Cardiff City 1-2 Wolves


Wolves moved further ahead at the top of the table thanks to an opening scoring blitz against Cardiff City at Ninian Park.
Wolves striker Chris Iwelumo opened the scoring in the fourth minute after a double mistake by the Cardiff defence before Sylvain Ebanks-Blake doubled their lead on eight minutes after beating the off-side trap to finish in the corner.

Cardiff's Ross McCormack pulled one back on 19 minutes to score his 10th Championship goal of the season.

Iwelumo found his way in behind the Cardiff defence when centre-half Roger Johnson misjudged a header 35 yards out from goal. The Scotland forward ran in on goal, dodging a mistimed tackle by Joe Ledley, and slotted the ball past goalkeeper Tom Heaton.

Ebanks-Blake's strike came after some intricate passing saw him latch onto a through-ball to beat Darren Purse as the last man in defence. After a clear run into the box he slipped a left-foot shot past Heaton from the edge of the six-yard box for a 2-0 lead and a goal on his 100th appearance for the Midlands club.

The home side's luck worsened when Jay Bothroyd limped off after pulling up with a hamstring injury on 10 minutes but Cardiff pulled a goal back on 19 minutes after a Miguel Comminges overlap and cross from the left was brought down superbly by Ross McCormack, lurking on the penalty spot.
Cardiff's Ross McCormack scored his 10th Championship goal of the season. As the ball dropped, the Bluebirds' top scorer struck an unstoppable left-foot shot into the net for his 11th Championship goal of the season.

Wolves had the better of the half's remaining chances, hitting Cardiff on the break through Michael Kightly and Ebanks-Blake but both Wolves scorers failed to take advantage, with Iwelumo failing to convert Kightly's goalmouth cross while only two last-ditch tackles prevented Ebanks-Blake doubling his tally.

A goal-line clearance by Peter Whittingham prevented Wolves increasing their lead in first-half injury-time after Heaton overran an incoming cross from a corner.
McCormack provided the opening action of the second half after he latched onto a long ball from the Cardiff defence on 54 minutes. With just the keeper to beat he was clipped on the ankle by Wolves full-back Kevin Foley, but the grounded forward's plea for a penalty was turned down by referee Steve Tanner. Unfortunately, the trip resulted in Cardiff's second hamstring injury of the night as McCormack was replaced by Eddie Johnson a minute later.

Cardiff had another penalty appeal pushed away on 70 minutes after Eddie Johnson's weak cross was handled by defender Richard Stearman on the edge of the area and with two minutes to go Roger Johnson somehow managed to slot a Cardiff in-swinging corner past the far post from three yards out.

Eddie Johnson was then denied the final chance of the game when his right-foot volley was blocked by keeper Carl Ikeme deep into injury time.

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