Cardiff City 2-1 Ipswich Town: Terry Hunt on the Blues

Until the end of normal time at Cardiff, we had looked increasingly assured and in control. We’d scored a good goal, and all was right with the world. Another three points...?

Wrong! Suddenly, as we moved into what was eventually ten minutes of added time, we simply retreated into our own penalty area. Our normal passing game collapsed into rushed, ugly clearances and the ball kept coming back.

I honestly can’t remember us mounting anything resembling an attack or even keeping the ball during those horrible ten minutes. We handed all of the momentum to the home side.

To cap it all, we then conceded two soft goals with really weak defending. The players certainly won’t enjoy watching them again.

Town players react after the late winner from Cardiff (Image: PA)
For once, our substitutions worked against us. We brought on attacking players in an effort to win the game, but they were left with the task of protecting a one goal lead, and it didn’t suit them.

The biggest call was taking off Kieffer Moore just before the 90th minute. The big striker doubles up as a really important defender at set pieces. How many times do we see him clearing a dangerous delivery from inside his own six-yard box?

By the way, I had to smile at the treatment Moore got from the Cardiff fans. Loud boos every time he touched the ball. This because he rejected a return to Cardiff in favour of coming to Ipswich.

So, they were booing a player who scored 25 goals in an outstanding spell for their club, and who made the entirely sensible decision to join a club looking for automatic promotion rather than one trundling along in mid-table.

Some football fans amaze me. No doubt they will be cheering him to the rafters next time he scores in a Wales shirt!

Kieffer Moore got a rough ride from Cardiff fans (Image: PA Images)
Overall, you have to say that the performance at Cardiff was a long way from our best. We seemed to be very flat. Maybe the number of games and all the travel are having an effect. We certainly looked tired. Same for everyone, though.

Yet again, we made a slow start. I’ve reached the point when I’m pleased if we get to half-time with the score goalless, because I know that we’ll improve enormously after the break. And that did happen at Cardiff - up until the 90th minute.

Having said that, we created very little in terms of chances. Omari Hutchinson’s long-range drive was the best we managed before the goal arrived completely out of the blue.

When we struggle to create chances - which doesn’t happen often, to be fair - we are going to find it difficult to win games, because we concede too many goals.

As ever, you can take what you like from stats. We are thrilling to watch, undoubtedly. There have been 123 goals in our 37 league games, and we’re the equal top scorers in the division.

But, at the same time, we let in too many, and that will sometimes lead to a horrible afternoon as it did at Cardiff.

What can we do about it? Not a lot at this stage. Some people are suggesting shuffling the pack. Bring back George Edmundson, or play Axel Tuanzebe in central defence, they say. No disrespect to those two, but I don’t see that being transformational.

Kieffer Moore fires what looked to be Town's winner at Cardiff - until the late, late drama (Image: PA Images)
There was a bit of doom and gloom among some fans on Saturday. Bit of an over-reaction. Yes, the way we lost was gut-wrenching, but we had won the previous six, and that was only our fifth defeat at season.

We need to get back on the bike against Sheffield Wednesday next Saturday. It’s one of those really strange 3pm kick-offs. Whatever next!

It will not have gone unnoticed among Town fans that, after Saturday’s games, we are third and our friends from Carrow Road have crept into sixth. Some say it’s written in the stars that it will finish that way, with the inevitable play-off meeting.

Of course that’s possible, but there will be lots of twists and turns between now and the end of the season. We just need to be in the right place when the music stops.