CARDIFF CITY (0) 1 
Thompson 85.
SOUTHAMPTON (0) 0
ATTENDANCE:
19.345 - All City areas sold out
AWAY SUPPORT:
1,300
WEATHER:
Mild and overcast after earlier rain that gave the pitch a greasy surface
THE ‘You're The Man' AWARD to:
Thommo for a powerhouse first half display and an explosive late winner.
Darren Purse for an equal powerhouse defensive show of leadership.
THE “You're Not Very Good” BOOT goes to:
The mascot ref Olivier who makes me look a giant. Not a dirty game, no allowance for the conditions, several times failing to play advantage and no attempt to deal with play-acting, I've not heard so many whistles since Cruft's Dog Show..
ATMOSPHERE:
Quiet, tense and patient then Thommo propelled his winner and it went effing mental.
CHANT of the DAY:
"We are top of the League" at intervals throughout and "That's why we're top of the League" when we finally broke through. Boring dirges but there's 23 other clubs in the Championship who can't sing it and won't have a chance either for some time to come. Southampton singing "When The Saints Go Marching In" was sweet.
TRAVEL:
My lift arrived late but, even so, the traffic and parking around NP was incredible. The message is not only buy your ticket in advance but turn up early as well. Almost half-hour to get down Leckwith Hill, cars abandoned anywhere by eager fans - on the road leaving little passing room around them, in the escape lane coming down the hill, one reversed into a bush. The only place not used for parking was the middle of the roundabout.
PROGRAMME:
Michael Chopra said he'd like to be in with the fans if the chance arose - that chance is coming this very weekend. Buy us a pie Chops!
THE TEAMS:
CARDIFF- No injury problems from the superb weekend win at Palace. Continuity shown as 7 of our 11 players are ever present after 12 games, 3 have only missed 1 game. Soton started with only 7 of their 11 from last weekend. It was Alexander, Gilbert-Loovens-Purse-Chambers, Parry-Scimeca-McPhail-Ledley, Thompson-Chopra. Subs, sill no goalkeeper, were Campbell, Flood, Glombard, Johnson, Kamara.
SOTON - The Saints Are Coming ... or it felt like it as they ominously crept up on the pack with successive wins over leading sides Crystal Palace (away), Plymouth (home) and Burnley (away) but this result means they followed that run with 3 successive defeats but with the widely disrespected arch-villain Rupert Lowe finally gone, George Burley in charge and an academy producing quality players, the club seem to have turned a corner.
He looked slender for a Burley guy and he sent out the following troops - Davis, Wright- Lundekvam-Baird-Bale, Licka-Viafara-VIdiakez-Surman, Rasiak-Jones. Kelvin Davis in goals was signed for £1M in the summer but conceded twice as many as Scotland's No. 1. 17 year old left back Cardiff born Welsh starlet Gareth Bale was a reminder of life at CCFC before an academy, I wonder if Uncle Chris Pike was there to watch him? The pick of their defence if long-servant Claus Lundekvam who scored his 2nd goal for 10 years against City at St Mary's in March. Saints have the most continental midfield and strike force in the Championship, an entire league of nations. Midfield were a Czech, Colombian, Spaniard and South African, their strikers were a Pole and Trinidadian. Plenty of quality in that line-up. The bench featured Wright-Phillips (Bradley not Shaun) and the exotic Pele (nothing to do with the legendary footballer turned Viagra rep!).
THE MATCH:
Glory Glory Cardiff City and The Blues Go Marching On, ON! Steve Thompson's exocet of a winner in the 85th minute of a tense, tight game lifted the tension sent NP Towers into orbit. It'll be some time before we come down too.
City misfired at time, they struggled to get their trademark fluent passing and movement game together, It was a night for fight not flair but, for me, that adds another dimension to the team. The very best teams stay there by scrapping ut a few 1-0 wins as much as the sexy football hammerings. This side fight too, they are supremely fit and they keep going to the death. It is absolutely underlined by this being our 4th victory won in the final minutes (Coventry at home, Leeds and Palace away being the others). How often in recent regimes did we bemoan City never winning games late and often being pegged back or losing that way instead?
Southampton were strong and dogged opponents - the best time to visit NP in ages - perhaps worthy of a point, the pitch was greasy, the pedantic ref must send his whistle a Valentine's Card. It was frustrating, nerve jangling and ghostly quiet yet we stuck to the task, stayed patient (the crowd and the team) and got our reward as City triumphed.
There has never been a more exciting time to support Cardiff City in the past 40 years than right now - everything else pales into complete significance against being 6 points clear at the head of the Championship and truly living the dream that we could be heading for the Premiership. The house full signs were up for the third time in the home sections producing scenes outside that are as a rare as Jordan wearing a tasteful outfit - City fans locked out and having turn back home or standing on Sloper Road and around the club shop begging asking if anyone had a spare. Is this really Cardiff City???
Those inside soon knew an awkward night was to follow. Southampton provided little first half threat, a first half free header at a corner went nodded into the ground and over whilst Alexander made out routine save but nullified The Bluebirds and worked as hard as we do to close down players.
The greasy pitch was causing as many problems, it looked like Bambi on ice at times as players slipped about often looking uneasy on their standing leg when shaping to kick and needing to take an extra touch. That nearly cost Neil Alexander, tow clearances narrowly avoiding contact with Soton players closing him down, one scraping off of studs. Darren Purse fell over on the edge of the box but recovered sufficiently to slide into clearing under immense pressure. The referee joined in, slipping over twice, the linesman saw his flag slip off his pole - if it was Jeux Sans Frontieres, Stuart Hall would still be laughing about it now.
When City got their football together, they had their chances and I'm unsure how one or two stayed out. The first when Michael Chopra's shot that looked goal bound deflected off a defender, looped over the keeper but deflected over the bar by a fraction. Thommo was in prime form and was outstanding as he set off on a 30 yard run straight at the heart of the Saints defence, beat three but miscued on his left peg when the goal inviting him. Tremendous football.
Next came a goalmouth scramble as Paul Parry's shot, also mishit, was spilled by Kelvin Davies and how Scimcea, Chops and Thommo each failed to turn home rebounds, not even they can answer. Thommo had another charge, his shot this time bringing a top save out of Davies.
The struggle was evident too. City were struggling at set-pieces as Southampton's big defence seemed to cope easily enough with City's threat, free-kicks were wasted as McPhail hit the wall and Parry screwed wide off the rebound. There were so many stoppages for knocks with Southampton's Viafara becoming the panto villain as he fell like a dying fly three times in the half. He could have seen red for a poor challenge on Chambers but yellow it was.
The atmosphere was subdued, the crowd realising it was a battle of attrition and wills out there and Southampton were worthy and dangerous opponents. Credit to all for being patient. The Grange and Bob Bank manfully tried to make some noise but it never quite caught on.
Half-time: CITY 0 SOUTHAMPTON 0
The second half was a contrast to the opening period in that City played better football and got some decent movement going, they had far more control over the game but it was Southampton on the break who caused most concern and had chances. It was anything but a classic as both teams were nullifying each other and hoping, waiting for something to happen.
Those chances for the Saints. The first came early as City again failed to set their customary high tempo, Alexander had to parry a Jones effort around the post almost caught out by the early hit. Brave keeping saw him charge out to smother at the feet of the same player who was a fraction away from a through ball. A free-kick saw Gareth Bale whip the perfect inswinger to the far post, Lundekvam was brilliantly denied by the keeper going down low and Alexander did well to push a ball away at the far post, Darren Purse did even better to win the following cross by going in where it hurts and blocking out an opponent.
Purse, after a fraught opening with several stray passes, was now a rock. Maybe the conditions and battle best suited him but he made absolutely sure he was first to every ball, nobody was going through him or past him. Time after time, under pressure, he came away with the ball.
At the other end, Joe Ledley - after another very quiet personal display - was starting to come to life. Maybe it was the sight of Dave Jones telling Malvin Kamara to warm up and get ready that inspired him. He started to show his skill and flair and was working better with Chambers, one great move played in Chops but his ball was just behind two players. Until the goal, the closest we came was Loovens meeting a corner full on but his header into the ground bounced comfortably over. Chops shot into the back of the Canton Stand, Parry and McPhail were blocked, Thommo having a much quieter half failed to connect at the far post from a corner and then air shot in front of goal as a rebound dropped invitingly in front of him.
There was a few rousing chants - which, at times, involved the whole ground - but in-between it was quieter than a funeral parlour. Dave Jones held back on substitutions, it looked stalemate with the teams out there, it had got to the stage where the club and the crowd were both getting ready to take a point but someone forgot to tell the players.
Then untold euphoria. Once again, we advanced down the left, Joe fed Chopra who swivelled and moved inside then found Thommo in space on the edge of the box. THOMMO seemed to take too much time but beat his man on the edge of the box, took another touch to put the ball on his left peg and CRASH, BANG, WHALLOP unleashed a howitzer rising drive across Kelvin Davies that mullered him with its ferocity.
Ninian Park went ballistic like a bottle of Champagne with too much gas, it exploded. If Def Leppard were playing, they would have been drowned out. That's why we're top of the league, the blues are going up, we are top of the league, ring of fire, men of harlech - all those anthemic chants all unleashed by all parts of the ground in one go as if to make up for not singing it all night and help the boys home. The first help they got was a Southampton shot into the Grange End ... the ball wasn't returned for a minute!
It was a tense final 5 minutes plus 3 minutes of added time as Southampton threw everything at us, Gareth Bale imploring his tea mates forward, urging some almost twice his age. He's a future captain for sure. Yet City held firm, whenever Southampton got near our box, Pursey seemed to pull out another monster challenge to win the ball and get it away. Final whistle was as if we had won the Champions League, Premiership, Championship and F.A. Cup in one go. If we stay there until next May, I cannot begin to imagine what the noise and scenes will be like but let's continue to enjoy while it's here.
One of the sights I find amazing now is the crowd staying behind to cheer the team off. Typically, loads left before final whistle, half went as it blew. Now everyone stays behind until the players go to them, take the plaudits and disappear down the tunnel. Particularly funny was James Chambers who had been told about the ayatollah and spent the whole time from final whistle until he went down the tunnel ayatollahing to anyone, everyone and nobody in particular.
Other results meant we remain 6 points ahead of the pack but it's now Preston in 2nd, not Burnley but now 7 points ahead of 3rd (West Brom) and 10 points ahead of the team outside the play-off berths. Our goal difference remains worth another point too. 5 successive wins, we've still scored in every game and the defence will have been delighted with their 6th clean sheet and means we not only are the leading scorers of the division but have the best defence too. And we've 29 points of 12 games. Even when I've fixed Championship Manger games for City, I haven't managed to do this well. This is reality and I'm loving it, loving it, loving it.
Report from FootyMad
A superb late strike from Steve Thompson gave Cardiff City a hard-earned victory and ensured they maintained their six-point lead at the head of the Championship table.
Michael Chopra worked the ball across field to Thompson, who struck a rasping left-foot drive into the back of the net before Southampton goalkeeper Kelvin Davis could move.
The Bluebirds were unchanged from the side that won at Crystal Palace, while Wales international Gareth Bale recovered from a thigh strain to line up for the Saints.
The visitors applied the early pressure but it was Chopra who went closest to opening the scoring with a well-struck shot that was deflected over the crossbar.
Then Thompson burst through before a firing wide of the target.
The Saints looked dangerous on the break and Darren Purse needed to make a couple of quality tackles to prevent Grzegorz Rasiak and Kenwyne Jones from breaking through on goal.
The visiting goal led a charmed life on the half-hour when Riccardo Scimeca and Chopra both had chances to stab a loose ball home in a crowded goalmouth.
Cardiff did not play with their usual fluency on a night when rain made the pitch slippery but what they lacked in finesse they more than made up for in endeavour, and Thompson was outstanding leading the line.
But the Saints never stopped working and City keeper Neil Alexander was kept busy, making a fine save at the feet of Jones as the striker looked favourite to score.
City made the breakthrough they deserved with just five minutes remaining when Thompson sent the home crowd wild.
Southampton were not finished and they stormed back on the attack in an effort to rescue the point they thought they deserved, but City's defence held firm to secure a fifth successive victory.
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