Cardiff 1 West Brom 1 - Report
Albion were pegged back in Cardiff as the wait for a Championship win on the road goes on.
Daryl Dike's fine volleyed finish after 17 minutes was enough to snap a five-match losing run on the road, but City sub Sory Kaba headed in after an hour to stop that being the winning goal.
The Baggies' wait for an away league win stretches back to January 14 and Carlos Corberan's men lost more ground on promotion rivals in the miserable south Wales rain.
Albion's head coach surprisingly withdrew Dike for Adam Reach shortly after the break and the feel of the clash changed when Kaba struck to leave Albion pushing once more, but to no avail with the gap to sixth widening to five points with nine games left after the international break.
Corberan pulled a surprise with his starting selection as defender Semi Ajayi was included in a Championship starting line-up for the first time in more than seven months.
The Nigeria international injured his ankle at Wigan on August 30 and underwent surgery. He had been involved in cup line-ups against non-league Chesterfield around the turn of the year.
That change led to a fascinating formation tweak from Albion's head coach, who tweaked his starting system for a league game for the first time since his first and second games in charge. Darnell Furlong was the victim dropped to the bench.
Ajayi took his place on the right of a back three alongside Dara O'Shea and Erik Pieters with Marc Albrighton and Conor Townsend as wing-backs.
Albrighton's re-introduction was for Reach, the surprise inclusion against Wigan, while Albion were lifted by Brandon Thomas-Asante's recovery from three matches out injured to a place on the bench. Jake Livermore was also handed a rare call to the matchday squad for the injured Nathaniel Chalobah.
Cardiff boss Sabri Lamouchi had overseen a turnaround in Bluebirds fortunes with three wins in five but his side were still just three points clear of danger heading into the clash. The hosts had no Cedric Kipre due to his loan agreement from The Hawthorns. They fielded Mahlon Romeo and 21-year-old homegrown attacker Isaak Davies.
Former Albion youngster Ryan Allsop returned between the sticks after a one-game ban, during which his replacement Jak Alnwick was also dismissed.
Corberan made no secret of the game's importance leading into the international break and with rivals winning 24 hours earlier there was more emphasis on a positive result.
The Baggies were noticeably sharp from the off as they settled into the new 3-4-2-1. There was some excellent interplay between Jed Wallace and John Swift behind Dike, while the work rate without the ball was noticeable. The appetite to chase and win possession back from the Bluebirds was telling in the first period.
Dike was inches from a dream start but he couldn't quite climb the inches required to connect with Albrighton's appealing cross.
Cardiff played at a half-interested tempo and appeared only interested in having a go at Josh Griffiths' goal from distance.
The contest was just 17 minutes old when Dike, fresh from his international goal, lit it up with a wonderful finish.
Wallace, operating in a free role centrally with Swift, found his way to his natural role on the right and whipped in a wonderful cross met by Dike who swept a stunning volleyed finish emphatically beyond Allsop at his near post. It was far too hot for the returning keeper to handle and a hint at the American's soaring confidence.
It was not a first period littered with chances but Albion were sharp. They did concede a soft chance to Davies on the stretch shortly afterwards, but that was Griffiths' only real threat.
Albion powers of recovery were noticeable. Wallace, Townsend, Okay Yokuslu and Jayson Molumby were everywhere. Ajayi was composed and solid.
The Baggies unlocked City and forced their next clear chance just after the restart as Molumby's deflected pass dropped to Wallace in the box. His powerful strike was parried behind by Allsop.
Eyebrows were raised as Dike trudged off for Reach 10 minutes after the restart as Albion switched to 3-5-2. Reach nodded narrowly over with his first touch.
Cardiff drew level with 25 minutes left. The Bluebirds were allowed to cross from the right and sub Kaba emerged unmarked between three defenders. His downward header caught Griffiths with weight on his right and the youngster's hand was not enough. The ball trickled into the corner.
Corberan sent for Thomas-Asante and Tom Rogic. The former looked sharp as Albion hunting another goal.
They knocked on the door in the driving rain and came mightily close but Wallace could only slide wide of an onrushing Allsop and the left post after Thomas-Asante's superb pass. But an equaliser never looked truly likely and the visitors had to settle for an unhelpful point.
Cardiff City (4-4-2): Allsop; Romeo, McGuinness, Ng, O'Dowda; Philogene, Sawyers, Wintle (c), Ojo (Harris, 71); Etete (Rinomhota, 81), Davies (Kaba, 45).
Subs not used: Luthra, Ralls, Sang, Colwill.
Albion (3-4-2-1): Griffiths; Ajayi, O'Shea (c), Pieters (Gardner-Hickman, 84); Albrighton (Thomas-Asante, 70), Yokuslu, Molumby (Furlong, 84), Townsend; Wallace, Swift (Rogic, 70); Dike (Reach, 58).
Subs not used: Button, Livermore.
Attendance:
Referee: Leigh Doughty
