Cardiff 2-3 Crystal Palace: Bluebirds RELEGATED to the Championship following defeat to Eagles
Cardiff have been relegated to the Championship following a 3-2 defeat at home to Crystal Palace.Neil Warnock’s men needed to win their final two matches to have a chance of overtaking Brighton, who enjoyed a four-point advantage and a far superior goal difference heading into the penultimate weekend.
3Cardiff have been relegated to the ChampionshipBut clinical Palace played the familiar role of executioners as Wilfried Zaha, Michy Batshuayi and Andros Townsend scored, with Cardiff replying through a Martin Kelly own goal and Bobby Reid’s stoppage-time strike.Cardiff, as has so often been the case this season, were not short of commitment and energy, just a lack of quality, which has been their undoing this season.Against opponents, who have incredibly won nine times on the road compared to four at Selhurst Park this season, they were brutally punished, with Zaha at his brilliant best.Ironically Zaha, a former Bluebird loanee, was on the pitch the last time Cardiff were relegated from the top flight five years ago, alongside Aron Gunnarsson, who was playing his final home game for the club after eight years and over 280 games.Cardiff owner Vincent Tan had made a rare visit to the Welsh capital and he saw his side come close to taking the lead within 40 seconds. Josh Murphy’s drive from distance dipped devilishly to strike a post, but Cardiff’s momentum was slowed when the influential Victor Camarasa hobbled off after 10 minutes with what appeared to be a dead leg.Palace began to stroke the ball around with confidence and Zaha fired into the side netting as he began to torment his marker Lee Peltier.Cardiff failed to heed the warning as Zaha took Townsend’s return pass and planted a low shot into the bottom corner past goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.It took the Palace winger into double figures for the season, with nine of his 10 league goals coming away from home.Cardiff were level within three minutes when substitute Leandro Bacuna broke on to Reid’s pass and down the right to deliver a cross.It should not have a posed a problem to Palace, but the hapless Kelly diverted the ball into an empty net after the goalkeeper Vicente Guaita had gambled that the ball would reach him.
GETTY
3Warnock said he was proud of his team after they were relegated“Martin Kelly, he wants Brighton down,” sang the Palace fans mischievously, keen to see their great rivals rather than Cardiff go down.It was a lifeline for Cardiff, but Zaha was intent on cutting the cord. Zaha and Luka Milivojevic combined well and Batshuayi drove home after he had played a clever one-two with Jordan Ayew.Guaita saved from Bruno Ecuele Managa and Reid as Cardiff again responded well to falling behind, but Etheridge prevented Batshuayi’s point-blank header from extending the lead.Murphy made a horrible mess of Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s cross after the break and Kelly blocked another attempt from the winger as Cardiff pressed frantically.Reid then slipped Kenneth Zohore clean through, but the substitute’s shot was kept out by Guaita.
3Andros Townsend celebrates his fine strikeCardiff paid the price for those missed chances when Townsend drove from the halfway line, cut inside Joe Bennett and beat Etheridge from 20 yards via the near post.Mendez-Laing provided further proof that it was not to be Cardiff’s day, or season for that matter, when he failed to beat James McArthur on the goal-line and saw Guaita push another effort on to the post.Reid fired home a beauty at the death but Cardiff were down, as Palace added them to Hull, Stoke and Huddersfield as sides they have relegated in recent seasons.
Wayne Rooney says Manchester United should do all they can to secure Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino as their next manager. The former United player praised caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
'I'd go all out for Pochettino' - Rooney thinks Manchester
It's that time of the year. With the 2018/19 season coming to a close, Premier League clubs have been using the time to hand out their Player of the Year awards. Here is the collation of every
Every Premier League club's worst value for money signing
Liverpool 2019/20 home shirt: Do leaked images show last ever design by New Balance ahead of potential move to Nike? by: 161385360554578 — Talk Sport 15 Apr Liverpool have become the latest Premier League side to have images of their new shirt for next season leaked Pictures of a possible 2019/20 New Balance kit have surfaced and it giving us
Liverpool 2019/20 goalkeeper shirt: Leaked images of New
Maurizio Sarri admits Chelsea were 'a bit lucky' to beat Manchester City and says it will be hard to stop 'the best team in Europe' winning the title
Chelsea win at Cardiff plasters over wound as Maurizio Sarri
Wolves captain Conor Coady claims he is 'haunted' by the FA Cup semi-final defeat to Watford and will never get over it as they prepare to face their tormentors this Saturday. Nuno Espirito Santo's side looked to have finally eased away the pain of their agonising 3-2 defeat to the Hornets after extra-time when they beat Arsenal 3-1 on
Wolves captain Conor Coady desperate to make history with FA
New Tottenham stadium: Erik Thorstvedt 'almost cried' playing in £1billion ground and warns trophy drought could go on Former Tottenham star Erik Thorstvedt 'almost cried' while playing in Spurs' new stadium on Saturday. Thorstvedt was part of a Spurs Legends team that lost 5-4 to an Inter XI in a test event at..
FCA takes over regulation of CMCs - osmorsa.com
Nedved, who is currently the vice-president of Juventus, revealed his agent had received more than one offer from United. He said it came at a time when Juventus were relegated to Serie B in 26
Juventus legend Pavel Nedved reveals he rejected chance to
A new era dawns at Arsenal as Unai Emery prepares to succeed Arsene Wenger in the Emirates Stadium hotseat. But how will the Spaniard differ from his French predecessor?
Where are Arsenal's famous Invincibles now? | Daily Mail Online
Love how Real Madrid sends me an email saying Happy Birthday from one of the players got one in spanish from our captain and one in English from Bale, love this team so much. 26 · 7 comments Eden Hazard's statement to West Ham fans singing 'He's off to Madrid' during tonight's London derby.
Watch the action for Real Madrid v Bayern München as it happens with Goal.com live text commentary.
Dakika 120: Real 2-1 Bayern Fuatilia Penalti - Bin Zubeiry
Tottenham Hotspur have suffered a blow after striker Harry Kane picked up an ankle problem during their 1-0 Harry Kane Has 'a Bit of Swelling' After Ankle Injury vs. Manchester United Gill
Tottenham provide Harry Kane injury update after limping off
0 Comments