Football: STALEMATE

EVEN England keeper David James had to touch wood for luck as West Ham defied rampant Cardiff to scrape a draw.

A string of spectacular saves from James kept Cardiff at bay, and when he was finally beaten Welsh international John Robinson saw his shot rebound to safety off a post to sum up Cardiff's frustration.

Cardiff, urged on by a crowd of 19,202 - their biggest league attendance for 23 years - had started strongly and stand-in striker Gavin Gordon missed a great chance to fire them ahead ten minutes before half time - and also to stake his own claim to a regular place in their side.

Gordon, way down the pecking order at Ninian Park, has been given his chance because of a series of injuries.

He took that chance in style at Coventry a week ago when he scored in their 3-1 victory. But last night he could only hold his head in horror as he missed that golden chance.

Robert Earnshaw had launched one sweeping Cardiff attack with a sharp run in midfield and then fed Tony Vidmar, whose perfect cross left the 23-year old Gordon all alone in front of goal. But somehow he planted his header wide.

If that brought relief to David James, West Ham's keeper had displayed England form earlier to keep out John Robinson.

This time Earnshaw and Gordon created panic in West Ham's defence and the ball broke loose to Robinson whose fierce drive took a wicked deflection.

James looked wrong-footed and beaten, but he somehow managed to stretch out a leg to deflect the ball to safety.

Cardiff had their own nervous moments in the opening quarter, when a mistake by Mark Bonner in the fourth minute almost cost them. Bonner was robbed in midfield by Michael Carrick, who powered forward to set up a chance for Jermaine Defoe. But Cardiff's keeper Neil Alexander dived sharply to his right to stop Defoe's shot.

James then arched his body backwards to make one spectacular save from Gordon and then he leapt across his line to hold Earnshaw's flashing drive.

But when James was finally beaten, the woodwork denied Cardiff from taking a deserved lead after 67 minutes, when Robinson's low shot past rebound to safety from the foot of the post.MAN OF THE MATCH DAVID JAMES

Showed his England class.

CARDIFF: Alexander 7, Croft 7, Vidmar 8, Bonner 6, Gabbidon 7, Barker 7, Kavanagh 7, Robinson 8, Gordon 6, Earnshaw 7, Langley 6.

WEST HAM: JAMES 9, Repka 6, Hutchison 6, Carrick 7, Dailly 7, Connolly 6 (Mellor 6, Ferdinand 6), Defoe 7, Etherington 7, Quinn 6, Mullins 7 (Lee 6), Stockdale 6.

MANAGER RATINGS: Lawrence 6; Pardew 6.

REFEREE: M Ryan 6.

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