CARDIFF CITY 0
STOKE CITY 1
Fish (og) 85
Stoke City moved five points clear of the relegation zone thanks to their win at Cardiff City – and manager Mark Robins hopes the victory will galvanise his team in the final stretch of the season.
The Potters scrambled a late winner courtesy of an own-goal by Cardiff’s Will Fish to steer themselves away from the relegation dogfight and plunge Cardiff City deeper into it.
Robins’ side is now five points clear of their relegation rivals with four games left in the season.
Afterwards, the Stoke boss explained just how “difficult” it was just to grind out a result.
Robins: A lot of sloppy play
“It was a difficult game for many reasons,“ he said.
“We both found ourselves in a precarious position and it is difficult after a three-game week.
“That made it the type of game it was – a lot of sloppy play and a lot of things you normally wouldn’t expect from either team.
“People were losing their footing, passes were going astray and players making decisions they don’t normally make.
“But we ended up with a clean sheet, a goal and three points, and that is essentially what it was about.
“We have got to take it and really enjoy it, this is an experience we have come through and we will learn from it and use it to galvanise us.”
ALL SMILES: Stoke’s Ashley Phillips celebrates the late own goal that put his side on course for three points and things get heated, inset.
PICTURES: Alamy/Mike Griffiths
Match action
Both teams tried to play on the front foot and the tone was set early on when Stoke’s Eric Bocat caused problems for the Bluebirds with his pace and passing.
One sweeping pass from deep in his own half set up the best chance of the game in the fifth minute when he sent Ali Al-Hamadi into the Cardiff box.
Al-Hamadi back-heeled the ball to Bae Jun-Ho, who passed on to Lewis Baker 10 yards out in the middle of the goal with only the keeper to beat, but he snatched at the ball and lifted it well over the bar.
At the other end, Cardiff created early chances as well and acting skipper Callum O’Dowda flashed a 30-yard shot just wide of the post in the 11th minute.
Stoke came close to scoring when Jordan Thompson smashed a volley from the edge of the area into the back of Alex Robertson and onto the Cardiff crossbar.
Not long after, Perry Ng headed into the side netting for the home side after a Calum Chambers cross from the left.
Second half
Cardiff boss Omer Riza threw on Isaak Davies and Reuben Colwill in the 80th minute.
Two minutes later, Colwill delivered a cross that presented Davies with a golden chance two yards out.
But he could only manage to put the ball over the bar rather than into the back of the net.
The deadlock was finally broken after 85 minutes when a long throw into the home box by Junior Tchamadeu caused panic in front of goal, and Sam Gallagher got his head to it.
Ben Wilmot latched onto the ball and, from five yards out, turned and shot.
Cardiff keeper Ethan Horvath got his foot to it, but the ball merely ricocheted onto his defender Fish and went into the net to earn the visitors all three points.
Stoke moved five points clear of their hosts in the third relegation spot, while Cardiff remains a point adrift of safety with four games to go.
Star Man – Ashley Phillips (Stoke City)
READ MORE: Preston North End 1-1 Stoke City: Lewis Baker’s equaliser gives Mark Robins hope
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