Cardiff City Are 330 Minutes Without Conceding

Cardiff City's recent performances have been built on a rock solid defence with David Marshall, Anthony Gerrard and Darcy Blake forming a dominant foundation for our potent attack.

It was 40 games since Cardiff City last played out a goal-less draw, until the 0-0 battle with Nottingham Forest recently. Of course, the London bus analogy rang true and we played out a second successive stalemate against resurgent Reading - themselves still in the play-off race.

In fact, the last goal the Bluebirds conceded was the opener for rivals Swansea City in the crucial encounter in early April when a Michael Chopra injury-time winner sent the home supporters home delighted. That goal was an unusual one coming straight from an Andrea Orlandi corner. David Marshall was bullied by Ashley Williams and the goal was awarded. You often see those given as fouls but Marshall should have been stronger.

That game was the final encounter in a run of 8 games without a clean sheet and we have atoned for that worrying statistic by going 330 minutes without conceding since Orlandi's strike. That feat is all the more impressive since we've face Forest at their impenetrable home fortress, the in-form Reading and a battling QPR side out to impress new boss Warnock.

All that with Darcy Blake in the heart of defence, the youngster having started the season behind Hudson, Gyepes, Gerrard, McNaughton and possibly Paul Quinn in the pecking order. Blake has been a revelation since returning from a loan spell at Plymouth and has now given Dave Jones a real problem to consider.

A few more clean sheets could see us promoted to the Premiership and with our potent strikeforce including the likes of Whittingham, Chopra, Bothroyd, Burke and McCormack - much will depend on our ability to keep things tight at the back and maintain our miserly record of conceding goals. Long may the goal-less run continue!!!

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