'Grab'or Gyepes red carded during dramatic City win

Last updated : 31 March 2010 By Michael Morris
No you don't son. Gyepes says NO
City took the game to the visitors in the first half and were rewarded with goals from Ross McCormack (after Ethuhu's shot was blocked) and from Peter Whittingham who scored his 22nd goal of the season. Both efforts "poachers" goals from inside the 6 yard box.

The strikes came in the 12th and 45th minutes. In between City looked lively but were missing Jay Bothroyd big time. Etuhu deserves credit for his shot that resulted in McCormack's goal but he's not a line leading centre forward.

The first half ended in controversy. Leicester won a corner seconds after City had made it 2 - 0 and the ball, directly from the corner kick, appeared to curl into the goal only for Marshall to hook it out. I thought the ball had crossed the line, TV replays suggest it did and most City and Leicester fans thought so as well.

Thankfully the linesman didn't and City ended the half two goals to the good and a nice comfortable home win was on the cards.

Ahem, the game changed almost immediately the second half started. Leciester were looking to get forward more and within 7 mins of the restart they were back in the game. Pressure in the City box paid off for the visitors and Howard volleyed home after Marshall could only parry a corner.

The Foxes sniffed a possible result and Cardiff started to drop deep. The boot was on the other foot this half with Leicester taking the game to City. Their pressure looked to have rewarded itself in the 72nd minute when James Vaughan was put through on goal. There seemed to be only one outcome but cometh the hour, cometh the man. Gabor Gyepes put on his Cardiff Blues hat and took out Vaughan with a crisp rugby tackle that earned him an instant red card. But the beauty of it was that Gyepes timed it to perfection and took Vaughan down a yard outside the penalty area and the subsequent free kick was wasted.

The 10 men, inc an injured Chris Burke, then defended as if their lives depended on it. Quinn was immense and City blocked all efforts towards goal. I've heard it described as The Alamo, Rouke's Drift and Custers Last Stand already. It was Roy of the Rovers stuff.

Maybe not quite as dramatic as the Cambridge 8 a decade ago but the rearguard effort was awesome. Blocks and tackles everywhere. City took three points that sends them 8 points clear of 7th place with just 6 games to go.

The atmosphere was incredible as the clocked ticked down, even through the nerve wracking 5 mins of injury time the support was excellent.

Adam Matthews came on as a sub for the injured Darcy Blake in the first half and produced a run akin to the one made by Mark Delaney all those years ago against Chester City, Delaney scored from his effort, Matthews went close but it was stunning all the same.

Cardiff also lost Kennedy (replaced by Whittingham) and subbed a tired Etuhu and brought on Feeney. Dave Jones revealed afterwards that Chris Burke has a tight hamstring so City really were a depleted outfit for those final 20 mins.

The spirit throughout the players and fans tonight may have finally persueded people that this is our new home and when we want we can make it a crucible of noise and passion that benefits our football team.

Well done everyone and well done to Leciester, they have been involved in two of the best games at the stadium this season.

Next up City face Swansea. If this game was an event then Saturday is going to be just incredible.

Cardiff v Swansea. Saturday 5:20pm
Live on Sky


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