By Chris O'Brien
April 22 2005

Neal Ardley's second-half equaliser, his first goal for the club, earned the Bluebirds an undeserved point at Leicester City. The result goes along way for the Bluebirds, as the scrap against the Football League Championship relegation zone continues.

Cardiff City game themselves a huge boost in the relegation scrap with a crucial point at the Walkers Stadium against fellow strugglers Leicester City. The Bluebirds put in a courageous second-half performance to come from behind and give themselves a lifeline as the Football League Championship campaign reaches its climax.

Things didn't look good for the Bluebirds with the Foxes quickly grabbing the initiative during a one-sided opening period. On their first visit to Leicester's new ground, Lennie Lawrence's side were woeful at the back and the hosts would have been disappointed not to put the game beyond doubt after failing to create and finish opportunities throughout the opening 45 minutes.

Cardiff attacking options were limited. The long ball oozed connotations of Fourth Division struggles of yesteryear, with City over reliant on Cameron Jerome and Peter Thorne in the final third. Creativity was missing from the performance, with Jobi McAnuff particularly inept, and the vocal band of travelling South Walians would have been expecting a third consecutive defeat as former Bluebirds target David Connolly gave the hosts a deserved first-half advantage. Connolly sent a superb left-footed drive from an acute angle past an otherwise faultless Neil Alexander to send Leicester into the lead.

Lennie Lawrence's half-time team talks are not usually call for inspiration, yet the dynamic Bluebirds boss obviously said something right at the interval with a rejuvenated Cardiff impressing in the second-half. Neil Ardley, on a short-term contract in South Wales, netted the equaliser ten minutes into the second-half with an extraordinary free-kick. A curling free-kick from just outside the box eluded England international Ian Walker and secured that the former Watford man got his first goal for the club.

Cardiff's stunning start to the second-half rocked the hosts who took a more negative approach. Both teams looked terrified to lose, but chances were still common. Dion Dublin had perhaps the best chance to win the game as his effort shattered the woodwork, with James Collins' header nearly winning the game for City in the closing seconds. Gutsy Cardiff didn't deserve the point, but it was well fought and will ease the relegation worry substantially.

Craig Levein's men finished the game with only 10-men after Nikos Dabizas was dismissed for what looked a very harsh decision. The ex-Heart of Midlothian chief was fuming as his centre-half was sent-off for a second bookable offence when it was evident that he had won the ball in a midfield challenge. Nevertheless, the decision didn't seem to change the destiny of the game as the Bluebirds held on for a point.

The result moves Cardiff up to 20th, one point above the bottom three but with a far superior goal difference of minus six. City now have their survival chances firmly in their own hands, and could effectively lose their final three games and still avoid the dreaded drop. However, most fans project four points as what is needed for certain survival, with Reading rolling on down to Ninian Park this Saturday.

Full Time - Leicester City 1-1 Cardiff City
Attendance - 21,336

Leicester City: Walker, Kenton (Stearman 82), Dabizas, McCarthy, Maybury, Hughes (Gillespie 86), Williams, Nalis, Tiatto, Connolly (de Vries 90), Dublin. Subs Not Used: Moore, Hirschfeld.

Cardiff City: Alexander, Vidmar, Collins, Gabbidon, Barker, Ardley (Ledley 90), Boland, Langley, McAnuff, Thorne, Jerome (Lee 64). Subs Not Used: Margetson, Parry, Williams.