Cardiff City vs Queens Park Rangers; Sky Bet Championship
Cardiff City vs Queens Park Rangers. Sky Bet Championship.
Cardiff City StadiumAttendance16,882.
Cardiff City 0-1 QPR: Andre Gray hits winner in South Wales
Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Cardiff City and QPR at the Cardiff City Stadium as Andre Gray's first-half goal was enough to seal victory for Rangers in South Wales.
Wednesday 3 November 2021 22:45, UK
Andre Gray's third goal of the season gave QPR a 1-0 win at struggling Cardiff in the Championship.
Steve Morison's Bluebirds had their opportunities and they looked the more dangerous side in the opening 45 minutes, but they could not find the net and were punished by Gray's strike eight minutes before half-time.
Cardiff, who were looking to build on a thrilling comeback draw at Stoke in caretaker manager Morison's first game in charge, had the game's first chance.
Ryan Giles - playing at wing-back instead of the forward role he has had for most of the season so far - escaped down his favoured left channel and pulled the ball back for Perry Ng, but he curled wide on his weaker left foot.
Cardiff's Wales international Rubin Colwill then worked R's goalkeeper Seny Dieng with a shot from distance with the home side well on top.
Gray did head wide, but QPR offered little in attack and their passing in the final third was poor, while at the other end Will Vaulks called Dieng into action from range.
But it was QPR who went into the break ahead after scoring totally against the run of play. Andre Dozzell's pinpoint pass found Gray, who was given too much space by Cardiff captain Sean Morrison and the former Burnley striker made him pay with a powerful, low finish.
Ilias Chair forced Cardiff goalkeeper Alex Smithies into a close-range save when the game resumed while at the other end Colwill tried to get on the end of a pass from Giles.
Gray was then forced off but replaced by Charlie Austin in a substitution which showed the strength in depth available to R's manager Mark Warburton.
Cardiff introduced striker Mark Harris in search of a comeback, but Lyndon Dykes should have made it 2-0 to the R's. A goal looked certain when Dykes received the ball in the box, but his shot was deflected wide for a corner by a desperate covering Cardiff defence.
It was a big miss from Dykes and you felt QPR might live to regret it in the final 15 minutes as Cardiff went direct and pushed hard for an equaliser.
But Morison's Bluebirds struggled to create clear-cut chances and Wales striker Kieffer Moore had few opportunities to show his worth.
The result brought Morison and Cardiff back to earth after the point they earned at Stoke and left the Bluebirds hovering just above the Championship's drop zone.
What the managers said...
Cardiff caretaker Steve Morison: "We lost, everything else doesn't really matter. We felt we were in control of the game with and without the ball in the first half and then we get one moment wrong and they punish us. That's where we are at the moment. The goal was the decisive moment. It was a great pass, a great finish, and we didn't really have that. I can't dress it up any other way. We needed a moment of quality and we didn't take our chance.
"I am taking heart from the fact the players are doing what I am asking of them. They are moving the ball well, taking risks and being brave, but at the moment it isn't quite happening for us. We are at the start of November and the table doesn't lie. We are up against it, but there are a lot of points left to play for."
QPR's Mark Warburton: "It's a very pleasing win. It is a proper Championship win because we had to grind out a result. We got to half-time 1-0 up and not playing very well, but we showed a lot of character in the second half. Cardiff are very good at what they do and they went direct, but we defended very well. We spoke about rapid passing before the game and it was a great ball in from Andre Dozzell for the goal and a tremendous finish from Andre Gray.
"Steve Morison was a very experienced player and we were wary of Cardiff tonight. As a caretaker manager, and I mean that respectfully, you can try things and change things. Cardiff played differently tonight. I'm sure Steve has thrown his hat in the ring for the manager's job, of course he has. We knew he would make changes to how Cardiff played tonight and he did."
