Cardiff’s player of the season Ian Rodgerson scored a late equaliser to rescue a point for the Bluebirds in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Fulham on Ninian Park this afternoon – but Len Ashurt’s side will need a miracle to avoid the drop.
City’s fate is out of their hands – even if they win their final two fixtures – as they will need their relegation rivals to slip up in order to claw their way to safety. Ashurst struck a realistic note when asked about the Bluebirds’ predicament following the final whistle: “We are now probably deeper in the pot than most sides. I now want the Cardiff City players to pull on the blue shirt and give absolutely everything. If we get a win against Reading, we will be within striking distance and it will go to the last game”.
The Bluebirds badly needed a win against a Fulham side who are arguably their closest rivals in the battle against the drop. The home side ended up ruing more costly defensive blunders that undermined a bright start. Ray Daniel rifled in a terrific free-kick to give Cardiff the lead, but Steve Milton soon equalised and these two underperforming sides were locked together at half-time.
Leigh Barnard’s bullet near post header restored Cardiff’s lead twelve minutes after the break but suicidal defending saw the pendulum swing in Fulham’s favour twice in the space of two minutes. Milton scored his second of the game after being allowed far too much time and space to level the scores from Martin Pike’s low cross from the left. The home fans hardly had time to draw breath before Gordon Davies had punished more dozy defending to guide home another precise Pike delivery from close range.
To their credit, Cardiff didn’t give up with Rodgerson stooping low to head home Nathan Blake’s cross with four minutes left to play. Ashurst’s men almost pulled off an incredible comeback as Jim Stannard used all of his agility to deep over a looping header from centre back Jason Perry.
Fulham chairman Jimmy Hill said afterwards: “A point might turn out to be enough for us but we will still have to sweat it out in our final game at home to Leyton Orient. But at least we have got our destiny in our hands.”
CARDIFF CITY: Hansbury; Rodgerson, Daniel, Barnard, Chandler (Blake 78), Gibbins, Kelly, Griffith, C. Pike, Perry, Fry (Lewis 80).
BOOKED: Rodgerson.
GOALS: Daniel (24), Barnard (57), Rodgerson (86).
FULHAM: Stannard; G. Thomas (Skinner 76), Eckhardt, Nebbeling, M. Pike, Newson, Scott, Barnett, Walker, Davies (Mauge 85), Milton.
GOALS: Milton (36, 60), Davies (61).
ATTENDANCE: 3,932.
