Cardiff City 1-1 Birmingham City

Anthony Pilkington was denied early on before equalising for Cardiff

Cardiff City and Birmingham played out a tame draw in Russell Slade's final match as Bluebirds manager.

David Cotterill fired the visitors in front before Anthony Pilkington seized on sloppy Blues defending to equalise.

In a drab second half, Birmingham's James Vaughan missed the best chance as he hit the post when clean through on David Marshall in the Cardiff goal.

The result sees Bluebirds finish the season in eighth place, while Birmingham drop to 10th.

In Slade's last match as Cardiff manager before becoming the club's head of football, there was nothing riding on it for either team.

Cardiff's slim play-off hopes were resoundingly ended by a 3-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday the previous weekend, while Birmingham had already fallen out of contention for the top six.

Craig Noone (left) headed a Cotterill shot off the line as well as battling with David Davis

Blues did not seem to lack motivation as Cardiff-born Cotterill gave them the lead with a powerful low strike as his assistant manager for Wales, Osian Roberts, watched from the stands.

Diego Fabbrini hit the post with a shot from the edge of the area as Gary Rowett's side impressed, but they contributed to their downfall as Cardiff equalised.

Jonathan Grounds seemed to have time to clear Scott Malone's cross but dithered, allowing Pilkington to pinch the ball and finish from close range.

The game's intensity dipped in the second half, with Cardiff only mustering a handful of half-chances.

Cotterill was close to scoring a second Birmingham goal, but his dipping free-kick from 25 yards was brilliantly headed off the line by Noone.

The best opportunity fell to substitute Vaughan who, one-on-one with Cardiff goalkeeper Marshall, shot against the post.

Cardiff manager Russell Slade: "I move to my new role with my head held high. We have made progress as a club, we have taken strides to get us on the right track again.

"I don't think it will take an awful lot more progress for this club to get where it wants to be. There is a sound platform for the next head coach to build on."

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Rowett on Cardiff v Birmingham

Birmingham manager Gary Rowett: "In stages we played well, we came on far stronger in the last 25 minutes but our performances have not been reflected in the points we have taken.

"That has cost us but this has been a very positive season for this club and we are moving forward."

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Cardiff

• 1Marshall
• 2Peltier
• 16ConnollyBooked at 19mins
• 6TurnerBooked at 60minsSubstituted forEcuele Mangaat 81'minutes
• 28Malone
• 11Noone
• 22O'Keefe
• 7WhittinghamBooked at 51mins
• 37LawrenceBooked at 31minsSubstituted forK Harrisat 74'minutes
• 13Pilkington
• 27ImmersSubstituted forZohoreat 67'minutes

Substitutes

• 5Ecuele Manga
• 12John
• 21Moore
• 24K Harris
• 26Zohore
• 38Ameobi
• 39Saadi

Birmingham

• 1Legzdins
• 23SpectorBooked at 31mins
• 28Morrison
• 4Robinson
• 3Grounds
• 6KieftenbeldBooked at 35mins
• 16AdamsSubstituted forGleesonat 71'minutes
• 11Cotterill
• 7FabbriniSubstituted forVaughanat 85'minutes
• 26DavisSubstituted forSolomon-Otaborat 79'minutes
• 9Donaldson

Substitutes

• 8Gleeson
• 15Vaughan
• 17Solomon-Otabor
• 27Trueman
• 31Caddis
• 32Shotton
• 44Brock-Madsen

Referee:

Peter Bankes

Attendance:

21,022

Match Stats

Home TeamCardiffAway TeamBirmingham

Possession

Home60%

Away40%

Shots

Home14

Away14

Shots on Target

Home6

Away6

Corners

Home5

Away5

Fouls

Home16

Away7

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Cardiff City 1, Birmingham City 1.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+4'

Second Half ends, Cardiff City 1, Birmingham City 1.

Posted at 90'+3'

Kadeem Harris (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 90'+3'

Foul by Stephen Gleeson (Birmingham City).

Posted at 90'+2'

Attempt blocked. Stephen Gleeson (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.

Posted at 90'+2'

Attempt blocked. James Vaughan (Birmingham City) header from very close range is blocked. Assisted by David Cotterill with a cross.

Posted at 90'+1'

Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Lee Peltier.

Posted at 90'+1'

Foul by Kenneth Zohore (Cardiff City).

Posted at 90'+1'

Michael Morrison (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 90'

Foul by Stuart O'Keefe (Cardiff City).

Posted at 90'

Clayton Donaldson (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 88'

Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Scott Malone.

Posted at 88'

Attempt blocked. Viv Solomon-Otabor (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.

Posted at 87'

Attempt saved. Scott Malone (Cardiff City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Peter Whittingham.

Posted at 86'

Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Craig Noone.

Posted at 86'

James Vaughan (Birmingham City) hits the right post with a right footed shot from the centre of the box.

Posted at 85'

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Substitution

Posted at 85'

Substitution, Birmingham City. James Vaughan replaces Diego Fabbrini.

Posted at 84'

Delay in match Diego Fabbrini (Birmingham City) because of an injury.

Substitution

Posted at 81'

Substitution, Cardiff City. Bruno Ecuele Manga replaces Ben Turner.

Posted at 81'

Attempt missed. Stuart O'Keefe (Cardiff City) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Matthew Connolly following a corner.

Posted at 80'

Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Paul Robinson.

Posted at 80'

Attempt saved. Kenneth Zohore (Cardiff City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Anthony Pilkington.

Substitution

Posted at 79'

Substitution, Birmingham City. Viv Solomon-Otabor replaces David Davis.

Posted at 78'

Attempt blocked. Stuart O'Keefe (Cardiff City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Matthew Connolly with a headed pass.

Posted at 77'

Kadeem Harris (Cardiff City) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 77'

Foul by Jonathan Spector (Birmingham City).

Posted at 77'

Offside, Birmingham City. Stephen Gleeson tries a through ball, but Clayton Donaldson is caught offside.

Posted at 76'

Foul by Kadeem Harris (Cardiff City).

Posted at 76'

Diego Fabbrini (Birmingham City) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 74'

Stuart O'Keefe (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 74'

Foul by David Davis (Birmingham City).

Substitution

Posted at 74'

Substitution, Cardiff City. Kadeem Harris replaces Tom Lawrence.

Posted at 72'

Attempt blocked. Diego Fabbrini (Birmingham City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by David Cotterill.

Substitution

Posted at 71'

Substitution, Birmingham City. Stephen Gleeson replaces Charlee Adams.

Posted at 70'

Attempt missed. Charlee Adams (Birmingham City) right footed shot from more than 35 yards is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Jonathan Grounds.

Posted at 70'

Foul by Craig Noone (Cardiff City).

Posted at 70'

Clayton Donaldson (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Substitution

Posted at 67'

Substitution, Cardiff City. Kenneth Zohore replaces Lex Immers because of an injury.

Posted at 65'

Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Jonathan Spector.

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