by Mark Denham

Extended highlights from this game will be on World at 16:45 on Sunday.

Snapshot

Cardiff lost 1-0 to Southampton on Saturday afternoon as they failed to make ground on Wolves and Reading who also suffered defeat. The Bluebirds' unbeaten league run came to stuttering halt as Dave Jones' men failed to make much of an impression in a scrappy and lacklustre game.

Line-ups:

Cardiff City: Konstantopoulos, Comminges, Kennedy, R.Johnson, Gyepes, Whittingham, Burke, Rae, Ledley, McCormack, Parry. Subs: E.Johnson, Owusu-Abeyie, Scimeca, Purse, Capaldi.

Southampton: Davis, James, Saeijs, Perry, Skacel, Lallana, McGoldrick, Gillett, Surman, Saganowski, Euell. Subs: Forecast, Schneiderlin, Smith, Liptak, Wright-Phillips.

Chronological Report

The match started brightly with both sides indicating that they were out to attack. The Bluebirds had the first chance of the game after four minutes though when Gabor Gyepes headed over from a corner following good build up play from Paul Parry and Joe Ledley.

Despite some promising attacking play from the Bluebirds, particularly down the flanks from Whittingham and Burke, Southampton were awarded a penalty after ten minutes when Mark Kennedy was adjudged to have handled inside the area. David McGoldrick stepped up confidently to put the ball past Konstantopoulos and give the Saints the lead, though Kennedy and his team-mates were infuriated by what appeared to be a harsh decision.

GOAL: Southampton 1-0 Cardiff City (McGoldrick, Pen. 11).

Cardiff immediately looked to respond with Roger Johnson having a good opportunity deflected away from goal. Two quick corners followed for the Bluebirds as they continued to press at the Southampton goal, Chris Burke having a good chance to equalise for City before being denied by the onrushing Kelvin Davis.

Despite trailing, the Bluebirds had the better of the encounter in the opening twenty minutes, Southampton's delivery and execution in the final third being very poor. Paul Parry had two penalty claims waved away in the space of thirty seconds on the twenty minute mark, as the threat on the Southampton goal increased.

Polish international Marek Saganowski had a good opportunity to double the Saints' lead against the run of play with a well executed diving header that breezed wide of the Cardiff goal. Southampton proved that they had pace and ability down the flanks as the game approached the half hour mark, though City full-backs Mark Kennedy and Miguel Comminges did well to dampen the majority of threats.

Roger Johnson was instrumental in attack and defence as the half continued; a great shot by the centre back preceded a superb opportunity in which Parry's downward header was palmed around the post by Davis. Southampton dominated in the remaining ten minutes of the half however, with the Bluebirds failing to take hold of possession for any significant period of time. As the two sides went in at the break, Mark Wotte would have been a lot more satisfied than Dave Jones whose Cardiff City side looked sluggish as the half drew to a close.

Half Time: Southampton 1-0 Cardiff City

Cardiff City kicked off the second half with a changed line-up from that which departed the field fifteen minutes earlier; Peter Whittingham made way for loan signing Quincy Owusu-Abeyie. The Bluebirds took the fight to Southampton immediately; winning a free-kick on the edge of the Saints' penalty area after Burke was felled. Ross McCormack struck a superb shot towards goal but unfortunately for the Bluebirds it drifted centimetres wide.

The Bluebirds began to notch up their corner kick tally though failed to significantly threaten the Saints goal. With half an hour remaining, Southampton looked, if not comfortable, then capable of retaining their slender lead. Most of Cardiff's attacking threat came down the right channel through Chris Burke, though City struggled to find the final ball.

The Bluebirds had a huge let off when Saganowski had another great chance to double the Saints lead in the sixty-fifth minute. A superb attacking move fell to the Polish striker whose shot clipped the top of the bar before bouncing over and away from danger.

The game began to open up in the last fifteen minutes with Cardiff looking equally like to concede as they did to score. With ten minutes remaining, Eddie Johnson was introduced in place of Miguel Comminges as the Bluebirds searched for the equaliser. The American international moved up front with Burke taking up the vacated right back position and Parry dropping back in to midfield.

With five minutes remaining, City had another penalty shout turned down when it appeared that there had been a handball inside the area. Eddie Johnson's miss from eight yards out in the closing seconds confirmed that the Bluebirds' thirteen match unbeaten league run had come crashing to an end.

Full Time: Southampton 1-0 Cardiff City