Romaine Wrecks Royals!

Despite dominating for large sections of this game, Cardiff City had to rely on a super strike from Romaine Sawyers during injury time to clinch a much needed victory in their battle to avoid relegation.

Cardiff City had finally felt the ’New Manager Bounce’ with a midweek away win over Birmingham City after new boss Sabri Lomouchi had tasted defeat in his three previous outings.

Paul Ince’s Reading were next up on a rainy night in South Wales in front of the Sky TV cameras.

Lamouchi stuck largely with the side who had triumphed at St Andrews but gave goal scorer Calllum Robinson a place in an attacking looking starting line-up. New signing Connor Wickham began on the bench.

The Royals were skippered by the experienced Andy Carroll. The pacey Femi Azeez also started along with former Bluebird Junior Hoilett. Tom Ince was amongst the substitutes named by his father for the game.

Carroll showed all his experience in the opening seconds, roughing up defender Perry Ng in an untidy display of hand to hand combat.

The home side were keen to move the ball forward; Sory Kaba heading narrowly past the woodwork after neat work by Jaden Philogene.

Robinson and Philogene were full of flicks and tricks as the home side looked a wholly different outfit from their dreary display against Middlesbrough in the previous home game. Ryan Wintle was an influential force in the middle of the park.

Kaba was proving quite a handful for Ince’s men, with Kion Etete not far behind him. Philogene was on fire!

Reading finally made an impact on the game after 23 minutes as defender Tom McIntyre headed over Ryan Allsop’s goal.

Scott Dann was booked though for pulling back Etete as the home side pushed forward again. From the free kick Ng almost repeated his goal against Birmingham with a superb strike.

Reading really were struggling to keep the Bluebirds out but the goal would not quite come. Robinson almost capitalised on some sloppy defending but couldn’t untangle his feet in front of goal.

Ince looked an increasingly frustrated figure on the touchline as nothing seemed to go right for his men in pink. The home side continued to threaten as the interval approached.

Reading had struggled to contain the Bluebirds’ trickery and flair and could consider themselves fortunate to go off level at the break.

Philogene blazed a shot over on 50 minutes but this was a more determined looking Reading side who saw more of the ball than earlier.

Wickham replaced Kaba for his home debut. Yakou Méïté  joined the play for the visitors in exchange for Azeez.

Mist and fine rain hovered all about the stands as the two sides fought out something of  a stalemate now. Sheyi Ojo and Ince jnr. took the field for either side.

Cardiff had an almighty let off on 67 minutes as Allsop lost control of his footwork inches from the goal but Méïté  could not take advantage.

Both sides forced a series of corners but the goals would not come. Cardiff changed things a little by replacing Etete with Joe Ralls.

Wickham shot crisply at Joe Lumley and Robinson curled a lovely effort against the bar. Suddenly the Cardiff of the first half were back.

Carroll continued to do his best to unsettle the home defenders but Mark McGuiness was having none of it at the heart of the City defence.

Philogene – still the man most likely to unpick the Royals’ lock – almost set Robinson up on 81 minutes following a sweeping move. The striker failed to land his head on the ball though.

Ojo was a lively presence out wide but the game seemed to be heading for a draw, as Reading sat back more in the closing stages and Cardiff failed to create many real chances.

As five minutes of added time began though, Romaine Sawyers shot superbly home through a crowded goalmouth to give the home side the lead after Reading had fail to properly clear the ball.

The home fans in the crowd of 18,879 were gleeful now, roaring their men home to a much needed victory. The Bluebirds still have much to do to avoid the drop, but two wins in four wins – with no goals conceded – has put a spring in the step of the club at last as they opened some breathing space over the bottom three.

Ince was left to reflect how Cardiff’s Mark McGuinness was fortunate to escape with only a yellow card for a first half foul on Amado Mbengue when a red might have influenced the outcome more.

Cardiff City 1

Reading 0

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