Cardiff City have all but secured their Championship status for next season after Cedric Kipre's 88th minute winner downed Rotherham United in a cagey affair.

The impressive Kion Etete gifted the hosts an early lead, although Rotherham bit back and restored parity through Chiedozie Ogbene in the 37th minute.

Cardiff may have lived to rue Sory Kaba's second penalty miss in as many outings when his spot-kick smashed against the woodwork on the cusp of half-time, before resisting a bombardment of opposing pressure after the interval.

But Cardiff would prevail to take all three points, after Rotherham's sketchy defending allowed Kipre to linger a few yards from goal and smash home a dramatic late winner.

  • Pre-match

Sabri Lamouchi imposed two changes from the side that started Cardiff’s 1-1 home draw to Stoke City last weekend, with star winger Jaden Philogene returning to the starting line-up in place of Romaine Sawyers following a blitzing cameo against the Potters.

Jak Alnwick also started between the sticks, after first-choice shot-stopper Ryan Allsop was ushered off on Saturday through injury.

On the other hand, Millers boss Matt Taylor made a series of alterations after their defeat away at Bristol City. This saw loan duo Domingos Quina and Tarique Fosu drop out for Oliver Rathbone and Jamie Lindsay, while Richard Wood replaced the injured Tyler Blackett.

  • Story of the match

The overarching tension was evident from the offset as agitation and anticipation descended upon the New York Stadium in equal measure.

After all, Cardiff had remained aggrieved at the hosts' conduct, and the subsequent ruling of a replay after the controversial abandonment of last month's fixture, owing to what were defined as "adverse weather conditions".

Whether the ultimatum held justification depends on your own definition of the phrase, and the ways in which you would (or would not) see fit to try and restart a football match in the rain.

That said, it is likely that pushing water back onto a pitch that had already fell victim to torrential rain would not be one of them, nor would turning the sprinklers on in such conditions. Even less so would that be case had you been winning at the time, which Rotherham were not courtesy of Philogene's early strike.

These events dictated the intensity that the fixture began with, as both sides played with wind in their sails, fire in their bellies and, above all, a point to prove.

Jordan Hugill, who helped Cardiff remain in the division last year, came dangerously close to haunting his former club when his header ricocheted off the crossbar after only three minutes on the clock, having met a delightful Wes Harding cross.

Moments later, the striker surged onwards past the Cardiff defence and protested that he had been obstructed by Kipre, although his vocal appeals fell upon deaf ears.

But, after Kipre and Mahlon Romeo had both posed questions at the other end, Cardiff quickly began to grow into proceedings. 

Their efforts were duly rewarded when Etete met a delightful delivery from Perry Ng to nod home, leaving Viktor Johansson stranded in the Rotherham goal.

The Millers did not know how to react, and their deficit of ideas was displayed as they came closes through a speculative strike from Conor Coventry, which served simply to warm the palms of Alnwick.

The aura of animosity that had been brewing all evening long came to a head upon the half hour mark.

After Lamouchi had voiced his frustration towards Harding for venturing too far up the line to take his throw-in, Sol Bamba stepped in, as did former teammate Lee Peltier, with the two engaging in a war of words that would have doubtlessly spilled over into something more without the intervention of referee Oliver Langford, who booked the City assistant.

All of a sudden, Rotherham levelled the scoring.

Yet another dangerous cross from Harding on the right-hand side found its way to Ogbene, who was lurking at the far-post, and the attacker faced no difficulty in firing his composed header past Alnwick.

Cardiff, though, would be presented with a golden opportunity to head into the break a goal to the good when Philogene, the goalscorer in both the first game and Rotherham's visit to the Welsh capital earlier this term, was hauled down in the area for the second time in less than a week.

For the second time in less than a week, Sory Kaba stood over the spot, this time looking to arrest his penalty demons after firing a blank from 12 yards out against Stoke.

Though, for the second time in less than a week, he could only watch on in despair as his penalty was squandered yet again, this time rattling the woodwork with an effort not lacking in conviction or power, but perhaps, rather, a level of placement and precision.

Both sides knocked on the door as the second half started and subsequently grew on.

Rotherham's deliveries from wide areas were menacing, and full-back Cohen Bramall had pulses racing with a deceiving cross into the danger zone that, to his frustration, was not met by a red shirt.

Etete and Joe Ralls both launched shots towards the Millers' goal, too, but neither effort appeared particularly threatening. In fact, it appeared particularly apparent that both Rotherham and Cardiff were worrying about losing the fixture, as more men were stationed behind the ball and attacks were forged with less conviction and creativity.

Kaba was brought off for Connor Wickham as Lamouchi sought to administer a fresh sense of energy and vigour into his side's forward plays, while saving the Guinean's legs for Sunday's showdown against Huddersfield Town.

But Cardiff mounted the pressure late on and, to their delight, Rotherham could not cope with it.

Having failed to clear their lines from a corner, Johansson did well to keep Etete's effort out, although they were unable to get rid, and after the ball sailed over a backline struck with confusion, Kipre pounced to smash the ball into the roof of the net and spark euphoria among the travelling supporters. 

Despite making an array of attacking substitutions throughout the second half, Rotherham failed to find a route back into the game, with their own relegation worries being compounded as Cardiff's now appear all but eased. 

They now sit six points ahead of 22nd placed Reading, who would need to win both of their final two matches while banking on two Cardiff defeats and a vast overturn on the goal difference front to pip the Bluebirds.

With Rotherham and Huddersfield still not out of the woods, the Royals may not drop down to League One. But that, after tonight's epic finale, that seems none of Cardiff's business. 

 

  • Player of the Match

Tonight's Player of the Match goes to Cardiff City's Cedric Kipre.

The commanding central defender proved a vital force at both ends, providing defensive solidity and a typically-reliable base for Cardiff to keep possession at the back before, of course, firing in what looks like the most important goal of their season.

 

  • Match information

Rotherham United (3-1-4-2): Johansson; Peltier (Quina 85), Wood (C), Humphreys; Coventry (Wiles 85); Harding, Lindsay, Rathbone (Fosu 70), Bramall; Ogbene, Hugill (Kelly 67)

Cardiff City (3-4-1-2): Alnwick; Ng, Kipre, McGuinness; Romeo, Wintle, Ralls (C), O'Dowda (Simpson 46); Philogene (Sawyers 90); Kaba (Wickham 71), Etete

Booked: Rathbone 

Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands) 

 

 

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