Report: Ashley James

Snapshot: Cardiff well and truly used their get out of jail free card to earn a draw with near neighbours Bristol in Sunday's early kick-off. The victims of countless late equalisers this campaign, Cardiff struck with a timely cruel blow of their own two minutes from time when Ross McCormack turned in Eddie Johnson's spilled shot.

Bristol dominated the majority of a tired and uneventful Severnside derby right up until Nicky Maynard's opener in the seventieth minute. After that Cardiff poured forward in search of the equaliser vital to their automatic promotion hopes, grabbing a point through McCormack's fortuitous goal, lent a strong hand by Robins 'keeper Basso.

Bristol had one final chance to win it deep into stoppage time only for extremely impressive debutant Stuart Taylor to deny the Robins once more with a fine diving save.

Team News: Dave Jones made four changes from the below par performance away at Norwich five days before as Stuart Taylor became Cardiff's fourth starting goalkeeper of the season, making his Bluebirds debut just days after signing on-loan from Aston Villa for the rest of the campaign.

Kevin McNaughton returned to fitness and the starting eleven at right-back at the expense of the unfortunate Darcy Blake who dropped out of the match-day squad altogether following a calf injury. Jay Bothroyd was also fit again and partnered Michael Chopra up-front, while in the most surprising move Stephen McPhail returned from exile to start his first match since last November in place of Gavin Rae who dropped to the bench. He was kept company on a strong Cardiff bench by Ross McCormack, Eddie Johnson, Miguel Comminges and a fit again Chris Burke.

Chronological Report: Epic Hollywood battles are usually accompanied by teeming sleet and crashing thunder, so that fact that Ashton Gate was bathed in splendid spring sunshine at kick-off told a story in itself. The opening was tentative at best, but more accurately lethargic. Barring two horrible mid-range efforts from Bradley Orr and Tony Capaldi who both proved exactly why they're full-backs. The first chance took ten minutes to arrive when Gabor Gyepes headed a corner over unmarked from the penalty spot.

The first contentious moment arrived after eleven minutes and it brings about a moment of déjà vu. Louis Carey sold his 'keeper short with a back-pass and allowed Michael Chopra to slide in and take a piece of Adriano Basso's toe. Unlike Steve Thompson's encounter with the Brazilian last season though, referee Lee Mason saw sense and awarded absolutely nothing.

The home side were having slightly the better of play while Cardiff were shading it on chances as they carved out two in quick succession around the fifteen minute mark. Firstly Paul Parry got behind his marker down the left thanks to a delightful Chopra pass; Parry's low cross picked out Jay Bothroyd at the back post area but his first time volley was drilled into the turf and bounced up kindly for Basso.

The second chance, bar for some great defending would have seen the Bluebirds ahead. Roger Johnson met Parry's corner with a bullet header from twelve yards and a combination of Basso's fine flying save and Stern John's head cleared the ball off the line.

Cardiff, through Michael Chopra were having some joy down the left hand channel and on twenty-one minutes Bothroyd sprung him once more with a great pass, allowing Chopra to cut onto his right and into the box before curling a shot just wide of the far post. A minute later we finally witnessed the first booking of the derby; Roger Johnson went to ground and won the ball off Nicky Maynard who reacted angrily by flying into a tackle right back at Roger. It was poorly timed, from behind and deserving of a yellow.

Stuart Taylor's first real action arrived after twenty-seven minutes as Cardiff failed to clear their lines, Louis Carey put his foot through the ball from thirty yards which Taylor did well pushing the effort away to his right.

It had been a long time coming but on the half-hour mark Cardiff finally opened up the Robins defence with some silky passing. Stephen McPhail switched the ball out left with a first time pass that allowed Tony Capaldi to race onto inside the box; he pulled the ball back to Bothroyd who looked to place a side-footed shot only to be denied by a fine block from the committed Carey.

Cardiff's best chances had so far arrived off corners and on thirty-four minutes it also led to Bristol's best chance of the first-half. The lively Michael McIndoe swung in the ball from the left and Liam Fontaine rose un-marked near the back post but his header back across goal drifted high and wide of the intended top corner.

The last chance of a fairly low-key opening forty-five also fell the way of the home side as the ball got stuck in amongst the feet of a crowd of players at the edge of the Cardiff box which allowed McIndoe to swing a leg at the ball and scuff a good chance wide.

Half Time: Bristol City 0 - 0 CARDIFF CITY

The home side produced a far more exhilarating start to the second half and could have been ahead in the opening minutes as some quick feet from Lee Johnson inside the Cardiff box opened up the space for McIndoe to have a strike. The ball hit Roger Johnson from close range and drew a huge appeal for hand-ball from the Bristol faithful that wasn't given. The ball eventually fell to Gavin Williams some thirty yards out whose audacious volley looked to be sensationally dropping over Taylor and under the bar only to nestle onto the roof of the net.

Bristol City Substitution: Cole Skuse for Gavin Williams (50mins)

Bristol City Substitution: Dele Adebola for Stern John (57mins)

Cardiff City Substitution: Ross McCormack for Paul Parry (60mins)

The home side were dominating the early proceedings of the second half but in possession alone as neither side managed to make any really headway with the game ticking by at a languid pace.

Never-the-less the tension was building inside Ashton Gate, as was the sense of an impending Robins goal. On sixty-three minutes only a superb double save from the debutant Taylor prevented just that.

McInode cut in on the left and struck a fine shot across goal which Taylor pushed away well, Lee Johnson won the ball in the scramble and again Taylor made a fine save from point blank range which allowed McNaughton to marshal the ball out for a corner.

Cardiff City Substitution: Eddie Johnson for Jay Bothroyd (69mins)

You couldn't say the goal wasn't coming as Cardiff were still struggling to get a foothold in the game well past the hour. In the end it arrived through some fine individual work from Nicky Maynard as he picked up the ball on the left and was allowed to cut inside and run across the edge of the area, eventually getting on the outside shoulder of Gabor Gyepes and rifling a shot back across Taylor for the lead.

BRISTOL CITY 1 - 0 Cardiff City (Nicky Maynard 70mins)

Cardiff looked to respond immediately and again nearly did so from a set-piece. McCormack swung in a free-kick from the left which Gyepes got his head to flicking it goal-ward and forced Basso into a great save as he tipped the ball onto the bar and over.

Suddenly the game had opened up and Bristol City nearly snatched a second on a counter-attack. Dele Adebola out-muscled McNaughton down the left and trundled into the box looking inside to Maynard only for Capadli to break up the move with a fine covering tackle.

Cardiff City Substitution: Chris Burke for Peter Whittingham (76mins)

Cardiff were finally committing men forward in numbers and the chances soon followed. Joe Ledley struck a shot over from a good position on the left of the box and McCormack had two sights at goal with free-kicks from mid-range that Basso dealt with comfortably. Then the best of the bunch dropped onto the head of Eddie Johnson who nodded a good effort wide of the near post. It seemed the gaol would never come for Cardiff until a minute later.

Out of nowhere Cardiff equalised to send the 1,313 travelling support into raptures. Eddie Johnson picked up the ball midway inside the Bristol half and cut across the face of the Robins defence and opening up space for a shot.

He hit a well struck shot towards the bottom near corner that Basso saved easily before spilling and allowing Rocc McCormack to side-foot home from the tightest of angles after his quicksilver reactions had put him into position to pounce.

Bristol City 1 - 1 CARDIFF CITY (Ross McCormack 88mins)

Bristol City Substitution: Peter Styvar for Nicky Maynard (89mins)

Still more drama was to come as a rampaging run from the burly Adebola got himself to the edge of the Cardiff box where he was crowded out by a host of Cardiff players and hitting the deck winning himself a soft looking free-kick. McIndoe struck it firmly and Taylor made another remarkable save away to his right turning the ball around the post.

That proved to be Bristol's last chance but Cardiff awarded themselves one more, or rather Mr Mason did much to the annoyance of the home fans. Chris Burke charged up-field on a counter-attack and was halted by what seemed a well timed sliding challenge from Liam Fontaine only for the ref to award a free-kick and a final chance to Cardiff only for McPhail to swing over an ineffective ball which brought to an end a bizarre and remarkable derby.

Full Time: Bristol City 1 - 1 CARDIFF CITY

Cardiff City: Taylor, McNaughton, R. Johnson, Gyepes, Capaldi, Whittingham (Burke 76), McPhail, Ledley, Parry (McCormack 60), Chopra, Bothroyd (E. Johnson 69). Subs not used: Rae, Comminges.

Bristol City: Basso, McCombe, Carey, Fontaine, Orr, McIndoe, McAllister, Johnson, Williams (Skuse 50), Maynard (Styvar 89), John (Adebola 57). Subs not used: Sproule, Weale.

Referee: Lee Mason

Attendance: 17,487