so intensely after scoring their second, dropping deeper into their own half.
This allowed Huddersfield to have much of the possession once more, but they remained unable to capitalise on this, and for the Bluebirds it was a case of remaining organised and not making mistakes.
Cardiff found themselves in the opposition half again late in the game, and scored another goal to settle the result. Given plenty of space on the edge of the box, Ojo was able to find substitute Robert Glatzel with a pass behind Huddersfield’s defensive line, and the striker fired in to make it 3-0.
Full-time Cardiff City 3-0 Huddersfield Town
“It was a strong performance in different ways. We knew Huddersfield were going to have the ball for large percentages, with 60 or 70% of possession. We knew they would make us run, but the players were ready for it,” said Neil Harris after the home game.
“The players who started deserved to go again, on the back of a dominant performance against Luton. I thought it was an extremely strong, disciplined performance without the football, and then with the ball we asked so many questions of our opponent.
“I think our fanbase would have loved that today. We had our backs to the wall without much the ball, and we had to be disciplined. But then, on the turnover, we did it with cleverness but real aggression and force at times, and our fans would have loved that.”
Cardiff have now recorded consecutive victories for the first time this season, as well as keeping two clean sheets in a row.
This result means that Cardiff are now 11th in the table, just six points from the play-off positions.
On Saturday they travel to Watford, who are fifth in the table.
