by Mark Denham, from Ashton Gate

Snapshot

Gavin Williams' injury time leveller broke the Bluebirds' hearts after Michael Chopra had given City a seventy-seventh minute lead.

Terrible conditions meant that Ashton Gate was littered with snow, something that didn't help playing conditions in the slightest. City had the better of the game and were unfortunate not to take the cup tie, though it was a game in which chances were few and far between.

Chopra looked to have won the tie for Cardiff after scoring from an outrageous angle on seventy-seven minutes. But in the second minute of injury time, Welshman Williams struck from twenty-five yards out to force the replay.

Chronological Report

The Bluebirds kicked off at a bitterly cold Ashton Gate on Tuesday evening, fans in attendance pleased that the game went ahead despite a thin layer of snow covering the turf. The home side had the first chance of the game inside four minutes when Louis Carey headed un-challenged on to the Bluebirds post. City managed to clear, but the Robins had started the brighter.

Four minutes later and the Robins were again unlucky not to take an early lead. Some poor defending on the far right allowed David Clarkson to cut the ball back inside to Paul Hartley, the Scot slicing his effort wide of Marshall's goal when he perhaps should have struck better.

Danny Haynes was enjoying some space down the Bristol right, the Robins midfield looking to free the attacking midfielder on the inside and outside of Kevin McNaughton; McNaughton however, was more than a match for the sprightly Haynes, twice denying the Bristol City man goal making opportunities in the final third.

Cardiff's first half-chance came after fourteen minutes when Ross McCormack struck low but wide past Robins 'keeper Dean Gerken. Aaron Wildig had been mercilessly brought down midway inside the Bristol half leading to the free-kick, a challenge which led to the booking of Bradley Orr.

From almost an identical free-kick position, McCormack challenged Gerken with his second effort. This time, the 'keeper parried it, giving Chopra the chance to follow up - unfortunately for the striker, the Robins defence did enough to clear but City were coming in to the game much more.

Aided by the snow laden turf, Michael Chopra found himself challenging with Gerken following a loose Jamie McAllister back-pass on the half hour mark; the striker forced Gerken to scuff his clearance towards Wildig and the youngster's audacious thirty-yard chip almost caught out the back-peddling Gerken before settling on top of the Robins' goal.

An injury to Gavin Rae five minutes before the interval brought about the return of former Dagenham & Redbridge man Solomon Taiwo to the City side. The Bluebirds continued to dominate the midfield as the interval approached, though the game began looking more and more likely to be decided by a snow forced error as the game went on.

Substitution Cardiff City: Solomon Taiwo on for Gavin Rae (40 mins).

An audacious, long-range Carey strike during first-half stoppage time was the final event of the half. It was a game that had moved at a high pace despite the terrible snowy conditions underfoot.

HALF TIME: BRISTOL CITY 0-0 CARDIFF CITY

The second half started quietly but was brought in to life in the fifty-second minute by a thunderous effort from Hartley. Good work down the Bristol left by substitute Alvaro Saborio allowed Nicky Maynard to get the ball in to the area; City half cleared but only to Hartley who struck well but just over from thirty-yards out.

Just before the hour mark, the Robins came close from a set-piece play. Good wing play by Maynard on the Bristol right led to McNaughton conceding a free-kick in a dangerous position; Hartley delivered a sweetly struck ball that Saborio headed over from a good goal-scoring position.

Anthony Gerrard had the Bluebirds' first second-half effort on goal after sixty-two minutes. Good concerted pressure by Cardiff led to a succession of corners, the second of which met the head of Gerrard before being smothered by Gerken.

The Bluebirds had a half chance to score on the seventy minute mark when Joe Ledley came close to picking up a bobbling ball inside the area; Gerken again smothered in putting his body on the line, denying City one of very few second-half chances. Warren Feeney replaced McCormack with eighteen minutes remaining with the Scottish striker having put in a good shift despite documented illness.

Substitution Cardiff City: Warren Feeney on for Ross McCormack (70 mins).

Substitution Bristol City: Gavin Williams on for Paul Hartley (73 mins).

On seventy-seven minutes, Michael Chopra scored the cheekiest of goals to open the scoring. Dean Gerken ran towards the far touchline to clear the ball from the advancing Feeney, though inadvertently passed the ball to Chopra on the touchline. The striker composed himself and curled his effort around the retreating Gerken and in to the vacated net.

GOAL: BRISTOL CITY 0-1 CARDIFF CITY (Chopra, 77 mins).

Substitution Bristol City: John Akinde on for Jamie McAllister (82 mins).

Aaron Wildig almost ended a very good shift for City on eighty-five minutes, though his effort from just outside the area skewed high and wide when it could have been so good. City continued to press the Robins despite having the lead, Ledley and Taiwo in particular playing well in the heart of the City midfield.

The referee's assistant indicated there would be four minutes of injury time as the Robins pushed to force a replay. Gavin Williams had a good long range effort smothered by David Marshall, though Bristol quickly got the ball back and continued to press.

The Robins forced a replay in injury time with a Williams deflected shot. As so often happens, the Bluebirds conceded when it had seemed the game was won, Marshall helpless in the City goal to stop the Welshman's strike. Cardiff and Bristol City will now meet in the replay at Cardiff City Stadium on January 19th to decide who will meet Leicester City in round four.

GOAL: BRISTOL CITY 1-1 CARDIFF CITY (Williams, 90+2).

FULL TIME: BRISTOL CITY 1-1 CARDIFF CITY.

Teams:

Bristol City: Gerken, Orr, Fontaine, Carey ©, McAllister, Hartley, Skuse, Elliott, Haynes, Clarkson, Maynard. Subs: Williams, Akinde, Sproule, Ribeiro, Sno, Henderson, Saborio.

Cardiff City: Marshall, Matthews, McNaughton, Hudson ©, Gerrard, Whittingham, Wildig, Ledley, Rae, Chopra, McCormack. Subs: Enckelman, Gyepes, Taiwo, Blake, Feeney, Meades.