Football: CHELTENHAM ... 1 CARDIFF ... 1: ON TOP FLOP can't finish

CARDIFF boss Lennie Lawrence said he couldn't believe how his dominant Division Two title-chasers had failed to take all three points at Cheltenham.

The Bluebirds controlled the game and in the second half launched a relentless series of attacks on the home goal.

But at the final whistle, they only had Andy Campbell's 11th- minute strike to show for their efforts, and Neil Howarth's 32nd- minute equaliser earned the Robins a point.

"I cannot remember being involved in such a one-sided game, certainly in my time at Cardiff," said Lawrence.

"Neil Alexander only touched the ball twice in the second half, and yet we have only come away with a point.

"I thought we were a bit unlucky, Danny Gabbidon's effort being cleared off the line, and if we had got the second we might have then got three or four."

He added: "We don't ever look like losing, but we are just struggling to turn our dominance into wins. But we will.

"The only plus is that we don't appear to have lost any ground at the top. You wouldn't have expected Wigan to lose and Brentford to draw, but that can happen."

The Bluebirds actually took time to find their feet, with an off- target effort from Willie Boland the closest they went to scoring in the first ten minutes.

But a minute later that all changed. Gareth Whalley fed Peter Thorne, he threaded a ball through to the galloping Campbell and the striker ran on to slip a shot wide of keeper Steve Book.

In the 18th minute, the visitors almost doubled their tally, Andy Legg forcing a stunning reaction save from Book with a rasping left- foot drive.

Cheltenham enjoyed a good spell of pressure mid-way through the half and forced a corner, but they were unable to take advantage.

However, after Whalley had chipped an effort just wide at the other end, the Robins produced an equaliser.

Rhys Weston was booked for a foul on Paul Brayson just inside his own half and from Russell Milton's ensuing free kick, Howarth drilled a shot into the far corner after the visitors failed to clear.

Cardiff pressed hard in the dying minutes of the first half with Legg, as always, lively on the left, but the Robins stood firm.

After a quiet start to the second half, the Bluebirds took control again when Campbell pounced on the loose ball but fired over from a corner, and Whalley had a shot deflected off target from another corner.

Cardiff's pressure was becoming relentless and just past the hour the home side somehow managed to avoid conceding a second goal.

Legg swung in a corner and Gabbidon met it with a firm header which was superbly cleared off the line by Howarth.

MAN OF THE MATCH ANDY LEGG

At the hub of everything.

CHELTENHAM: Book 6, Howarth 7, M Duff 7, Walker 5, Victory 6, McAuley 7, Yates 6, Milton 7 (Finnigan 6), Naylor 6, Brayson 5, Alsop 6.

CARDIFF: Alexander 6, Weston 6, Gabbidon 7, Prior 6, Cross 6, Boland 7, Whalley 7, Kavanagh 7, LEGG 8, Thorne 7, Campbell 8.

MANAGER RATINGS: Allner 7; Lawrence 7.

REFEREE: G Barber 7.

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