Report: Ashley James
Snapshot: Cardiff claim the only goal of the game at Ninian Park but still manage to lose 1-0 to Leicester City. Darren Purse's 26th minute own goal was the difference in a dire St David's Day encounter which saw a greatly below-par performance from the home side who continue to struggle and are now five league games without a win.
Team News: Glenn Loovens serves the second match of his ban which means Darren Purse retained his place in the centre of defence along with the captain's arm-band. Joe Ledley was still missing with a hamstring injury so Aaron Ramsey again started in his place in the midfield with Paul Parry and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink paired together up-front. Trevor Sinclair and Riccardo Scimeca continued down the road to full match fitness with places on the bench.
Chronological Report: A jubilant crowd were silenced after only four minutes when Peter Enckelman shanked a goal-kick thatbarely reached a bemused Darren Purse; he was immediately dispossessed by Dudley Campbell who raced clear through on goal however Enckelman stood tall and made a great save smother the one-on-one chance and draw rapturous cheers from the Cardiff faithful.
Enckelman continued to endear himself to the home crowd being the sole reason the match remained scoreless; on 10mins Stephen Clemence swung over a corner from the right and Steve Howard met it with a thunderous header from just 5 yards out only from Enckelman to instinctively save the effort in spectacular style.
It took until the quarter of an hour mark for Cardiff to craft anything worth mentioning when finally Hasselbaink turned Kisnorbo inside and out on the right corner of the box and floated a over a delightful ball that narrowly evaded Gavin Rae at the back post having already cleared flailing 'keeper Paul Henderson. A minute later Paul Parry was brought down on the edge of the box and the resulting free-kick was driven in low from the right by Peter Whittingham, Parry stooped get his head to it but could only direct his effort straight at Henderson.
The Cardiff resurgence didn't last long though and Leicester were soon back on top, firstly Lee Hendrie tried his luck from 20-yards out but Enckelman got down comfortably to gather his driven effort and then Steve Howard got up well between two markers at the back post to meet a Clemence cross but powered the header wide. On the 20 minute mark the Foxes really should have taken the lead and were it not for some superb defending from Roger Johnson they would have been; not for the first time an accurate through ball found the pacey Campbell in behind the Cardiff defence, he easily took the ball around the out-rushing Enckelman at the edge of the box and looked to slot home in-stride with his left only for Johnson to get back and block the effort close to the line.
Cardiff were struggling to gain any possession let alone keep hold of it with the hope of creating anything and as a result set-pieces always seemed the most likely way of producing a goal and Peter Whittingham came the closest driving in a goal-bound effort from the right that Bruno N'Gotty got his head to and cleared to safety.
After threatening from the off Leicester were finally ahead on twenty-six minutes however in this instance they did very little to achieve it; a long ball up-field had both central defenders and goalkeeper caught in two minds and a lack of communication between the trio resulted in Darren Purse sticking out a leg to control the ball as it dropped only to deflect it past Enckelman who was coming out to claim and into the back of the net for a pretty impressive yet clumsy own goal.
Cardiff City 0 - 1 LEICESTER CITY (Darren Purse O.G. 26mins)
Following the goal absolutely nothing note-worthy actually occurred for the remainder of a dire first period, the visitors moved the ball well in midfield and looked worryingly comfortable in possession while Cardiff struggled to impose themselves or have any positive influence on proceedings, which meant the Foxes justifiably entered the dressing room ahead at the break.
Half-Time: Cardiff City 0 - 1 Leicester City
The second-half opened in the same uneventful vein as the first had ended, taking until the 51st minute for a shot on target to arrive in the form of a 25-yard pot-shot from Aaron Ramsey that drifted aimlessly wide. Dave responded to the decidedly flat performance by making an early substitution throwing on Steve Thompson for Stephen McPhail which saw Paul Parry move to the wide right position he's more accustomed to and meant Whittingham switched flanks over to his natural left side.
Cardiff Substitution: Steve Thompson for Stephen McPhail (56mins)
The change very nearly paid immediate dividends when a defensive mix-up from Leicester left Thompson in space and all alone in the area however with the angle against him his shot come cross cleared Ramsey who was arriving at the back post and it can only be assumed was the intended target. That at least gave Cardiff a bit of momentum and a minute later a well struck Whittingham free-kick from 30-yards out was deflected over by the wall, the resulting corner dropped at the feet of Gavin Rae who subsequently had two efforts blocked and by a resolute Patrick Kisnorbo. His clearance allowed Leicester to break with pace and the ball found Howard in space at the edge of the Cardiff box; he cut inside onto his right foot and fired a rocket goal-ward which was luckily directed straight at Enckelman. Minutes later Howard had another effort blocked at the edge of the area, the rebound fell to Foxes captain Clemence however his hooked effort back across goal fell safe.
Cardiff Substitution: Riccardo Scimeca for Peter Whittingham (80mins)
Cardiff were still struggling to achieve anything in the way of meaningful possession however produced a half-chance on eighty-two minutes when for the first time all game Kevin McNaughton got forward with impetus down the right, he swung in a great ball towards Thompson at the back post however the Scot at full stretch could only poke an effort wide.
Leicester Substitutions: Joe Mattock for Lee Hendrie, James Wesolowski for Iain Hume, Barry Hayles for Dudley Campbell (89mins)
With the home support streaming out of Ninian Park the remaining supporters were at least treated to two things to cheer about the closing stages, fittingly however neither were provided by any of the Cardiff players, instead the noise was instigated by the fourth official who first indicated Ian Holloway's decision to replace Lee Hendrie much to the delight of the Cardiff support. He then showed that 5 minutes of injury time were to be played which at least caused a slight stirring of optimism from the fans that were left even if predictably nothing happened in that remaining time.
Full-Time: Cardiff City 0 - 1 Leicester City
Cardiff City XI: Enckelman, Capaldi, Purse (C), Johnson, McNaughton, Ramsey, Rae, McPhail (Thompson 56mins), Whittingham (Scimeca 80mins), Parry, Hasselbaink. Subs not used: Oakes, Blake, Sinclair
Leicester City XI: Henderson, Kisnorbo, Clapham, N'Gotty, Stearman, Clemence (C), Oakley, Hendrie (Mattock 89mins), Hume (Wesolowski 89mins), Howard, Campbell (Hayles 89mins). Subs not used: Chambers, Fryatt.
Goal: Purse O.G. 26mins
Referee: M. Thorpe
Attendance: 13,355
