Sheffield United 2-0 Cardiff City: Bluebirds still deep in relegation mire as Blades ease to deserved win

Cardiff City took another step towards League One after a disappointing defeat to promotion-chasing Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

Gutavo Hamer’s first-half strike set the hosts on their way, before Ben Brereton Diaz doubled the lead late on to seal victory for the hosts, who had previously lost their last three Championship outings.

Cardiff stood up to the challenge of the Blades reasonably well at times, but didn’t really do enough in the final third to lay a glove on their opponents, mustering up just two shots on target on the day, and they never really looked like taking anything from this game.

An injury to Callum Robinson in the build-up to this game clearly didn’t help Cardiff’s prospects of causing the hosts problems, while a late injury to Rubin Colwill, who had to come off just over 10 minutes after coming off the bench, will potentially further deplete Riza’s attacking arsenal ahead of the final three games of the season.

The result means Cardiff stay 23rd in the Championship table, and remain one point adrift of safety, after relegation rivals Derby County lost to Luton Town earlier in the day.

The result will do very little to lift the doom and gloom around the capital, with Monday’s clash with Oxford United now looking potentially decisive in their bid to beat the drop.

Riza, who found himself on the end of several chants from a frustrated away end, was forced to issue a public apology to fans in the run-up to this clash after labelling sections of the Cardiff support ‘clueless’ in response to recent criticism of his tenure.

But they might well have been pleased by the way their side started this clash against a Sheffield United side still harbouring hopes of a top two finish.

Indeed, the Bluebirds were