Cardiff City: Boss Russell Slade unhappy with missed chances

Striker Adam Le Fondre has scored just once for Cardiff City in the 2014-15 season.

Cardiff City manager Russell Slade bemoaned his team's failure to "convert" chances after the 0-0 draw with 10-man Birmingham at St Andrews.

The Bluebirds are still looking for their first away win in the Championship this season.

Slade felt strikers Adam Le Fondre and Federico Macheda both should have scored in the first half.

"You'd back those two to score in one-on-one situations and it's about being ruthless in both boxes," he said.

"We shut them out which was great, but then when we get the opportunities we need to finish.

"And also in the second period some really good balls were going into the box and maybe [there were] a couple of good blocks from Birmingham, but we need to convert one of those chances."

The result was a big improvement over the 3-0 hammering Cardiff suffered against Bolton in midweek, and leaves the Bluebirds in 12th place in the Championship table.

Birmingham were reduced to 10 men in the 89th-minute when substitute Wes Thomas was shown a red card after a clash with Bluebirds defender Sean Morrison.

That came after a first-half which saw Le Fondre and Macheda denied with Birmingham goalkeeper Darren Randolph saving with his legs on both occasions.

Thomas had a goal ruled out for offside after coming on a substitute for Andrew Shinnie early in the second half, before his clash with Morrison brought an early end to his involvement.

While Slade was disappointed with the missed chances, he says the improvement in the side is clear.

"We couldn't have put that shift in three weeks ago," said Slade, who took over as manager on 6 October.

"We couldn't have played [like that] in a third game in a week, there's no way.

"But we're fitter now and mentally a little bit stronger and tougher and I think you saw that out there today."