Report by Steve Garland at the Walkers Stadium

Snapshot

Cardiff City's play-off ambitions were dealt a further blow as they fell to a 1-0 defeat to Leicester City at the Walkers Stadium. The result moved the Foxes five points clear of the Bluebirds as a result.

The first half saw a promising start from the Bluebirds, but it was Leicester who took the lead through Martyn Waghorn with less than half an hour gone, as the on loan Sunderland striker tapped home an Andy King flick on for his eighth goal of the season

It had not been the first time that an on-loan Sunderland striker had troubled the Bluebirds this week, but Cardiff almost drew level through Peter Whittingham soon after, only for veteran Nolberto Solano to clear the ball from under his nose inside the six-yard area.

Further chances came as the first period drew to a close and the momentum was with the Bluebirds going into the break, despite their one goal deficit. But they failed to translate that into a second half performance and were lacklustre after the restart.

With just the one goal needed to ensure a point, chances came and went for City, Ross McCormack and Peter Whittingham coming closest with two superb long range efforts, only to be frustrated as they crept over the Leicester crossbar.

The defeat brought a fourth defeat in five for Cardiff, but the Bluebirds were again let off as other results went their way. By virtue of this, they cling onto their sixth place berth and maintain their two point gap over the chasing pack.

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Chronological Report

After a poor midweek performance at Portman Road, Cardiff travelled to the Walkers Stadium for their play-off clash with Leicester City, looking to get their promotion push back on at their opponents expense.

Leicester lay just two points and one position above the Bluebirds at the start of play and as the league table suggested, the game started as an open but even affair.

It was Cardiff though, who had been boosted by the return of Peter Whittingham and Stephen McPhail, who tested the Leicester defence first. Ross McCormack's shot was blocked, before he set up Whittingham minutes later who sent his shot just wide of Chris Weale's near post.

As a result, it was the Bluebirds who had looked the most likely to make something happen in the opening quarter of an hour, but it soon changed as the home side pushed up a gear and went on the attack.

Bruno Berner first broke clear of the city defence on the right, only to see his effort deflected over the bar by the recovering City defence. From the resultant corner, the Foxes almost took the lead as Jack Hobbs guided a Paul Gallagher corner towards goal, only to see it scrambled off the line by Mark Kennedy.

Kennedy was called into action again just minutes later, as he blocked a long range effort from Andy King that looked to be troubling Marshall in goal as the Foxes started to grow in confidence.

It soon paid dividends as Martyn Waghorn poked home to give the Foxes the lead with just under half an hour gone. Despite managing to temporarily calm the Leicester storm, the City defence again came under pressure from a hopeful ball forward, which was flicked on by King towards the six yard box. Waghorn out-muscled Anthony Gerrard to reach the ball first, tapping home for his eighth goal of the season.

GOAL: Leicester City 1-0 Cardiff City (Martyn Waghorn 29 mins)

Leicester City Substitution: Alex Bruce off - Nolberto Solano on (35 mins)

The Bluebirds' promising start had been cast meaningless by the Foxes and it took ten minutes for the goal to promote any sort of response from the Bluebirds. However, it almost brought the equaliser, as McCormack did well to put through Chris Burke on the edge of the penalty area. The Scot played a perfect low cross to Whittingham inside the six yard box, but just as he looked destined to draw the Bluebirds level, substitute Solano nipped in to clear the ball away under his nose.

Having been frustrated not to have levelled the scores, Kennedy almost snatched that sought after leveller just three minutes later, as he struck a superb long range effort after a poor Whittingham free-kick rebounded back off the wall. But it was not to be for the Bluebirds who went into the break with a one goal deficit, despite ending the half the stronger team.

HALF TIME: LEICESTER CITY 1-0 CARDIFF CITY

The Bluebirds struggled to maintain that momentum after the restart, with little chances coming for either side as the game struggled to regain its open nature of the first period. After a rather forgettable fifteen minutes of the second period, the Bluebirds failure to create ensured it was Leicester who remained in control of this tie.

Leicester City Substitution: Matt Oakley off - James Vaughan on (62 mins).

The arrival of on-loan Everton striker James Vaughan was an attacking move by Leicester boss Nigel Pearson, reverting to a more familier 4-4-2 formation, as he looked for the second goal to secure the points for his side. It almost came just four minutes later as Paul Gallagher capitalised on some space in the midfield and with no Bluebird eager to close the winger down, Gallagher produced a vicious effort from twenty yards, just going wide of Marshall's near post.

Cardiff City Substituion: Adam Matthews off - Gavin Rae on (70 mins).

With just twenty minutes remaining and hope of a Cardiff equaliser quickly fading, City finally tested Leicester keeper Weale in the second period five minutes later, a tame McCormack effort failing to force even a break of sweat from the Leicester defence.

Cardiff were clearly lacking confidence after a run of just one win in six matches, but with just the one goal needed to take something from the game, an equaliser was never out of the question. Indeed it almost came with twelve minutes to go, as McCormack produced a moment of supreme ability to hit a vicious volley towards the Leicester goal, just creeping over the crossbar to the relief of the beaten Weale.

City continued to push forward in search of that leveller in the final ten minutes of the game, but were again frustrated despite an upturn in performance. Bothroyd's near post shot was first denied by Weale in the Leicester goal, before Whittingham unleashed another vicious strike towards goal with two minutes remaining, only to again creep just over the crossbar.

Leicester almost ensured the win late on but for a superb Darcy Blake intervention, before Stephen McPhail hit the last attempt to level the scores deep into injury time, but could only trouble the top rows of the stands instead of the Leicester goal.

It ensured a second defeat on the bounce and fourth defeat in five for the Bluebirds as their promotion push continued to stall at the Walkers Stadium. But despite their poor form, they somehow held onto their sixth position and play-off berth, as other results fortuitously went their way.

FULL TIME: LEICESTER CITY 1-0 CARDIFF CITY