Leeds United heading to Wales with Cardiff City curse firmly lifted

Back in February 1984, when George McCluskey goal’s gave Eddie Gray’s side a 1-0 victory, the Whites were actually savouring a third win the Welsh capital in a row.

Remarkably, Leeds then went nine games at Cardiff and over 32 years without a win there with seven of those contests ending in defeat.

Yet the curse was finally lifted by Tuesday night strikes from Souleymane Doukara and Mirco Antenucci in March 2016 with Leeds suddenly looking at a rosier recent record in south Wales ahead of next weekend’s return to Championship action.

United’s 3-1 defeat under Thomas Christiansen of September 2017 is still pretty fresh in the memory but United have now won two of their last three at the Bluebirds with the Whites also recording a 2-0 triumph under Garry Monk in September 2016.

Back then, a Chris Wood penalty and late Pablo Hernandez strike took all three points back up to Yorkshire and Leeds arrived in south Wales with the Cardiff curse finally banished thanks to the historic triumph under Steve Evans six months earlier.

Back then, it was Russell Slade’s Bluebirds who were the side most likely to be playing Premier League football the following term with the weekend’s 2-0 win at Bristol City making it five wins out of nine and leaving Cardiff seventh and only outside of the play-offs on goal difference.

A 2-1 triumph at home to Bolton Wanderers for Leeds the same day had ended a run of four league games without a victory which put United 16th and now nine points clear of the dropzone with 12 games left.

Thanks to the strikes of Doukara and Antenucci, United were able to move up to the dizzy heights of 15th after a landmark success in south Wales.

But Leeds were left indebted to Marco Silvestri for pulling off a string of saves as the Bluebirds mustered 25 shots on goal with ten on target compared to half that from the Whites.

Despite City’s attempts, it was Evans’ side who drew first blood as Doukara finished off a counter attack led by Antenucci.

Cardiff’s task was then made all the harder as Fabio was sent off four minutes after the hour for a second yellow card.

Even then, the Bluebirds pressure continued with Kenneth Zohore heading one effort against the crossbar and another over.

Yet for the first time in 32 years Leeds were set to leave the welsh capital with a victory which was assured when Antenucci raced away before slotting home United’s second in the fourth minute of added time.

“Sometimes the game is cruel,” said Cardiff boss Slade.

“We were knocking on the door all evening and even dominated with ten men.

"We had a stonewall penalty (for an alleged handball by Giuseppe Bellusci).

"The player’s arms were out and if that’s not a penalty then I don’t know what the rules are. We gave a performance but didn’t get the result.”

Evans, though, saw things a bit differently.

“Cardiff’s goalkeeper (David Marshall) could have been named man of the match in the first half with some fine saves before half-time and had we got that second goal then we would have won comfortably,” said the Whites boss.

“But people will forget those saves because Silvestri pulled so many out of the bag in the second half.”

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