Hull City 0 Cardiff 2: Neil Warnock’s Bluebirds secure vital win against Hull to ensure automatic promotion hopes
Sean Morrison's double could see Cardiff join Wolves in the Premier League next Sunday if they match third-placed Fulham's result
Sponsored by
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC Sean Morrison's double left Cardiff's promotion dream still in their own hands - and on the cusp of a return to the top flight.
The Bluebirds centre-back inspired his side to a win as they leapfrogged Fulham back into second place and knowing victory at home to relegation-threatened Reading on Sunday will see them go up with Wolves.
Morrison sealed the victory with a goal Harry Kane would be proud to claim calmly cutting inside his marker before rifling home with 10 minutes left having ran 80 yards.
And it left Neil Warnock within sight of that record-breaking EIGHTH promotion as City showed they did have the bottle after responding to the Cottagers win over Sunderland on Friday night.
Warnock,69, said: "That was probably the biggest game of my career. All the pressure was on us after Fulham won."
"Everybody keeps expecting us to fall away and the decisions seem to be going left, right and centre for Fulham at the minute."
MOST READ IN FOOTBALL
"A lot of teams might have been demoralised. I know we're limited and not everybody's cup of tea, but we're like a rash we won't go away."
"We should have scored a couple more goals really but Allan McGregor made some great saves and I asked him at the end why he didn't do that for us last season."
"But it's an incredible goal from Sean as he is in his own six-yard box when he sets off and he carries on and I'm thinking what's he doing as we're winning one-nil."
"He just goes and goes and goes."
Fulham's victory over relegated Sunderland meant City had to win to ensure they just have to match the London outfit's result in their final game at Birmingham who are also not yet safe from the drop.
But they had a nightmare start with Icelandic midfielder Aron Gunnarsson limping off after just seven minutes with a knee injury that left him with a World Cup fitness race.
WEMB-GLEE From the White Horse Final and World Cup 1966 to Live Aid and NFL… the incredible history of Wembley from 1923 to 2018
Morrison struck the opener on 32 minutes with a thumping header from a Joe Ralls corner to the delight of the 2,500+ travelling fans.
The Tigers had lost centre-back Angus MacDonald by then after he was taken to hospital with a dislocated shoulder.
Cardiff could have been reduced to 10-men before the break when Gunnarsson's replacement Marko Grujic, who had already been booked, conceded a needless foul.
But the on-loan Liverpool midfielder escaped with a final warning though Warnock was taking no chances as he hooked the Serbian international at half-time.
Junior Hoilett and Callum Paterson had chances to double their lead but both were denied by McGregor who had spent time on loan in South Wales.
But Morrison made sure on 80 minutes when for some reason he supported a breakaway after Lee Peltier had blocked a Hull cross just outside his own area.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing raced clear before picking out his skipper whose deft touch to create space was followed by a fierce drive for his third goal in three games.
Tigers boss Nigel Adkins, 53, said: "The big picture is we had already kept ourselves in the Championship, but I am disappointed.
"The pressure was all on Cardiff, but all credit to them. I have to spend the next few weeks preparing for next season."