Huddersfield Town- Cardiff City ends in a goalless draw

Cardiff City went to The John Smith’s Stadium as favorites, with 10 unbeaten games under the new manager Mick McCarthy. The Welsh, 8th in the standings, needed important points to get close to the playoffs. Huddersfield, on the other hand, was 19th and trying to find points to get away from the relegation zone.

 

Huddersfield manager Carlos Corberan decided to put the french striker Yaya Sanogo in the starting lineup for the first time, and this will be an important detail for the game. 

 

The first chance of the game was for Cardiff when Aden Flint kicked a long ball for fellow defender Sean Morrison, whose strike is charged down by the Terriers goalkeeper Ryan Schofield. 

 

Huddersfield took charge of possession after the early scare, though their only effort of note in the first half was a Juninho Bacuna free-kick which Dillon Phillips pushed to safety. 

 

The visitors' cause was not helped by the loss of Joel Bagan to a shoulder injury, substituted by Ciaron Brown on 35 minutes.

 

Huddersfield had more ball possession, but on 41 minutes Cardiff had a chance with Will Vaulks' powerful volley that forced Schofield to make a difficult save.

 

Chances were scarce early in the second half, with the first one coming only on 64’ minutes when Richard Keogh got to Bacuna's free-kick first only to head wide as he stretched to make contact.

 

The contest's big moment came 16 minutes from time, when Lewis O’Brien went away on the wing and crossed the ball in the middle of the penalty area to Aaron Rowe. The English midfielder saw his first shot blocked before being tripped by Curtis Nelson as he collected the rebound. 

 

But the ex-Arsenal Yaya Sanogo kicked the penalty off target, ruining his debut from the first minute with his new team. 

 

The french striker was substituted 4 minutes after the mistake, replaced by Kieran Phillips. 

 

It was Huddersfield's third penalty miss from three attempts this season while remarkably, Cardiff have not conceded any of the four awarded against them in this season.

 

The first chance for Cardiff came on 78 minutes when Harry Wilson swings a corner right over to the far post, where Ryan Schofield manages to get a hand to the ball.

 

On 80 minutes Lewis O'Brien charges forward on the counter and threads the ball through to Pipa, who tries to clip the ball over the 'keeper, who denies him. Perhaps the most important save of the game from Dillon Phillips!

 

After 4 minutes the last occasion of the game, missed by Huddersfield, when Lewis O'Brien's searching ball is headed into the path of Fraizer Campbell by Naby Sarr, but his scissor kick on the edge of the six-yard box flies over the bar.

 

This point lifts Cardiff to seventh in the table, while struggling Huddersfield climb a place to 18th.

 

A first clean sheet in 16 games was a big plus for Huddersfield, though boss Carlos Corberan will feel his team ought to have claimed three points rather than one.

 

Cardiff offered little going forward in the second half as they failed to score for the first time under McCarthy, but gained anyway their 11 unbeaten game in a row.