Boro once again made hard work of securing a precious three points at the Riverside – but it was enough to take them into second place.
They looked laboured in the first and after a bright start they started to falter up front.
They finally made a break through in the second half as Patrick Bamford stroked home a rebound when his first shot was blocked then Lee Tomlin looked to have sealed it with a second.
But Cardiff threw everything forward and snatched one back lat eon through Kenwyne Jones to set up a frantic finale.
It was a nervy finish but Boro did enough to win on a night that leaders Bournemouth slipped up at Leeds.
Boro made just one change to the side that laboured to beat Huddersfield 2-0 with Adam Reach starting in place of Albert Adomah, although club captain returned Jonathan Woodgate returned to the bench for the first time since September.
Boro threatened straight from kick-off as a perceptive Tomas Kalas ball sent Patrick Bamford down the right to beat his man and when he cut his cross back towards the edge of the box it found Kike but his low shot was charged down
Then a minute later another crisp move found Kike in the box and he twisted and turned but couldn't find an angle then when he tried to lay it back to meet Lee Tomlin's run a defender cut it out.
And on six minutes Boro had to soak up some pressure and Turner headed wide from a corner.
But Boro broke quickly on six minutes, Daniel Ayala clearing a ball up field after a cross was dealt with and Kike controlled, turned and swept a sublime ball down the right for Bamford to chase but he was closed down and crowded out.
Cardiff won a throw on the right on 11 minutes but although keeper Dimi Konstantopoulos fumbled the ball was quickly hoofed clear by Grant Leadbitter then when Noone pushed it back into the box George Friend cut it out before Revell could collect.
Boro had a strong shout for a penalty on 16 minutes as Bamford drilled in a low shot that took a deflection then skidded and bounced back off Moore's chest and as Kike pounced on the rebound the keeper stretched and appeared to trip the Spanish striker but the ref waved play on.
Boro threatened on 22 minutes as a neat Leadbitter back-heel sparked a crisp passing move that sent Friend down the left but his whipped cross to the near post was headed behind then the resulting corner was nervously scrambled away after Ayala had headed it goalwards.
Adam Clayton won a free-kick 25 yards out on 24 minutes and when Leadbitter cut it diagonally to the left hand corner of the box Friend whacked in a low effort that was deflected behind by a brave sliding block.
There was another free-kick on the half-hour as Reach was fouled wide on the left and when Leadbitter's ball in was bundled away it bounced to Kalas who sent a 25 yard effort curling well wide.
And as the pressure mounted Leadbitter fired a corner in from the left on 32 minutes for Ayala to dart in and power a stooping header through the crowd but it flew straight into the keeper's arms.
City's Brayford was booked for a foul on Kalas in the Boro box.
After a scrappy spell with a lot of high balls flying both way Boro threatened on 41 minutes as Clayton touched on a knock forward for Bamford to send a speculative 25 yard effort wide.
Then Leadbitter chipped in a free-kick from the right and when Friend flicked it goalwards Kike just failed to connect at the near post.
In stoppage time Cardiff made a rare raid forward as Noone darted through a gap onto a Whittingham ball but he put his low long range shot straight at Konstantopoulos.
HALF-TIME: BORO 0 CARDIFF 0
Boro were quickly on the attack after the restart as Bamford and Kalas combined to cut into the Cardiff box but the final ball was cut out.
Then Cardiff made a few probes but they were ended by strong tackles from Kalas and Clayton, the latter earning a booking on 56 minutes for a challenge on Revell.
The free-kick was cleared but Cardiff won a throw which caused a scramble before Gibson nodded back to Konstantopoulos.
And on 59 minutes Cardiff carved out their best effort so far as lively Harris cut in from the left to collect a ball from Whittinghanthen curled a shot towards the far post that sent Konstantopoulos full length to push away.
The crowd were getting nervous now at Boro losing their way.
Leadbitter was booked on 63 minutes after two challenges for loose ball left Brayford down injured after what looked a firm but fair tackle.
But Boro finally made the breakthrough on 63 minutes as Reach cut in from the left and squared for PATRICK BAMFORD and although his first effort was blocked it rebounded kindly for the striker to strike home from 10 yards at the second time of asking.
On 67 minutes Cardiff put on Kenwyne Jones for Revell.
Boro almost broke through for a second on 70 minutes as Clayton sent a quick ball behind the defence for Kike to dart onto but keeper Moore was quickly off his line to block the Spaniard's attempted angled slotted shot.
On 73 minutes Boro put on Albert Adomah for Kike.
Adomah was quickly into action on 76 minutes as he streaked forward onto a threaded past from Bamford and drilled in a low angled 18 yard effort that the keeper spilled.
Then two minutes late the winger wriggled down the right and crossed to the far post where a defender just got a touch to prevent Bamford making contact.
And Boro grabbed a second to seal it on 79 minutes as Reach got down the left to skip past Brayford then pick out LEE TOMLIN seven yards out and he calmly slotted home his third goal in a week.
On 83 minutes Cardiff put on Ralls for Adeyema.
On 85 minutes Boro put on Jelle Vossen for Tomlin.
Cardiff pulled one back against the run of play on 86 minutes as Ralls crossed in and former Sunderland man KENWYNE JONES put in a downward header at the far post.
Cardiff put on Macheda for Noone on 88 minutes and threw everyone forward.
In stoppage time Dean Whitehead came on for Kalas.
At the death Vossen was booked for stopping Cardiff taing a quick free-kick.
Boro: Konstantopolous, Kalas (Whitehead 90+2), Gibson, Ayala, Friend, Reach, Leadbitter, Clayton, Bamford, Tomlin (Vossen 85), Kike (Adomah 73). Sub: Mejias, Husband, Ledesma, Woodgate.
Cardiff: Moore, Brayford, Connolly, Morrison, Turner (c), Whittingham, Gunnarsson, Adeyemi (Ralls 83), Noone (Macheda 87), Harris, Revell (67, Jones) . Subs: Wilson, Fabio, John, Le Fondre.
Ref: Geoff Eltringham (County Durham)
Att: 16,035 (149 away fans)
No comments:
Post a Comment