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Cardiff City logo
Premier League
Feb 1, 2014 at 3pm UK
 
Norwich logo

2-1

Bellamy (49'), Jones (50')
FT(HT: 0-1)

Live Commentary: Cardiff City 2-1 Norwich City - as it happened

Relive Sports Mole's live text commentary Cardiff City's 2-1 win over Norwich City at the Cardiff City Stadium.
2

Cardiff City hosted Norwich City in their Premier League meeting at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Robert Snodgrass gave the visitors the perfect start, when he opened the scoring in the fifth minute.

After the break, Craig Bellamy and Kenwyne Jones scored within a minute of each other to turn the game in Cardiff's favour.

Despite Norwich's late pressure, they couldn't score a second, and the home side held on to move off the bottom of the table.

Read how the action unfolded below.


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Good afternoon and thank you for joining Sports Mole for live text commentary of the Premier League match between Cardiff City and Norwich City at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Today's match sees two teams struggling in the bottom half of the table, with only six points separating them. Cardiff are yet to win in the league under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and will surely be targeting three points against the Canaries.

The starting lineups for both sides have just been announced, so let's take a look at who will be playing this afternoon.

CARDIFF XI: Marshall, Fabio, Caulker, Turner, John, Whittingham, Medel, Mutch, Noone, Bellamy, Jones

NORWICH XI: Ruddy, Martin, R Bennett, Bassong, Olsson, Snodgrass, Tettey, Johnson, Gutierrez, Elmander, Hooper

CARDIFF SUBS: Lewis, Campbell, Eikrem, Gunnarsson, Theophile-Catherine, Daehli, Zaha

NORWICH SUBS: Bunn, Whittaker, van Wolfswinkel, Fer, Pilkington, Becchio, Redmond

TEAM NEWS: Cardiff name Fabio de Silva and Kenwyne Jones in their starting lineup, while loan signing Wilfried Zaha is on the bench. Norwich start with a front trio of Gary Hooper, Johan Elmander and Jonas Gutierrez.

When these two sides met back in October at Carrow Road, the game finished in a goalless draw. Norwich had over 30 attempts on goal, but an inspired goalkeeping performance from David Marshall earned the Welsh outfit a crucial point.

Both teams come into today's game in equally poor form. Cardiff have lost their last four games in the league and are without a win in seven top flight matches, while Norwich have won just one of their past eight league fixtures.

An area that both teams have struggled in this season, has been in defence. Cardiff have concerned 40 goals this season, with only Fulham leaking more. Norwich haven't fared too much better and have let in 35 goals.

Although Cardiff have lost four Premier League matches in a row, three of those games have come against Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United. Starting with today's game, they will meet Swansea City, Aston Villa and Hull City in their upcoming fixtures, which will surely prove crucial in their relegation battle.

They may have been poor in the league, but they have performed well in the FA Cup. Victories over Newcastle United and Bolton Wanderers has set them up with a home tie in the fifth round against holders Wigan Athletic. Norwich went out at the first hurdle, after losing to Fulham in the third round.

As well as their defensive woes, both teams have not been able to find the back of the net on a regular basis. Cardiff have scored just 17 league goals, with Norwich's tally of 18 just slightly better. Only Crystal Palace (15) have scored less Premier League goals.

Cardiff fans will be hoping that Jones and Zaha can score the goals to fire them to safety. Jones arrived in a swap deal with Peter Odemwingie, while Zaha is on loan from Manchester United until the end of the season. The Canaries didn't bring in any attacking reinforcements during the transfer window, but have brought in Joseph Yobo on loan from Fenerbache.

UPDATE: Sunderland have beaten Newcastle United 3-0 in the Tyne-Wear derby at St James' Park, for the second season running. That win lifts the Black Cats up to 12th in the table, and puts even more pressure on Cardiff and Norwich to get a result today.

UPDATE: In the other early Premier League kick off this afternoon, two goals from Kevin Nolan have given West Ham United a 2-0 win over Swansea City. That is another massive result at the bottom of the table, and is a huge three points for the Hammers.

PREDICTION: This is a must-win match for both teams, due to their precarious positions in the table. Given their recent form I don't expect this to be a classic, and I think that the sides will cancel each other out, with the game ending in a 1-1 draw.

REFEREE: Mark Clattenburg will be the man taking charge of this afternoon's match.

The two teams have played each other 45 times in all competitions. Norwich have won the majority of those with 24 victories. Cardiff have won 13, while the other eight games have ended in draws. The last two meetings have ended in a stalemate.

There are just five minutes left until this crucial match kicks off in Cardiff.

The pre-match formalities have taken place, and we are moments away from the start of the match.

KICKOFF! We are underway at the Cardiff City Stadium!

CHANCE! Cardiff almost take the lead in the first minute, as Noone delivers the ball from the right, and Mutch tries an audacious overhead kick, but he doesn't get enough power on the strike to beat the keeper.

CHANCE! The visitors burst forward on the break and are next to threaten. Snodgrass does well to keep the ball in down the right hand side, and whips in a teasing cross, that Gutierrez meets, but heads over the bar.

GOAL! Cardiff City 0-1 Norwich City (Snodgrass)

What a start to this game! Olsson is slipped in down the left, and plays the ball across the box, with Snodgrass meeting it at the back post for a simple finish.

Norwich are playing some great stuff at the moment, and Snodgrass swings in a dangerous cross from the right that Marshall comes to meet but completely misses. The Cardiff defence are looking extremely nervous at the moment.

The Canaries are in complete control, and they find Olsson down the left again. He whips it into the middle and it comes to Johnson on the edge of the box, but the midfielder hammers his effort high over the bar.

CHANCE! Caulker wastes a good chance to get Cardiff back into this game, as he meets a free kick taken by Noone at the back post, but can't keep his header down.

YELLOW CARD! Bennett picks up a booking after bringing down Bellamy in the centre of the pitch after losing the ball.

Medel picks up the ball 25 yards out from goal and attempts a spectacular half-volley, but his effort lacks any real power to beat the keeper and is collected comfortably by Ruddy.

Norwich are doing extremely well to push Cardiff deep inside their own half, and are playing a high pressing game, closing the defence and midfield down in packs.

The Canaries are still dominating and are looking relatively comfortable at the moment. The home side haven't quite got over that early goal, and are giving away possession cheaply.

YELLOW CARD! Elmander is booked for the visitors, after stopping Cardiff from taking a quick free kick.

Noone has looked one of Cardiff's best players so far this afternoon, and does well to cut in from the right, before drilling in a low strike, that goes just wide of the near post.

There are signs that home side are starting to come back into this game, and they are seeing more of the ball in advanced positions of the pitch.

Cardiff work the ball brilliantly down the right, as Bellamy slides in Fabio, who then drills in a low cross from the byline, but the Norwich defence manage to clear the danger.

Norwich just can't handle Noone at the moment, and he swings in another cross from the right wing that is taken down by Jones in the box. He tries to get a shot away, but the visitors get a number of bodies behind the ball to block his effort.

YELLOW CARD! Tettey is booked for bringing down Mutch just outside the box.

Whittingham takes the resulting free kick, but his effort is poor, and he strikes it high over the bar.

CHANCE! Norwich show that they are still a big threat, and break quickly on the counter-attack. Martin gets down the right and pulls it back to Elmander, who holds the ball up well and lays it off to Johnson. The midfielder goes for goal, but sees his strike take a deflection and head just over the bar.

CHANCE! The hosts come forward and Bellamy bursts down the left wing, before pulling the ball back for Whittingham to strike on the edge of the box, with his low effort going just wide of the far post.

SUBSTITUTION: Cardiff make an early change, with Zaha coming on for his debut, to replace Whittingham.

Zaha is immediately involved in the action, as Martin goes down under a challenge from the forward. The replays showed that it was accidental, and Martin tried to make the most of it.

Cardiff are showing much more attacking intent as the half comes to an end, and Bellamy does brilliantly to burst through the midfield, before slipping Jones into the area. The striker attempts to play the ball back across the box, but none of his teammates had made a run, with Norwich able to comfortably clear.

We are going to have two minutes of stoppage time at the end of half.

HALF-TIME: Cardiff City 0-1 Norwich City

After 45 minutes at the Cardiff City Stadium, Norwich have a 1-0 lead. with Robert Snodgrass's early finish proving to be the difference between the teams.

The visitors dominated the early proceedings, but the hosts came back into the game late on in the half. Cardiff have seen 56% of the possession and have had seven attempts on goal. Norwich have had five shots, with their one effort on target ending up in the net.

UPDATE: It is half time in all of the other afternoon kick offs. Stoke City are beating Manchester United 1-0, while Aston Villa lead Everton by the same scoreline. Fulham are goalless with Southampton, while Hull City have a 1-0 lead at home against Tottenham Hotspur.

The players are back out, with the second half just moments away.

Cardiff kick off and get the second 45 minutes underway.

CHANCE! Snodgrass has the first strike on goal of the half, as he picks up a loose ball just outside the box, before firing in a drive, that takes a deflection and heads wide of the post.

GOAL! Cardiff City 1-1 Norwich City (Bellamy)

Bellamy has drawn Cardiff level, and has ended a run of of 31 games without a goal. He is slipped into the box by Zaha, before stretching out a leg to poke the ball under the keeper.

GOAL! Cardiff City 2-1 Norwich City (Jones)

What an incredible turnaround by Cardiff! The ball is whipped in from the right, and it falls to Jones in the box to fire into the back of the net.

OFF THE BAR! Norwich almost get an immediate equaliser, as Johnson picks up the ball just outside the box, and bends in an effort that is brilliantly tipped onto the bar by Marshall.

This has been a great start to the second half. Cardiff look like a completely different side, with Zaha and Bellamy playing some fantastic football.

OFF THE POST! The home side almost score a third, as Mutch sees his effort from just inside the box hit Jones and deflect onto the post, with Ruddy rooted to the spot.

YELLOW CARD! Noone is booked for Cardiff, after taking down Gutierrez. Norwich will have a good chance to whip the ball in to the box from the free kick.

Snodgrass takes the set piece and it fails to beat the first man. Cardiff then break forward in numbers on the counter-attack, with a last-ditch challenge stopping Noone from bursting into the box.

CHANCE! The visitors have another chance to get back into the game, as John's cross from the left is headed over the bar by Snodgrass.

It's anyone's guess as to who will score the next goal in this match, as Elmander works his way to the edge of the box, before lashing a strike wide.

Both teams have a player down at the moment, with Fabio and Elmander struggling. At first glance, it looks like Fabio's injury is not too serious and he might have a slight cramp.

SUBSTITUTION: Cardiff make a change, with Mutch being replaced by Gunnarsson.

Norwich win successive corners, but they are unable to make them count, as Cardiff deal with the threat. They are starting to pile on the pressure now in search of a goal in the last 20 minutes.

Cardiff feel that they should have a penalty, after Zaha plays a threaded pass into the box for Bellamy, who goes down under a challenge from Johnson before he can reach the ball. The referee decides that it wasn't a foul and waves play on to the home fans disgust.

SUBSTITUTION: Cardiff make a change, with Fabio being replaced by Theophile-Catherine.

TRIPLE SUBSTITUTION: The visitors make a triple change. Fer, Redmond and Van Wolfswinkel are all on, with Gutierrez, Elmander and Johnson making way.

Redmond almost makes an immediate impact off the bench as he latches onto a ball over the top, before firing an effort past the keeper. The flag was raised against him for an offside, and the replays show that it was a tight call by the linesman.

CHANCE! I have no idea how Norwich haven't found the back of the net! Redmond drills in a low strike from inside that the box that is brilliantly saved by Marshall, before Hooper sees a flicked header cleared off the line by Bellamy.

CHANCE! Just minutes after making that wonderful save, Marshall flaps at a cross from the right. The ball falls to Martin at the back post, who sees his effort deflect just over the bar.

SAVE! Marshall is keeping his side in this, as he stops Fer's close-range header from finding the net. The keeper was in stunning form the last time these two sides met and has been brilliant again today.

OFF THE POST! Somehow Cardiff have survived again, as Snodgrass finds himself free in the box to head Redmond's corner onto the near post.

GOAL DISALLOWED: The visitors have had another goal disallowed, as Hooper nods in a header back across the box into the net. It was the right decision though, and the replays show there was a clear offside.

We are going to have five minutes of stoppage time.

Norwich are throwing everything they have at the Cardiff defence, and have them pegged back deep inside their own half. They will be cursing their luck if they fail to score in these final minutes.

CHANCE! Norwich waste yet another chance, as Bassong is picked out the back post by Snodgrass, but puts his header over the bar.

The home side are barely hanging on, and Redmond tries his luck from range after cutting in from the right, but his effort lacks any power and is easily saved by Marshall.

FULL-TIME: Cardiff City 2-1 Norwich City

What a result for Cardiff! The Welsh side scored twice at the start of the second half to turn this game around, and held on after huge Norwich pressure. The victory is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first as manager of the club, and has lifted them off the bottom of the table.

Chris Hughton will find it hard to believe how his side have not got anything from this game, as they wasted numerous chances to score in the second half. The defeat has seen them slip to 15th in the table, and they are now just three points above Cardiff.

That's all we've got time for here. Please stay with Sports Mole for all of today's results and news. I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend, goodbye!

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Cardiff City Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer salutes the crowd prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Cardiff City at Old Trafford on January 28, 2014
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