10-MAN CITY THRASH THE MILLERS TO KEEP TOP SPOT
- Sam Hill
- Feb 7
- 3 min read
Cardiff City returned to winning ways with a 3-0 thrashing of Rotherham United at the New York Stadium this afternoon.
Goals from Omari Kellyman, Chris Willock and Isaak Davies ensured the Bluebirds retained their top spot in the division, despite captain Ryan Wintle’s early dismissal.
Arguably, it was Cardiff’s most controlled and disciplined display of the campaign thus far.
They defended excellently throughout, their pressing was magnificent, and tactically Brian Barry-Murphy got it spot on this afternoon.
Even with a man less, the Bluebirds were able to dictate the game, restrict the hosts to just one shot on target, and carve them open at will on the counter-attack.
Player Ratings:
Nathan Trott (7.5) – Smart in possession and commanded his box well. Had very little to do all game but made a sharp low stop from Gray one-on-one.
Perry Ng (8) – A composed all-round performance. Stepped up with the armband when Wintle was sent off and dovetailed excellently with Tanner on the right side.
Will Fish (7) – Wasn’t at his sharpest on the ball, though did play a good pass into Tanner for Kellyman’s opener. Battled well against Nombe and grew into the game after a shaky start.
Gabriel Osho (8) – Growing into the shirt with every passing game. Drove forward with the ball well and got City up the pitch, finding Willock often in the final third. His pace and physicality offer something different to his other centre-back partners.
Joel Bagan (7) – A quieter game in attacking areas for Mr Consistent. However, he was still solid on both sides of the game and didn’t put a foot wrong.
Ryan Wintle (3) – A really poor moment from the skipper. Gave the ball away and then dragged Gray down unnecessarily while the Bluebirds were on top. A deserved red card.
Alex Robertson (9) MOTM – Robertson’s best game in a City shirt this season. His discipline has rightly been questioned recently, but this was a mature and composed performance. Slotted in seamlessly to a deeper role following Wintle’s dismissal.
Joel Colwill (8) – A game built for the 21-year-old. He led the press magnificently and covered every blade of grass. A dominant showing in midfield, winning duels and making the most tackles on the pitch.
Ollie Tanner (8.5) – Two brilliant assists for Kellyman’s and Willock’s goals. That’s now six assists in five games. His pace and power make him an unstoppable threat at times and a massive asset since returning from injury.
Chris Willock (8) – Retained the ball excellently throughout and carried Cardiff up the pitch when needed. Took his goal well and was unlucky not to add another.
Omari Kellyman (8.5) – Showed real game intelligence. Began as the No.9 before dropping deeper and supporting well after City went down to 10 men. A superb left-footed finish opened the scoring, and he linked up well with the midfield and supporting forwards.
Subs:
David Turnbull (7.5) – Kept things ticking over when he came on and was excellent at calming the game down. Also registered an assist for Davies’ goal with a smart pass.
Cian Ashford (6.5) – Neat and tidy when introduced but never quite clicked in the final third.
Ronan Kpakio (6.5) – Similar to Ashford, tidy in possession and stuck to his defensive task well.
Isaak Davies (7.5) – Trademark Davies. Raw pace, a direct run inside, and a strong left-footed finish for the third. Always a danger against tired defences and, as ever, a willing runner.
Calum Chambers (N/A) – Introduced late on for Osho. Too little time to make a noticeable impact.
Summary:
That is now ten games unbeaten for Brian Barry-Murphy’s side since Boxing Day.
A dominant performance from minute 1 to 90, and a complete away display.
The Bluebirds are often lauded for their slick play in possession, but today showcased a battling, mature and disciplined performance from every blue shirt on the pitch.
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