Oxford United 3-2 Cardiff City: Alarm bells blare out as dire run of results continues

Cardiff City stretched their run of games without a win to nine after a dreadful Boxing Day display against fellow relegation strugglers Oxford United saw them succumb to a 3-2 defeat.

Last weekend it was former Cardiff man Kieffer Moore who came back to haunt Cardiff City Stadium with a two-goal display. Today, it was Moore's former strike partner, Mark Harris, and former Bluebirds centre-back Ciaron Brown who dealt two crucial blows.

A Przemysław Płacheta stunner made the lead an unassailable one and consigned Cardiff to nine games without a win. There was a late surge from the visitors. Cian Ashford tucked away a neat chance late on while Callum Robinson struck with the last kick of the game to flatter the Bluebirds a little. Because this is an appalling run which sees the U's overtake them in the table, with the Bluebirds now sinking to 23rd in the league after 22 games.

Alarm bells should now be blaring out. There was talk recently about whether there are indeed three worse teams than Cardiff in this division. Indeed on the evidence of the last couple of months, that debate is very much in the balance. Now the pressure really is on Omer Riza.

The game sorely lacked in quality for the most part. It was two teams short of confidence and it showed, especially in key areas. The battle was largely contested in the middle of the pitch, with neither team particularly good enough to do anything meaningful within 25 yards of their opponents' goal.

Chances, therefore, were few and far between. In the first half, each team had one chance of any note - Cardiff hit the bar with theirs, while Oxford scored. Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here.

During a period of Cardiff pressure, Chris Willock offered up the visitors' best opportunity of the first half. Just a quarter of an hour in, the former QPR winger chopped inside from the left and hit a shot which deflected off Will Vaulks and ballooned over Jamie Cumming before it crashed into the woodwork. Yakou Meite half hit a shot from the rebound but the goalkeeper collected easily.

The only real moment of danger from Oxford's attack resulted in a goal just a couple of minutes before the break. And it's a type of goal which Cardiff concede far too often.

Płacheta got free of Willock, who failed to track back diligently enough, and was slipped in down the side of the box. The Pole squared a pinpoint cross to Harris, who tapped home from just a couple of yards out before he cupped his ears to the away supporters.

Cardiff needed to fly out of the traps in the second half, instead they fell further behind. Another City old boy doubled the lead for the hosts when he lost his marker, Rubin Colwill, and sent a free header flying past Jak Alnwick from close range.

WHATSAPP: Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community

Alnwick had barely picked the ball out of his net when the third flew past him. Placheta, this time a former Swansea player, hit a screamer from 30 yards and it went like a laser beam into the top corner for Cardiff's net. A moment of pure quality to put the game to bed.

Cardiff got two goals back late on but it always looked to be too late. Ashford took his chance really well, with neat feet inside the opposition box before placing it low into the bottom corner. Robinson took his first-time effort really well in the 95th minute after a cross landed near his feet.

But those late strikes should not override what was, for the most part, a painful display and one which should concern Riza and the Cardiff top brass.

Oxford United XI: Cumming; Long, Moore, Brown, Leigh; Rodrigues (Phillips 74), Brannagan, Vaulks; Goodrham (Sibley 88), Harris, Placheta (Dembele 74).

Subs: Ingram, Ter Avest, Kioso, McEachran, El Mizouni, Scarlett.

Cardiff City XI: Alnwick; Rinomhota, Goutas, Chambers, Bagan, O'Dowda ( El Ghazi 69); Siopis (Kpakio 59), Robertson; Colwill, Meite (Ashford 69), Willock (Robinson 46).

Subs: Horvath, Fish, Daland, T. Davies, Kanga.