Cardiff City vs West Ham United. Sky Bet Championship. Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Cardiff City and West Ham United at the Cardiff City Stadium on Wednesday night; Jack Moylan scores Bluebirds hat-trick but Hammers fight back in second half. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Scott Parker saw his West Ham side recover from three goals down to draw 3-3 at Cardiff in a thrilling first game in charge.
Jack Moylan’s first hat-trick in English football had Cardiff in cruise control at half-time and Hammers fans venting their anger. But the Hammers – inspired by captain Jarrod Bowen – fought back in incredible fashion as Divine Mukasa, Arne Engels and Max Kilman netted to secure a point. Parker was confirmed as Hammers boss on Wednesday morning – just 24 hours after Nuno Espirito Santo’s departure – but it was a tough watch for the former England midfielder initially as Moylan had Cardiff 3-0 ahead inside 39 minutes. Moylan scored a hat-trick on his Republic of Ireland debut against Grenada in May, but this was his first club treble since scoring three for Shelbourne in May 2023.
The draw extends Cardiff’s unbeaten home league run to 10 games over the last two seasons, while West Ham occupy the final play-off place in eighth. Nuno’s 13-month tenure had ended after the Hammers had won just twice in six matches and lost successive home games to Southampton and West Brom. Wrexham 2-0 Middlesbrough: Boro struggle without Will Lankshear as league leaders beaten Bristol City 1-2 Wolves: Substitute Sean Neave scores late double to earn turnaround win Charlton 0-1 Bolton: Sam Dalby scores Trotters winner as poor run goes on for Addicks Birmingham 3-0 Millwall: Alex Cochrane, Max Bird and Jay Stansfield net in Blues win Derby 0-4 Norwich: More pressure on John Eustace after rampant Canaries win West Brom 1-1 Southampton: Samuel Edozie earns point for Saints Taty Castellanos had hinted at better times ahead, forcing Nathan Trott into early action after Bowen’s effort had deflected to him. But the Hammers were behind after Alex Robertson found Moylan in the 11th minute.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Moylan advanced to find the top corner of Mads Hermansen’s net with a ferocious strike from 20 yards. Hermansen tipped aside Calum Scanlon’s cross and Will Fish headed over as Cardiff probed. There was no reprieve for West Ham when Perry Ng curled a ball over a static defence after 36 minutes. Moylan cleverly slowed down for Morato to bundle him over, a clear penalty.
Cardiff had missed their last two spot-kicks, but this time Moylan was entrusted with the responsibility and sent Hermansen the wrong way. Angry Hammers fans responded with cries of ‘you’re not fit to wear the shirt’, and many of them appeared to be making a swift departure three minutes later. Joel Bagan’s corner cleared Fish at the near post, but Moylan came in behind him to head home his sixth goal in five games, and his 10th of the season. Parker sent on Mohamadou Kante and Joel Piroe for Soungoutou Magassa and Castellanos at half-time and there was instantly more conviction from the Hammers.
Bowen floated a delicious pass through after 58 minutes, and Mukasa lifted the ball over Trott and in off a post. The deficit was reduced further seven minutes later when Piroe flicked on Bowen’s pass and Engels slid home his first Hammers goal. Kante nearly toe poked the ball past Trott before Kilman touched home Bowen’s brilliant cross, and West Ham almost won it through substitutes Ezra Mayers and Tomas Soucek. “I’m naturally disappointed that we didn’t manage to win the game.
“We showed in the first half what we’re capable of, and the players delivered an incredible performance. “In the second half, we understood how difficult it may become based on the quality of the opponents. They scored at moments that made it difficult for us. “I didn’t expect West Ham to sink without trace at any stage.
I was very clear with the players at half-time that the best form of defence for us was to attack because we were in such a good position. “But it wasn’t possible. It’s rare for us to have less possession than the opponents, and we just couldn’t stem the flow once they scored.” “I came in here at nine o’clock this morning and met the players for the first time, so I didn’t have a lot of input as such. “As you can imagine, it was a difficult half-time talk.
I just helped them tactically and told them, ‘OK, this is the way it needs to be now’. “Certainly out of possession, we needed to be more aggressive. “There were tactical changes and substitutions, and we became more front-footed. We took a few more risks.” Play Super 6 for a chance to win £1m!
