Cardiff City 0-0 West Bromwich Albion: Bluebirds relegated in draw with Baggies

There was a sense that the damage had already been done to Cardiff’s faltering bid to avoid relegation, with a run of just one win from their previous 13 matches leading to their second managerial sacking of the season as Omer Riza was dismissed a week earlier.

Wales captain Aaron Ramsey was brought in as caretaker boss with three games left, a desperate roll of the dice from the club’s much-maligned owner Vincent Tan.

And while Ramsey is blameless for the Bluebirds’ demise, there was already an acceptance from most supporters that relegation was inevitable after they drew at home against Oxford United in his first game in charge on Easter Monday.

Luton’s last-gasp win over Coventry in one of Saturday’s earlier games was another nail in the coffin for Cardiff’s rapidly fading hopes of staying up.

Where Ramsey, his players and the fans were concerned, though, all was not lost quite yet.

Buoyed by an encouraging home crowd, Cardiff were close to taking an early lead when Calum Chambers’ header was cleared off the line by Price.

West Brom dominated from that point and missed several chances, with Price and Callum Styles both drawing fine saves from Horvath before Price hit the post from Adam Armstrong’s cutback.

Cardiff thought they had scored against the run of play when Chambers headed in from David Turnbull’s free-kick, but the former Arsenal defender was flagged offside.

Chances flowed at both ends in the second half, and the hosts came agonisingly close to a precious lead when Robertson had one shot blocked, another saved and Salech fired against the post before Chambers was denied by Griffiths.

West Brom almost killed their opponents off completely with chances for Karlan Grant and Armstrong, but still Cardiff hung on and threatened through substitutes Ollie Tanner and Joe Ralls.

At the final whistle, the home fans chanted “City till I die” and applauded their players, but turned their ire on owner Tan once more, calling on him to leave.

That has been a common refrain in recent years but, despite the supporters’ fury which has manifest itself with demonstrations and protests as well as anger at games, Cardiff remain financially dependent on their Malaysian backer.

Having narrowly escaped relegation in two of the previous three seasons, Cardiff have become embroiled in one crisis too many. This relegation had been coming.