Cardiff City 0-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolves goal scorer Bakary Sako scored a goal for Mali at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations

Wolverhampton Wanderers won their third match in a row with a 1-0 win at 10-man Cardiff City to move to within two points of the play-off places.

Bakary Sako's low shot finished off a Wolves first-half counter-attack to put the visitors ahead.

Bluebirds midfielder Peter Whittingham was sent off in the second-half after two bookable offences.

Defender Richard Stearman cleared the ball off the line in injury-time as Cardiff pressed for an equaliser.

Wolves came into the match having thrashed Rotherham and Fulham 5-0 and 3-0 respectively in their last two Championship matches.

Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan (l) walks around the pitch with chairman Mehmet Dalman (r)

The Bluebirds meanwhile were unbeaten in their previous five matches.

They welcomed owner Vincent Tan to the ground for the first time since they were relegated from the Premier League last season.

The Malaysian, who sported a blue shirt, saw his side start brightly without creating any clear-cut chances.

Midway through the first half, as Cardiff continued to push forward, Wolves launched a devastating counter-attack at pace.

Dutch midfielder Rajiv van La Parra beat two defenders before his pass found Sako just inside the box, the Mali international firing home his 11th Championship goal, low into the corner of the net.

Cardiff's came closest to scoring in the half through Aron Gunnarsson, who headed the ball narrowly over the crossbar following Wolves goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak's clearance punch.

After the break, a mix up between Cardiff's Gunnarsson and Sean Morrison saw the ball break to Benik Afobe eight yards from goal, but the Wolves striker failed to beat goalkeeper David Marshall.

Moments later the Bluebirds were down to 10 men after Whittingham received a second booking, for a lunging challenge on Wolves defender Matt Doherty.

Despite their numerical disadvantage Russell Slade's side continued to press for an equaliser and former Stoke striker Jones powered a header narrowly wide from a Gunnarsson cross.

Matthew Kennedy fired a shot wide of the Wolves goal from inside the box and in injury-time Stearman cleared Jones' goal-bound header off the line.

Cardiff manager Russell Slade:

"The owner was very pleased and he thought we were unlucky. He spoke to the players before the game and I have spoken to him afterwards and he was happy with what he had seen.

"We deserved something from that and the changing room is a bit down and we will have to do some work picking them up.

"Losing Peter Whittingham seemed to galvanise us and we had a couple of chances which on another day might have gone in."

Wolves manager Kenny Jackett:

"You can only look at your own form but we have goals and spirit in this team and those are things we can capitalise on.

"Your own performance level is everything and it is still there for us. It is possible to go on a run of eight or nine wins out of 10 and you have to believe we can do it.

"This run is coming at the right time for us and we want it to continue because it is giving us a very good opportunity.

"This is a big club, as Wolves we are always looking to be up there and we will keep going."

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Cardiff

• 1Marshall
• 2Peltier
• 5Ecuele Manga
• 36Morrison
• 16Connolly
• 30KennedySubstituted forRevellat 79'minutes
• 17Gunnarsson
• 7WhittinghamBooked at 65mins
• 11Noone
• 13DoyleSubstituted forMcAlenyat 63'minutes
• 9Jones

Substitutes

• 14Macheda
• 15McAleny
• 18Adeyemi
• 21Ralls
• 22O'Keefe
• 29Revell
• 33Moore

Wolves

• 29Kuszczak
• 33IorfaBooked at 7minsSubstituted forDohertyat 61'minutes
• 6Batth
• 5Stearman
• 30Hause
• 11McDonaldBooked at 74mins
• 19Price
• 17van La ParraSubstituted forDickoat 59'minutes
• 4Edwards
• 10Sako
• 12AfobeSubstituted forEbanks-Landellat 88'minutes

Substitutes

• 2Doherty
• 3Golbourne
• 7Henry
• 13McCarey
• 14Evans
• 23Ebanks-Landell
• 40Dicko

Referee:

Robert Madley

Attendance:

21,165

Match Stats

Home TeamCardiffAway TeamWolves

Possession

Home47%

Away53%

Shots

Home16

Away8

Shots on Target

Home4

Away3

Corners

Home3

Away5

Fouls

Home9

Away13

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Cardiff City 0, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+6'

Second Half ends, Cardiff City 0, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1.

Posted at 90'+5'

Kevin McDonald (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 90'+5'

Foul by Lee Peltier (Cardiff City).

Posted at 90'+4'

Attempt missed. Sean Morrison (Cardiff City) header from a difficult angle on the left is too high. Assisted by Kenwyne Jones with a cross following a corner.

Posted at 90'+4'

Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Richard Stearman.

Posted at 90'+4'

Attempt blocked. Kenwyne Jones (Cardiff City) header from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Conor McAleny.

Posted at 90'+3'

Foul by Dave Edwards (Wolverhampton Wanderers).

Posted at 90'+3'

Conor McAleny (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Substitution

Posted at 88'

Substitution, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Ethan Ebanks-Landell replaces Benik Afobe.

Posted at 87'

Attempt blocked. Alex Revell (Cardiff City) header from the centre of the box is blocked.

Posted at 85'

Tomasz Kuszczak (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 85'

Foul by Kenwyne Jones (Cardiff City).

Posted at 84'

Foul by Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers).

Posted at 84'

Conor McAleny (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 83'

Attempt missed. Bakary Sako (Wolverhampton Wanderers) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Jack Price.

Substitution

Posted at 79'

Substitution, Cardiff City. Alex Revell replaces Matthew Kennedy.

Posted at 79'

Benik Afobe (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 79'

Foul by Lee Peltier (Cardiff City).

Posted at 76'

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Posted at 75'

Delay in match Tomasz Kuszczak (Wolverhampton Wanderers) because of an injury.

Posted at 75'

Tomasz Kuszczak (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 75'

Foul by Sean Morrison (Cardiff City).

Booking

Posted at 74'

Kevin McDonald (Wolverhampton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 74'

Foul by Kevin McDonald (Wolverhampton Wanderers).

Posted at 74'

Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 74'

Attempt missed. Kenwyne Jones (Cardiff City) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Aron Gunnarsson.

Posted at 73'

Attempt missed. Matthew Kennedy (Cardiff City) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left.

Posted at 71'

Foul by Nouha Dicko (Wolverhampton Wanderers).

Posted at 71'

Sean Morrison (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 70'

Attempt missed. Bruno Ecuele Manga (Cardiff City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the left following a set piece situation.

Posted at 70'

Attempt blocked. Sean Morrison (Cardiff City) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is blocked.

Posted at 69'

Foul by Danny Batth (Wolverhampton Wanderers).

Posted at 69'

Kenwyne Jones (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Dismissal

Posted at 65'

Second yellow card to Peter Whittingham (Cardiff City) for a bad foul.

Posted at 65'

Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 65'

Foul by Peter Whittingham (Cardiff City).

Posted at 64'

Offside, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Matt Doherty tries a through ball, but Kevin McDonald is caught offside.

Posted at 64'

Attempt saved. Benik Afobe (Wolverhampton Wanderers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

Substitution

Posted at 63'

Substitution, Cardiff City. Conor McAleny replaces Eoin Doyle.

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