On Saturday 24th January, the Cardiff City Stadium was all set for an early kick off at 12.30 and a huge clash between the South Walian, league leaders Cardiff City and the ambitious Stockport County. The teams coming into this fixture sat 1st and 4th in the League One table respectively and both play some of the most attractive brands of football that the division has to offer. In the minutes approaching up to kick off, excitement was building in every corner of the stadium with both sets of fans in full voice, there was certainly an energy and tension in the air indicating the importance of the fixture.
A classic, but spine-tingling rendition of Men of Harlech was belted out by the home end just prior to the players coming out of the tunnel. After somewhat of a slow, cagey beginning to the game, a sudden burst forward from the attack minded County right wing-back, Dacres-Cogley put Challinor’s men on the offensive. Dacres-Cogley cleverly carves his way through the City defence managing to get a shot off at Trott, who parries it into the path of Kyle Wootton who slots home as Stockport took the lead in the 10th minute sending the packed out away end into raptures.
County continued the following periods with momentum from their lead and were slowly getting under the skin of the Cardiff fans by nicking little fouls and being quite physical in the approach to challenging for the ball. Thanks to an array of lacklustre passing and some questionable calls from the officials, the City fans turned against their own and the man in the middle by the half an hour mark with audible groans being heard throughout the crowd every few minutes as frustration grew. In the 27th minute, the Bluebirds Danish striker, Yousef Salech goes down with what looks to be a serious head or neck injury.
There was serious worry emerging across the Cardiff City Stadium from both the players and staff as well as in the stands. A short while after going down, a neck brace and oxygen mask had both been deployed by the medical department for Salech who’s condition was not looking in a good state at all. After around 13 minutes of receiving treatment from both teams’ physios and other medical staff present, in the 39th minute and thankfully Yousef Salech is stretchered off the pitch and is replaced by Callum Robinson.
As the stretcher leaves the field, boos ring around the CCS directed at the referee and his officials who missed the Salech incident. The home fans also started showing their hostility to County’s number 33, Brad Hills, the culprit of injuring Yousef Salech during an aerial collision. Due to Salech being down for a long time, a lengthy period of additional time was imminent with the 4th official holding up the board to signal for 14 minutes added on.
Halfway through the 14 minutes, a good move from Cardiff’s attackers sees Ollie Tanner set up Joel Colwill, who through a stroke of luck with slight deflection, rifles it into the top left corner. 1-1, game on. Brian Barry-Murphy’s Bluebirds had their tails up and were looking to build on that equaliser and fire themselves into the lead before the interval. Despite an onslaught of pressure for the remainder of the added-on time, the man in the middle blew his whistle as the teams went into half time drawing 1-1.
County will be the happier of the two sides
Following an action packed first 45, the second half had a lot to live up to but unfortunately did quite the opposite. City had the better of the play, accumulating more shots and possession than their opposition and were quite clearly the team who looked most likely to go on and win the game. However, Challinor’s men went back to their non-league roots and dug in to put out a resolute, physically strong defensive performance which saw them earn a point on the road in South Wales and are only the third team this season to not lose at the CCS with Bradford City and Burton Albion claiming wins in the capital earlier in the season.
County will be the happier of the two sides as they take a point back to Cheshire, but Cardiff City remain top of the league, 4 points clear of Lincoln City in second place.