Championship
CardiffCardiff City2Sheff UtdSheffield United0

Cardiff City 2-0 Sheffield United

Sean Morrison opens the scoring for Cardiff City against Sheffield Utd
Sean Morrison put Cardiff City ahead on the stroke of half time

Cardiff City have won their opening three league games of a season for the first time in the Championship club's 107-year history.

Goals either side of the interval by Sean Morrison and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing gave the Bluebirds a 2-0 win over Sheffield United.

Winger Mendez-Laing took his season's tally to four with a superb strike.

The Blades went close through Billy Sharp and had a penalty shout turned down, but were comfortably beaten.

Cardiff came into the game on a high after an impressive 3-0 win over Aston Villa, with manager Neil Warnock relishing the challenge of the team he supported as a child - and managed for eight years.

Sheffield United suffered their first defeat in 20 games when beaten 1-0 by Middlesbrough at the weekend, and found the Bluebirds in irresistible mood on a calm Cardiff night.

The Bluebirds joined the Football League in 1910 and are top of the early-season table after ending a 107-year wait for maximum return from their opening three games.

They have nine points along with Ipswich and Wolves, who Cardiff play at Molineux on Saturday.

The Blades matched Cardiff in the early stages, but were let off when Jazz Richards hit a post and then Kenneth Zohore slid the ball past the post after being put through by Junior Hoilett.

The breakthrough came in the 44th minute when skipper Morrison headed in Joe Ralls' corner.

Mendez-Laing's stunning finish to a sweeping team move in the 55th minute put Warnock's team firmly in charge, and the Blades did well not to concede a third.

Ched Evans made an appearance off the bench for the Blades, but it was Sharp and David Brooks who had their best efforts, and Leon Clarke headed a good chance wide.

But it was United supporter Warnock who had the biggest smile as his Cardiff side kept their third successive Championship clean sheet.

Cardiff manager Neil Warnock told BBC Radio Wales:

"To start with three league wins on the bounce is great - I think it's lovely as a record like that because it takes the pressure off.

"I remember not winning for seven games and it was horrible.

"It's great for the fans, but we've got to go up to Wolves now and see if we can perform up there."

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder:

"We're going to endure some tough nights, we totally understand that coming into the division after six years out of it, but we haven't been overrun against players who can hurt you.

"We've had two really tough games against Middlesbrough and Cardiff, but we haven't embarrassed ourselves.

"We competed well enough against the league leaders, we never folded and kept going to the end, but we do need to get better."

Line-ups

Cardiff

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 25Etheridge
  • 5Ecuele Manga
  • 4Morrison
  • 14BambaBooked at 23mins
  • 6Richards
  • 17Gunnarsson
  • 8Ralls
  • 19Mendez-LaingBooked at 20mins
  • 7TomlinSubstituted forDamourat 69'minutes
  • 33HoilettSubstituted forWardat 79'minutes
  • 10ZohoreSubstituted forHalfordat 89'minutes

Substitutes

  • 2Peltier
  • 9Ward
  • 13Pilkington
  • 15Halford
  • 20Damour
  • 23Kennedy
  • 28Murphy

Sheff Utd

Formation 3-5-2

  • 27Blackman
  • 6BashamBooked at 21mins
  • 19StearmanSubstituted forWrightat 35'minutes
  • 5O'Connell
  • 18Freeman
  • 44CarruthersSubstituted forEvansat 63'minutes
  • 15Coutts
  • 4Fleck
  • 3StevensSubstituted forBrooksat 73'minutes
  • 10Sharp
  • 9Clarke

Substitutes

  • 7Lundstram
  • 13Wright
  • 21Duffy
  • 24Lafferty
  • 31Eastwood
  • 32Evans
  • 36Brooks
Referee:
Lee Mason
Attendance:
17,844

Match Stats

Home TeamCardiffAway TeamSheff Utd
Possession
Home40%
Away60%
Shots
Home19
Away13
Shots on Target
Home6
Away4
Corners
Home7
Away6
Fouls
Home11
Away8

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Cardiff City 2, Sheffield United 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Cardiff City 2, Sheffield United 0.

  3. Post update

    Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Neil Etheridge.

  4. Post update

    Attempt saved. John Fleck (Sheffield United) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by David Brooks.

  5. Post update

    Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Neil Etheridge.

  6. Post update

    Attempt saved. Ched Evans (Sheffield United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by John Fleck.

  7. Substitution

    Substitution, Cardiff City. Greg Halford replaces Kenneth Zohore.

  8. Post update

    Foul by Chris Basham (Sheffield United).

  9. Post update

    Loïc Damour (Cardiff City) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  10. Post update

    Chris Basham (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  11. Post update

    Foul by Kenneth Zohore (Cardiff City).

  12. Post update

    Attempt blocked. David Brooks (Sheffield United) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by John Fleck.

  13. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Billy Sharp (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by John Fleck.

  14. Post update

    Attempt missed. Kenneth Zohore (Cardiff City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Sean Morrison with a headed pass following a set piece situation.

  15. Post update

    Foul by Ched Evans (Sheffield United).

  16. Post update

    Joe Ralls (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  17. Substitution

    Substitution, Cardiff City. Danny Ward replaces David Junior Hoilett.

  18. Post update

    Attempt missed. Leon Clarke (Sheffield United) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by John Fleck with a cross following a corner.

  19. Post update

    Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Neil Etheridge.

  20. Post update

    Attempt saved. David Brooks (Sheffield United) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Kieron Freeman.

As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Cardiff33006069
2Wolves33006249
3Ipswich33007439
4Middlesbrough32013126
5Nottm Forest32016516
6Leeds31203215
7Hull31117524
8Sunderland21104224
9QPR21103124
10Bristol City31116514
11Birmingham31112204
12Preston31111104
13Reading311134-14
14Derby311123-14
15Fulham30302203
16Barnsley310246-23
17Sheff Utd310213-23
18Bolton302134-12
19Sheff Wed201112-11
20Brentford301257-21
21Millwall301246-21
22Norwich201124-21
23Aston Villa301226-41
24Burton300317-60
View full Championship table

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