Cardiff City 2, Sheffield United 0
Cardiff City have made it three wins in a row at the start of a season – and that is incredibly rare for the Bluebirds.
They did manage it during 1945-46, in the peacetime league immediately after the Second World War, but that’s the only other time in their history they secured a hat-trick of victories to launch a season.
And back then, 72 years ago, the league was still being played on a regional basis.
The achievement by Warnock’s warriors is a major feat. They have scored six goals, conceded none and are top of the league, level on points with Wolves and Ipswich.
Goalkeeper Neil Etheridge kept his third successive clean sheet, earning that with some outstanding saves, while captain Sean Morrison and winger Nathaniel Mendez-Laing scored the goals.
And City’s next match is against rivals Wolves at Molineux this Saturday (3pm).
City set up against Sheffield United with a four-man back division. They stuck with Morrison and Sol Bamba at centre-back, while Bruno Manga and Jazz Richards filled the full-back positions.
Lee Tomlin returned in attack, playing just behind hard-running striker Kenneth Zohore.
Aron Gunnarsson and Joe Ralls were provided plenty of energy and aggression through the centre of midfield, while Junior Hoilett and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing added pace and direct running in the wide areas.
United, the club Neil Warnock supported growing up, were well organised and played some flowing football at times. The team from Yorkshire gave the Bluebirds far more of a test than Aston Villa had managed last Saturday.
They had been on a run of 20 matches unbeaten, a record stretching back to January, before they were beaten 1-0 by Middlesbrough in their last fixture.
Zohore’s pace took him clear when Hoilett played him through, but his low effort ran just wide.
Winger Hoilett brought a flying, one-handed save from Blades’ goalkeeper Jamal Blackman, while Richards smashed in a long-range shot which rebounded off the bar with Blackman beaten.
Cardiff took the lead just before half-time when Mendez-Laing put United under pressure down the City right and forced a corner. It was taken by Ralls and Morrison lost his marker to head home unchallenged at the far post.
That goal came less than a minute only 54 seconds before the 45 minute mark and the home team went in at the break 1-0 ahead.
It should have been 2-0 when Tomlin had the chance to finish a neat passing move, but he fired high and wide on the volley from close range. Hoilett then crossed for Zohore and his first time flick flew into the side netting.
The Blades had the majority of possession – 64 per cent just before half-time – but Cardiff’s pace and willingness to close their opponents down helped them create openings.
With an hour gone Cardiff’s tally of shots was 12 to United’s five.
A second Bluebirds goal began to look inevitable and it came on 55 minutes when Manga’s pass picked out Mendez-Laing. His right foot shot from the left of the penalty area swept into the top right-hand corner.
Warnock made his first change of the match after 68 minutes when he sent on Loic Damour for the impressive Tomlin, who was given a mighty cheer when he did the Ayatollah as he walked off.
Cardiff City: Etheridge, Manga, Morrison (capt), Bamba, Richards, Ralls, Gunnarsson, Mendez-Laing, Tomlin (Damour 68), Zohore (Halford 89), Hoilett (D Ward 79). Subs not used: Peltier, Pilkington, Halford, Kennedy, Murphy (gk)
Sheffield United: Blackman, Basham, Stearman (Wright 36), O’Connell, Freeman, Coutts, Fleck, Carruthers (C Evans 63), Stevens (Brooks 76), Sharp, L Clarke
Subs not used: Lundstram, Duffy, Lafferty, Eastwood.
Referee: Lee Mason
Attendance: 17,844.
