Ahead inside 10 minutes but behind by the hour, City failed to get at The Hatters until a final onslaught that saw them denied a result with the woodwork hit twice, free headers missed, a shot off the line but nobody had complaints about the result. The better side took the points today.
For the Bluebirds, it was an afternoon which brought home the realities that were hidden by the excellent eight match unbeaten run. Progress in the Carling Cup and shooting into the Top Ten within touching distance of the play-off is brilliant progress for which DJ and his players deserve all plaudits but this will take time, we're not a play-off side and will have off days to go with the good ones.
City's Championship record is 4 wins, 3 draws, 4 defeats. It's par performance but nothing wrong whatsoever with that after the turmoil and traumas of this year.
Against Luton, known frailties appeared once more. The defence plus goalkeeper have to look at themselves for both goals and a few other telling moments. They struggled against the barrel-chested and excellent Steve Howard, the livewire that is Warren Feeny and their midfield drive and support gave them a tough afternoon facing attacks.
The biggest problem (also again) was our midfield however. It was quite simply where the game was won and lost. Luton bossed it and overrun Cardiff, we didn't turn up, had no answer. Jeff Whitley's suspension and Willie Boland's injury didn't help but nor did the selection and positional choices perhaps. Right footers on the left, left footers on the right and with 'slower than an M4 traffic jam' Neil Ardley in central midfield, it was never likely to come off. So it proved.
Jerome and Ricketts barely had scraps but always bothered the visitors when they did. Look after them and the goals will come, Dave Jones will work away at that. The man is doing a great job, this was a setback but even an off day, City so nearly grabbed a result and caused trouble. This team have the character to bounce back, they will play worse and win.
Luton are riding the wave of success. Brilliantly managed by Mike Newell, his small squad stormed to this level as runaway League One Champions with 98 points last term. They are surpassing expectations in the Championship. They're in 3rd with 7 wins and 2 defeats, Cardiff was their 4th away win of the season following up victories at Crystal Palace, Leicester and Hull. The sale of star defender Curtis Davies to West Brom for £3M on transfer deadline day has not affected them either.
His side were Beresford, Edwards-Coyne-Heikkinen-Davis, Nicholls-Holmes-Brkovic-Morgan, Feeney-Howard. Individually, not players to frighten you but Newell has blended them brilliantly. Ex-Wrexham midfielder Carlos Edwards played attacking right back and very well too. Kevin Nicholls was in the England schools academy with Rhys Weston. Ahmet Brkovic, a Croatian, is to be looked out for pressing ahead and the striking du are a handful. Subs included ex-City player Russell Perrett but he was better known to the medical room team than most City fans in his time here.
Cardiff, although not always impressing on the run, have got better and midweek's glorious 3-0 job done by half-time win at Stoke brought out the smiles and raised expectations. Good feelings were back. The Echo's rediscovered love affair with Cardiff City was promptly rewarded as one of their journos, Steve Tucker, won the programme's Face in the Crowd competition and a crate of beer. Anyone recall when the chips were down last season that Gwyn Davies of The Rams was a winner too? Maybe Corky will be the next winner? I jest.
The attendance campaign with free kid tickets, reduced pay on the day vouchers, increased high profile publicity got its reward as 14,657 made for a decent atmosphere and, despite the wrong result, nobody can't say they weren't entertained. Moan of the Day came from one Dad in the Lower Grandstand bar who took his kid because he had a free ticket "but I had to pay £17". City can't win sometimes, can they?
It was particularly pleasing to see the Family Stand busy as that's the future and it's been spare at times this season. On the downside, City still had queues for matchday tickets at the portakabins for the 'pay on the dayers' - not everyone will buy in advance. Some thought there were more in the ground but it looked about right to me.
Dave Jones' side picks itself but for the first time in a while, he needed a think as Jeff Whitley was suspended. There was plenty of pre-match talk about what to do. As much as we love DJ know he's doing a fabulous job in trying circumstances, did you rub your eyes in disbelief when you saw Neil Ardley in central midfield?
I was gob-smacked, Ardley can cross a great ball but we've Koumas to do that these days, he is surplus and, to be honest, is at the stage of his career where he looks best suited to lower division football. You can't call him one-paced anymore, simply because he has no pace. It was a gamble without doubt, it didn't come off. Ardley looked lost as the game, and Luton players, passed him by. He was unable to pick up runners, unable to stop them. Yet he played the entire 90 minutes there - why?
The team were Alexander. Weston-Loovens-Purse-Barker, Cooper-Ledley-Ardley-Koumas, Jerome-Ricketts. Phil Mulryne was called up to the subs bench to join Margetson, Cox, Lee and Parry.
With an expectant crowd and good atmosphere, City started so well, carrying on where they left off at Stoke. When they took the game to Luton, they had them in trouble. In the opening exchanges, Rhys Weston got the first shot away testing Beresford, Koumas whipped in a set piece that just evaded heads and, but for an unkind bounce, Cameron Jerome would have been clean through on goal meeting a superb Joe Ledley threaded pass.
Just before the 10 minute mark, City took the lead with a goal that owed much to Route One football and showed how unsettled Luton's defence had become. It was simple stuff, Neil Alexander punted a ball forward, Ricketts flicked on, The Hatters central defenders were caught hopelessly out of position but scrambled to touch the ball away from Jerome but only to RICKETTS who rolled in into the corner of goal for his 3rd on loan for City.
No complaints anymore about City being slow starters, that was the 5th time in 7 Championship matches that they had scored inside the first 10 minutes. It all looked so good and promising, you expected Cardiff to continue launching themselves at Luton who looked rattled but they let them off the hook, maybe because they didn't have the ability to sustain it, sat back, defended and all momentum went the other way.
Frustration came as Cameron Jerome was fractionally offside and give a very petty yellow card for tapping the ball at goal a fraction after the whistle blew.
Luton's main outlet was Dean Morgan who has troubled us before with Colchester and Reading but must be inconsistent because on form, he's a terrific player. His play down the right, Feeney's hard running and Howard's presence caused us trouble. Whit Luton's midfield already overwhelming ours, we were hanging on far too much.
Feeney and Howard headed wide, Alexander saved twice but what a mess and he and his defenders watched a Luton player have a free header two yards out, how did it go over? Luton then exposed City's soft defensive underbelly. The tactic is so simple, float diagonal balls to the far post and go for it, the indecisiveness between Alexander and his defenders all leaving it for each other really should be resolved by now. Feeney came off worse in a clash with Purse, he had to go off with bleeding but was soon back in a white shirt with no number.
Despite looking unsteady, City's defence had now gone a brilliant 391 minutes without conceding but what a terrible way to lose a proud record like that as they gifted Luton an equaliser on half-hour. As City defenders came out, Neil Ardley had dropped back and played others onside. A ball came over, City's players stopped all appealing for an offside flag that never came, Rhys Weston had fallen back and played MORGAN onside but it was all too easy as he collected Feeney's cross, one touch to control and smashed the ball past a helpless Neil Alexander from 15 yards. No wonder Luton fans were chanting easy easy easy, no wonder City defenders were mullering each other with Ardley getting some fair stick too.
Cardiff were far too quiet and Luton were enjoying the freedom of Ninian Park as City surrendered all space in midfield. Shots were peppered at goal but City held out.
Frustration never more evident than the one time we got forward, Cameron Jerome was fractionally offside and give a very petty yellow card for tapping the ball at goal a fraction after the whistle blew.
Half-time: CITY 1 LUTON 1
As the players went off, the real talent came to the rescue. A half-time score from the centre spot in one kick competition with T'Internet Bone Idols aka Mikey Morris, The Lone Gunman, Earnie's Trimm Trabbs, Rob The Kid (his dad is Aeneas) and the Fitzalan Fighter Canton Crusader come Barry Bruiser Nigel Blues.
Let's keep it brief. It's big out there on the pitch but the goals look closer from halfway than I thought. You are conscious of the noise from around the ground, it's a goldfish bowl. I think we all complained in our time about prima donna City players but you probably don't notice our hissyfit. They wanted us to kick towards the kids in the Canton Family Stand until we had a collective strop.
I tell you, only when you stood in the middle of that pitch did you truly realise how breezy it was and how that wind blew directly from the Canton Family Stand to the Grange End. You appreciated how it had been an influence in the first 45 minutes. The other thing you don't so much notice but feel is just how firm the pitch is. It's not soft and boggy in a Pontcanna or Jubilee style but firm to the point where you wonder if it takes a stud.
Some of the boys took it far too serious. First up was The Lone Gunman who trotted out with boots on, looking purposeful, he run looked good until Gunman discovered he'd forgotten the bullets and fired an almighty blank. Despite wind assistance, he launched a grass cutter about 15 yards (or was it feet?) to the left making him cover his face in embarrassment looking for a non-existent hole in the pitch to bury himself. The worst kick seen at Ninian Park since Andy Campbell's penalty against Leeds last season.
Being the genial bloke I am, I naturally was first up to him and offered my sympathies whilst, between you and me, laughing my effing insides out but resisting showing it. Shh! It's our secret. Next was Earnie's Trimm Trabbs looking the part, practised all week, a powerful effort but started wide and went wider.
Then it was that NigelBlues fella. With the crowd apparently declaring I was a bit of a cult - at least that's what it sounded like - I faced the ball and ran up only to hear all the under-nourished, soft drinkers skinny runts on the Grange End shouting, "you fat bas*ard". I had to turn back and check if Dai Thomas had come back to City and was on the pitch. Undeterred by the unwashed, my kick was better than a Joe Ledley through ball, threaded, deliberate and, had he been on the pitch, Cameron Jerome would still have been thanking me for that ball. Instead with no Jerome and no keeper, it nestled perfectly in the net. A roly poly, shirt over the head and a belly flop dive. 2 for technical ability, 1 for artistic merit.
Next was Mike Morris trying to eradicate the demons of his horror kick last match. He'd practised all week and decided he was just going to tow punt, the beautiful game eh? He wellied it alright, a good distance but an effort that worried Luton fans more than the goal and then young Rob Owen kicking just outside the area gave it clout too and did his best to decapitate away fans.
There was injustice as Mike Morris won the prize, I didn't even realise there was one. He got £20 to spend in the club shop for a toe punt nowhere near goal because it went the furthest distance. Of course, as the first and, so far, only one to score in the half-time fiesta, I got the bragging rights forever. I'm also the only fan who knows what it's like to score in front of 15,000, man it was great. You know where you can stick your prize Morris!
Back to the real entertainment and the sides were back, our hopes high that City could get at Luton with the wind behind their backs. Wrong, Luton took it to us and raised the tempo.
Twice within the opening minutes, they caused mayhem in our area by getting around the back of and sending balls across the face of goal. How City survived one immense scramble, I don't know. In the other attack, Neil Alexander fell gratefully onto the ball with boots around him.
It was however third time lucky for Luton as they forged ahead on 58 minutes. City were all over the place as Brkovic crossed, Howard nodded unchallenged into the danger zone and HOLMES tuned the ball home from inside 6 yards with Alexander and his defenders failing to challenge.
No sooner had that happened than Dave Jones made a change, City had to respond. Expectations were that Ardley would go off but he chose Cooper instead, the player hadn't done much in fairness but looked unhappy. Then there was the strange sight of Paul Parry playing on the right and Koumas on the left with central midfield, where our biggest problems were, left alone. Koumas and Parry eventually swapped but not for some time, quite strange.
Parry nearly made an instant impact making Beresford save but just how did Darren Purse's effort stay out.
He met a Koumas corner on the full at the far post but his fantastic shot back across goal crashed off the angle of post and bar when it looked in all the way. Even from that high, Luton so nearly killed us off as they broke downfield, Howard's superb 20 yard shot smacked off the inside of the post, Alexander was excellent in parrying Brkovic's follow up effort and Edwards then crashed over the bar.
It was up to City to fightback but we just didn't have it in us. That was disappointing. The game needed change but Dave Jones held off until the final 10 minutes when Lee replaced Weston and we went 3-4-3 and then Mulryne replaced Koumas who didn't look happy to go off, took an eternity and went straight down the tunnel. We later learned he tweaked his hamstring.
City, in fairness, put in a Grandstand finish and although they perhaps didn't deserve a point, I still can't work out how we were denied. Unfortunately, I was the only one today able to do the business in front of the Grange End, I would have swapped my goal for one more for City.
Paul Parry turned in the area, denied by an outstretched Beresford leg. Jerome and Parry forced themselves through, the ball bounced for Ricketts who headed over Beresford but came off the inside of his post when it looked in all the way, the resulting corner saw Barker's free header from 6 yards mistimed and sail over when he should have scored. Then, in added time, Jerome and Ricketts forced themselves though again, Ricketts got around Beresford but his shot was desperately cleared off the line by Edwards. It was cruel but you make your luck and City didn't make enough today.
They went off to strong applause, it was disappointing but they showed enough promise as well. They will be back and they will be better. I'm sure those fans who returned realised we may not have the qualities that Earnie, Kav, Gabbs and Ginge provided but we have a new set of players to admire who do give it all for the cause and who are doing pretty well themselves. They hopefully saw enough to be back, let's hope so. It's so much better there with a big crowd.
The Cost of Being A City Fan:
Tickets x 2 : £25
Travel: £ 4
Programmes x 2: £ 6
Pin badges: £ 4
Food/drink: £20
Total Cost: £59
Cost for season to date: £813.
Report from FootyMad
Cardiff's eight-match unbeaten run came to and end when the high-flying Hatters sent them crashing to defeat.
The Bluebirds opened the scoring with Michael Ricketts' third of the season, but Luton deservedly levelled through Dean Morgan and secured the points with a second-half strike from Peter Holmes.
Both sides showed one change from their midweek victories with Neil Ardley coming in for the suspended Jeff Whitley, while Holmes started for Steve Robinson in the Town line-up.
City went ahead in the 9th minute with a superbly taken finish from Ricketts. He headed on a long ball out of defence to Cameron Jerome and when the ball ran loose Ricketts raced in to fire across the keeper and into the corner of the net.
The visitors hit back with a series of corners and Steve Howard and Warren Feeney both went close from accurate crosses supplied by the busy Ahmet Brkovic.
Luton kept up the pressure and on the half-hour another cross from Brkovic left Morgan in the clear. As the Cardiff defence looked for offside, he slammed the equaliser into the corner of the net.
The hesitancy in the home defence continued after the break and Morgan was given another sight of goal, but the ball was hacked clear.
The visitors took a deserved lead in the 57th minute when the overworked home defence failed to clear a Howard cross and Holmes bundled the loose ball in.
Darren Purse struck the Luton crossbar from a Jason Koumas corner as the Bluebirds went searching for an equaliser.
They were almost caught on the break as the Hatters tore upfield and after Howard sent a 30-yard drive against the home woodwork, Neil Alexander had to leap to save as Feeney hit the rebound goalwards.
There was still time for Ricketts to hit the post with a header but the visitors held on for victory.
External reports
Western Mail