Hoarse-throated prattlings from Terry

Cardiff City lost 6-5 last night to league leaders Bristol University in a tough and literally bruising game at Howells on tuesday night. However, City can hold their heads up high after putting in a performance that pushed their opponents all the way.

Needing a win to level the league at the top, City were fired up and ready to go. However, it would be Bristol who would show the better stuff early, and their reward was a penalty. If anyone doubted the pressure in this game, they wouldn't now, and this was the first of 4 from the spot to be missed. City heaped early pressure on themselves with their inability to move the ball out of defence. When they finally did, first blood came their way, with Susan Belfourd moving smartly to convert a feed from Dave T. Parity was soon restored with a nice long shot.

The game soon settled into a pattern with both defences putting heavy pressure on the attacks. Bristol's strong and heavy-handed approach caused great problems for City and they soon added a second and looked menacing. Bristol were using cross moves to good affect at each end, Sian and Elaine were opened up once and Dave T and Josh had to be on their toes frequently. Tactically, Bristol and City were both trying to play to their strengths, the Uni. side using their height and power to attack directly, and City trying to be expansive and play a more open approach. It was the former that was gaining the upper hand.

This was not to be a deterrent for City, who showed unseen resolve to come back again. Missing from the spot was not to be punished as Elaine Hutchings claimed a nice long shot.

A mistake just before half time gifted Bristol with a third, and they went in a fair reflection of the game at 2-3 up.

The first goal of the second half would be crucial and City went to their most likely source. With Midge causing her marker all kinds of problems, Susan made the most of the exposed girl to claim her second and restore the draw again.

With work to do, Terry replaced a somewhat battered James to add some power to the attack, but it was Elaine who would lead the way and force the game back to City. With Sian keeping her defender occupied Elaine was able to expose her defender twice off Dave W's feed to score on the run and from long to claim a well deserved hat-trick. The chance to go 3 up was missed from the spot, and several further golden chances were missed when Bristol's defence went AWOL leaving Josh open under the post.

Sensing City had blown their opportunity to strangle the game, Bristol Uni swung the pendulum again.

Bristol's Captain took the lead from City's and scored running past Dave W. They would then add to the tally through the boys, with Terry gambling at the post and getting it wrong to allow his marker to score. Mirroring City, Bristol failed to score from the spot when 3 in row was begging and the game settled again back into a defensive pattern.

With minutes to go, the game was getting tense, with no team able to get hold of the ball to mount anything convincing, the bolt literally came out of the blue. With nothing on, a Uni. girl put up a big long shot, which never looked like missing and it dropped straight in. Not panicking at all, the Uni. were able to use their claustrophobic defence to keep City out for the last few minutes to claim a impressive away victory, and get one hand on a leauge trophy no-one could deny they deserve.

Overall, this was a impressive game of Korfball, with City using their girls and trying to play open and expansive Korfball, and Bristol playing directly through powerful boys, the game was a fascinating contrast of styles and attacks. The one similarity being both teams use of very aggressive defending.

City will learn a lot of lessons from this game, the importance of taking chances being one, but mainly, how far the club has come, and the ability it now posseses and the level it is able to reach.

City will be looking to go to Horfield at the weekend and deliver a backlash and ensure no one takes second place from them.

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