Barnsley 0-1 Cardiff: Uche Ikpeazu scores just eight minutes after making his debut to pull the Bluebirds further from the drop zone and leave Tykes stuck at the bottom of the Championship
- Cardiff snatched all three Championship points from Barnsley
- Substitute Uche Ikpeazu scored the winner in the 71st minute of the game
- The Cardiff loanee’s strike came eight minutes after his Bluebirds debut
- Barnsley are at a Championship low one point behind Derby
On-loan Cardiff substitute Uche Ikpeazu cruised to a 1-0 Championship victory over Barnsley, just eight minutes into his debut for the Welsh club.
The 26-year-old striker has scored just three goals in 22 outings for parent club Middlesbrough this season but became an instant hit with Bluebirds fans when he hid a 71st-minute chance in a match a few clear opportunities.
At the other end of the pitch, meanwhile, Cardiff ended a dismal run of 27 games in all competitions without a clean sheet.
Cardiff replacement on loan Uche Ikpeazu (left) secured a 1-0 Championship win downstairs at Barnsley
Liverpool could be a tougher prospect to keep in the FA Cup on Sunday, however, than Barnsley, the Championship’s lowest goalscorer.
The hosts had the first chance of the night when Liam Kitching’s search ball in the box was only headed to Josh Benson by Mark McGuinness and the firm 15-yard volley from the home midfielder was well held by Cardiff goalkeeper Alex Smithies.
The visitors then lost skipper Sean Morrison to injury, while Tommy Doyle was temperamental with two hopeful efforts either side of the quarter-hour.
The Tykes posed a slightly bigger threat in the first half with Jordan Williams’ side-footed volley to the face of the goal pushed back by the Smithies after Domingos Quina’s left wing cross at the far post.
The visitors lost skipper Sean Morrison (centre) to injury just 11 minutes into the game
Devante Cole also narrowly blasted off target from the edge of the box and Kitching’s header flashed wide after he rose unchallenged to meet Callum Styles’ corner on the stroke of half-time.
A lackluster start to the second half saw home boss Poya Asbaghi make the decisive first move from the bench when he presented Carlton Morris from the bench just after the hour mark and away boss Steve Morison responded immediately throwing at Ikpeazu.
After Kitching aimed high and wide from 15 yards with the first second-half goal attempt after 70 minutes, Ikpeazu then became an instant favorite for the Bluebirds on the game’s next attack.
Substitute Ikpeazu scuffed a shot from 10 yards into the bottom right corner of Brad Collins.
The 6ft 3in striker used all his might to brush aside the attentions of Barnsley skipper Mads Andersen and latch onto a long ball forward, before scuffing a shot from 10 yards into Brad’s bottom right corner Collins.
It was the Welsh side’s only effort on target of the evening and Ikpeazu celebrated by jumping into the jubilant outside part.
Will Vaulks nearly doubled the lead with a 20-yard volley before stoppage time drama saw home substitute Aaron Leya Iseka head wide from a Claudio Gomes free-kick and then fire, only to be disallowed by an offside flag.
The result marked a fifth successive league defeat for the hosts, as it saw Cardiff move further away from the relegation zone.
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