Must do better in the Second Half

Very disappointed with Cardiff City last night they failed to open up the Crystal Palace defence, but the game should have finish 1-1 after a prefect goal disallowed. It only the first half of this two legged semi-final so the game is still all to play for, Wembley.

Disappointment might be too strong of a word, frustrated could be better word, going into the game I feel Cardiff had more than enough to win the game and watching the first 15/20 minute my positive mood from before kick-off looked to be on the right track. Credit to the home team they soaked up the pressure and turning my positive mood towards negativity.

Come up to half time going in all square looked to be fair, but then the Cardiff City keeper gifted Palace a goal meaning Cardiff would start the second half a goal behind. It was a howler of a mistake by the 25-year-old keeper. He came way to far off his line to clear the ball, but failed to beat Mile Jedinak to the ball, the ball when on to find Anthony Gardner on the far post who fired the ball home.

If a Cardiff player had been on the far post then maybe it could have been saved, who knows. The second half was more on the same tight with visitors Cardiff trying to break down the Palace defence while the home team were dangerous on the break. The game should have been levelled in the second half when Kenny Miller had the ball in net but the goal was disallowed for a foul on the Palace goalkeeper.

To my eye, the keeper was barely touched and after seeing umpteen times I still believe it was a goal. I could gripe on about the referee, but I’m not one for ref bashing I leave to manager, players and pundits.

You have to take your hat off to City boss MacKay he could have set up his team to be more defensive has the game went on, but continued with more attacking option has they push on looking of a equaliser. That sometimes left Cardiff light in defence, which was exploited on a number of occasions.

Cardiff laid siege to the Palace goal in the dying minutes of the game but couldn’t eke out a leveller meaning they will have to do better in the second half of the semi-final. Roll on Tuesday week and the return game at the Cardiff City Stadium it would have been great to go into that game with some kind of advantage. Who knows MacKay could draft in a few new faces before the next tie.