Snapshot

Craig Conway's goal earned the Bluebirds a hard-fought point against Southampton on Tuesday evening.

City dominated much of the first half and deservedly took the lead on thirty-six minutes when Conway struck from inside the area following a Peter Whittingham corner.

But Southampton were better after the break and equalised from the penalty spot on fifty-six minutes through Ricky Lambert after Kevin McNaughton was adjudged to have handled inside the penalty area.

Both sides had opportunities to win the game in the final third, though despite plenty of game time in both penalty areas, the scores remained level. City remain a point behind Southampton following the draw, though both sides gained a point on leaders West Ham United who fell to a 5-1 defeat at Ipswich Town.

Chronological Report

By Owen Rawlings, at St. Mary's

Malky Mackay made two changes to the side which beat Crystal Palace in the Carling Cup last week. David Marshall replaced Tom Heaton in goal, while Kevin McNaughton came in for Darcy Blake at right-back.

The Bluebirds crafted a great opportunity after just two minutes when Stephen McPhail battled hard to win possession for Malky Mackay's men midway inside the visitors' half.

McPhail released Don Cowie on the counter-attack, before the Scottish midfielder found compatriot Kenny Miller in support on the Bluebirds' right-hand flank.

Miller spotted the forward run of Aron Gunnarsson into the Saints' box and picked the Icelandic international out with a wonderful curling delivery.

Unfortunately, Gunnar was unable to time his header and sent the ball looping high over the Southampton goal.

Southampton awoke from their early slumber to race down the other end and fashion a shooting opportunity of their own.

McPhail was dispossessed of the ball, meaning Saints could race forward in attack. Rickie Lambert collected possession thirty-five yards out and lined up an ambitious shot.

Fortunately, for the Bluebirds, the forward's effort flew harmlessly wide of David Marshall's right-hand post.

Still, the visitors were enjoying plenty of possession and were able to put the home side under pressure with a succession of long throws by Gunnarsson.

Saints struggled to deal with the initial deliveries, tamely clearing the ball to the edge of the area. Sadly, the ball would just not sit for the Bluebirds players lurking outside the box and the home side were able to clear.

After fifteen minutes, Adam Lallana twisted and turned on the right-hand corner of the Bluebirds' eighteen-yard box, before standing the ball up to the back-post for Lambert.

The centre-forward climbed above Andrew Taylor and made firm contact with the cross, though he could only head narrowly over Marshall's bar.

Midway through the first period, St. Mary's erupted as the home side made desperate pleas for a penalty.

Jose Fonte collected possession in the right-back position and picked out Lambert running into the channel ahead of him.

The forward twisted his way past Ben Turner and raced into the penalty area. Lambert attempted to beat Turner once again, but this time both players fell to the ground as they collided together.

Nigel Adkins' men looked to referee Haywood, but the official remained unmoved and Cardiff breathed a sigh of relief.

The Bluebirds almost made the home crowd even more irate by threatening Saints' goal moments later.

Peter Whittingham picked out Craig Conway in space on the left-hand flank, whereupon the winger raced towards the Southampton eighteen-yard box.

Conway cut inside onto his right-foot and unleashed a powerful effort on goal, though it merely cannoned into the body of Fonte.

At the other end, the sheer size of Lambert continued to be a cause of concern for the visitors as the forward competed aggressively in the air.

Just after the half-hour mark, Lambert climbed high in the Cardiff six-yard box to meet a corner from the left-hand flank. Taylor competed bravely in the air and did just enough to force Lambert to head over Marshall's bar.

In truth, there had been little between the two sides but then, ten minutes before the interval, the Bluebirds struck.

After Cowie had won a corner for the visitors on the right-hand side, Whittingham curled in a menacing delivery which troubled Davis in his six-yard box.

Neither the Saints' goalkeeper nor his defenders were able to deal properly with Whitts' corner and the ball merely bounced to the feet of Conway ten yards out.

The Scot trapped the ball immediately before rifling a right-footed effort beyond the stranded Davis.

GOAL: SOUTHAMPTON 0-1 CARDIFF CITY (Conway, 36 mins)

The Bluebirds could have doubled their lead just minutes later. First, Gunnarsson whistled a twenty-yard effort narrowly wide of Kelvin Davis' right-hand post, before the visitors fashioned an even better chance for Kenny Miller.

Conway, in the thick of the action, raced into space down the left-hand flank and moved towards the bye-line.

The Southampton defenders all instinctively followed the run of Gunnarsson into the six-yard box, leaving space for Miller to simply pull away and hold his position fifteen yards out.

Conway noticed Miller's clever movement and rolled the ball into the path of the forward. Sadly, Kenny failed to keep his head over the ball and subsequently spooned his effort harmlessly over the bar.

The Bluebirds continued to pour forward and this time it was the turn of Taylor to threaten Davis' goal.

The left-back collected the ball thirty yards out before surging forward and unleashing a thunderous strike on target. Davis looked somewhat ruffled and nervously punched the ball away as it flew towards his chest.

HALF-TIME: SOUTHAMPTON 0-1 CARDIFF CITY

Nigel Adkins must have delivered an impressive half-time team-talk as his Southampton side really pushed the Bluebirds back during the first ten minutes of the second period.

Jason Puncheon had Saints' first chance of the second half three minutes after the interval. The former Blackpool man cut inside from the right-hand flank and tested Marshall at his near post from twenty yards.

Five minutes later, the St. Mary's crowd demanded a penalty once more. Lallana collected the ball in the visitor's eighteen-yard box and raced towards the bye-line, whereupon he fell to ground as a tackle came in from Taylor.

The referee was once again unimpressed and merely awarded the Bluebirds a goal-kick.

But just a minute later the Saints finally did do enough to convince the official to award a spot-kick. Lallana worked himself some space on the left-hand side of the visitors' eighteen-yard box and attempted to cross the ball in.

Unfortunately, the ball cannoned onto the arm of McNaughton and Haywood pointed to the spot, though the right-back had little chance of moving his arm out of the way in time.

Lambert stepped up and fired an unstoppable penalty past Marshall, bringing the Saints back on level terms.

GOAL: SOUTHAMPTON 1-1 CARDIFF CITY (Lambert, 56 mins)

Malky Mackay's men responded positively and immediately went in search of a second goal.

First, Miller cut into space on the left-hand corner of the Southampton eighteen-yard box, though he could only drag his effort tamely wide of Davis' near post.

Moments later, Whittingham lined up his first long-range effort of the game as he collected possession twenty-five yards out. Whitts did not catch his effort quite as he would have liked and fired high over the bar.

Substitution Southampton: Tadanari Lee on for Jason Puncheon (61 mins)

Substitution Cardiff: Rudy Gestede on for Craig Conway (62 mins)

Southampton controlled large spells of the game in the second period, forcing the Bluebirds to be resolute in defence.

Indeed, Anthony Gerrard and Turner combined well to deal with a succession of corner-kicks which Nigel Adkins' side won midway through the second half.

Substitution Cardiff: Filip Kiss on for Stephen McPhail (77 mins)

Although the Saints had put the visitors under great pressure throughout much of the second period, Malky Mackay's men became increasingly dangerous on the counter-attack.

As the game entered the final ten minutes, Whittingham played an incisive through-ball into the path of Miller who sped towards goal.

Kenny outpaced the Saints defenders but was forced to take the shot on his left foot. Unfortunately, the Scot could only fire high over Davis' bar.

Five minutes later, Taylor delivered a long free-kick from the left-back position to find Gestede jumping high in the Southampton box.

The French forward headed the ball into the path of the onrushing Gunnarsson, though the Icelandic international could only slice his left-footed effort well wide of the right-hand upright.

Substitution Southampton: Dean Hammond on for David Connolly (87 mins)

But it was Southampton who looked most likely to snatch a winner in the dying minutes.

Tadanari Lee, making his debut for the Saints, put in a desperate lunge to try and divert a cross from the left-hand flank into the Cardiff goal, though he could not quite extend his right foot far enough.

In fact, Nigel Adkins' side created perhaps their best chance of the whole encounter just as the game entered injury-time.

The Bluebirds failed to deal with a Southampton corner from the left-hand side, leaving the ball to ricochet around deep inside their box.

As the ball bounced back and forth, Lallana threw himself at the ball and directed it goalwards.

The midfielder's effort looked ready to nestle into the back of the net, but Marshall did fantastically well to paw the ball away from the right-hand corner of his goal and then to complete the clearance under great pressure.

The Bluebirds came under quite ferocious pressure during the four minutes of added time, but they stood firm and saw the game out to secure a valuable away point.

FULL-TIME: SOUTHAMPTON 1-1 CARDIFF CITY

CARDIFF CITY: Marshall, McNaughton, Taylor, Gerrard, Whittingham, Cowie, Miller, Conway (Gestede), Gunnarsson, Turner, McPhail (c) (Kiss). Subs not used: Heaton, Mason, Blake.

SOUTHAMPTON: Davis, Richardson, Martin, Fonte (c), Fox, Puncheon (Lee), Schneiderlin, Cork, Lallana, Connolly (Hammond), Lambert. Subs not used: Bialkowski, Harding, Falque.

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