By Rogero
January 9 2006

Arsenal did just enough in the first twenty minutes to put the game beyond the Bluebirds at Highbury on Staurday afternoon. Roared on by 6,000 fans the Cardiff team never gave up and deserved the consolation of a late goal.....

In the Premiership, the Arsenal home support is known to be quiet, they don't go in for singing and chanting much. Their argument is they let the football do the talking! Well it worked for the first half when Cardiff were outplayed for large portions especially when the defence was undone for two early goals through Pires.

Having been up since just before 6.00 am, endured a broken down coach just outside Newport ( thanks to all who waved and hooted and the one car who stopped to offer lifts to three of us! ) I feared a hammering after going down 0-2 so early on. But Cardiff rallied and Arsenal seemed happy to sit on their two goal lead, so a goal for the Bluebirds was always going to make things interesting, shame it didn't come ten minutes earlier! 

There was some debate about wether or not the ball actually crossed the line but for once the linesman gave something Cardiff's way and set up a frantic last couple of minutes but in honesty when the Arsenal team needed to hold the ball they did with consumate ease.

So a replay was denied by some last minute heroics by Almunia who saved bravely in the six yard box with boots flying all round him.

The players and fans enjoyed their day out, I for one didn't see any bother whatsoever apart from a couple of CCFC fighting with themselves in the stairwell. But £3.20 a pint - are you having a laugh Arsenal?!

The teams lined up as follows...

Arsenal: Almunia, Lauren, Senderos, Djourou, Gilbert, Pires, Silva, Flamini, Reyes (Owusu-Abeyie 45), Bergkamp, Van Persie (Larsson 77). Subs Not Used: Poom, Hleb, Lupoli. Booked: Senderos.

Goals: Pires 6, 18.

Cardiff: Alexander, Weston, Loovens (Koskela 64), Purse, Cox, Barker, Ardley, Cooper (Lee 89), Whitley, Ledley, Jerome. Subs Not Used: Margetson, Darlington, Mulryne. Booked: Whitley, Loovens.

Goals: Jerome 87.

Att: 36,552 Referee: M Atkinson (W Yorkshire).