Cardiff City relegated on disastrous day for the club

Cardiff City's relegation to the Championship was confirmed with a game to go after being held to a goalless draw against West Brom on a disastrous day for the club.

The game was their season in a microcosm, moments of encouragement, but so often flattering to deceive. A miserable, catastrophic season has fittingly whimpered to what many thought for some time was the inevitable conclusion. Cardiff City will play their football in League One next season, a sobering thought, but no one can say it wasn't deserved or that it hadn't been coming. A sad day for these loyal supporters.

This was Cardiff's time, after repeated close calls. They have no one to blame by themselves.

The match itself, ironically, started off in bright fashion for the Bluebirds, spurred on by the hyped-up atmosphere inside the stadium. Perry Ng, in fact, had a chance in the second minute when a half-cleared cross fell to him in the area, but he hammered a half-volley over the bar. Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community.

And Cardiff looked like they were going to take an early lead when Calum Chambers latched on to a David Turnbull cross, only to see his bullet header cleared off the line in remarkable fashion by Isaac Price. Even at that point, it just felt like it was going to be one of those days.

Cardiff's own goalkeeper was tested frequently, though. Price was the man bothering the Bluebirds' goal when he drove towards City's goal before bending an effort bound for the corner, but Ethan Horvath produced a marvellous save to tip it around the post at full stretch.

Price proved a thorn in Cardiff's side at both ends of the pitch and very nearly got the opener. Adam Armstrong was sent through with a hopeful ball over the