Cardiff maintained their fine form against Nottingham Forest, as goals from Kenwyne Jones and Joe Mason secured a 2-1 win at the City Ground and left Dougie Freedman having to lament his side’s lack of cutting edge again.
Cardiff’s goalkeeper, David Marshall, made a string of fine saves in the contest to enhance his reputation – and price tag – before finally being beaten by Michail Antonio in the 86th minute. However, Russell Slade’s side still hung on for their sixth win in seven meetings between the two sides.
The game did not spring into life until the 10th minute, when the rampaging Antonio found space on the left to deliver a cross towards the far post, where Fábio Da Silva had to clear – almost off the line – as Chris Burke looked to force the ball home against his former club.
He went on to carve out an opportunity from the resulting corner, bending in a cross that was attacked powerfully by Michael Mancienne, who saw his header blocked a few yards from goal. Antonio collected the rebound but sent a curling shot well over the target.
When a poor touch from Kyle Ebecilio gave possession to Cardiff, Mason almost conjured up a fine solo goal, carrying the ball half the length of the pitch before being denied by Dorus de Vries’s smart save. The visitors took the lead, however, in the 23rd minute. After some probing attacks down the left through Da Silva and Peter Whittingham, who ultimately delivered a cross for Jones to head home emphatically, sending the ball fizzing low into the bottom corner.
=David Marshall also had to be at his best in the Cardiff goal, as Tyler Walker tested him with a forceful shot, angled across the face of goal. While Matt Mills prodded a Burke corner wide of the near post and Burke himself also fired wide as Forest toiled for reply before half-time.
Ben Osborn came on after the break for Forest and flashed a shot narrowly wide in the first few seconds following the restart. But it proved to be a brief moment of optimism for the home side, as Cardiff doubled their advantage in the 49th minute. Anthony Pilkington’s curling cross-shot seemed bound for the top corner as he let fly from just outside the box, but Mason made sure, nodding beyond a wrong-footed De Vries.
Antonio replied, forcing another superb save from Marshall after angling into the box, before the keeper recovered to push away Walker’s effort from the rebound. Antonio did manage to finally beat the goalkeeper in the 86th minute, firing a low shot beyond his reach after darting through the centre of the Cardiff defence, following a flick from Blackstock. PA
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