Cardiff 0 West Brom 0: James Morrison's men draw to relegate Cardiff City

The Baggies' miserable lack of away wins extended to the final road trip of the season as James Morrison kickstarted his two-game tenure in interim charge with a point.

Life without Tony Mowbray started at least with a stop to the rot of five defeats in six but Morrison and his caretaker team could not inspire Albion to victory against a desperate home side in the Welsh capital.

Either side could have won through in a decent watch for a goalless draw - and a first clean sheet in nine games - but one which said more about a lack of quality on both sides.

Morrison had called for his side to take responsibility and restore pride in the wake of Mowbray's Easter Monday dismissal.

Albion were improved from the misery against Derby and Coventry but it was damning they could not see off the struggling Bluebirds, who drop to the third tier as Plymouth won elsewhere. The Baggies had nothing to play for when it came to the league table but did enough to win the game but were denied with a series of spurned chances - the story of the season.

Both sides struck the post - Cardiff in a crazy second-half goalmouth scramble - but a lack of composure at both ends told. The Baggies finished 10th and can only finish the season as high as ninth next week.

Morrison and Co. largely gave the club's senior players a chance of atonement and there was a response in as much as effort, but a painful lack of quality pointed to the scale of the job for Bilkul this summer.

Ousmane Diakite started in midfield for the ill Jayson Molumby, who was available after suspension. Karlan Grant and Adam Armstrong replaced Mikey Johnston and Will Lankshear. It was four changes in all from Tony Mowbray's final fixture, with Callum Styles back after a ban.

There was no place among Albion subs for John Swift, who it has been confirmed will depart in the summer at the end of his contract. Grady Diangana, in the same position, was a substitute.

The Cardiff City Stadium lacked some pre-match buzz of a crunch clash from the hosts' perspective but there was more optimism as right-back Perry Ng shot off-target before Albion's Isaac Price brilliantly cleared off the line to keep out Calum Chambers' header from a corner.

With Morrison donning a tracksuit prowling his technical area and flanked by analyst Damia Abella Albion grew a foothold and took charge.

The busy Price was afforded way too much space from Alex Mowatt's pass, charged forward and drew a flying save by Ethan Horvath from 20 yards.

The visitors knocked together some decent moves. Left-back Callum Styles' low drive from range was diverted behind with Tom Fellows and former Bluebird Grant involved.

Fellows shot powerfully wide of the top corner before the visitors were denied by the foot of a post.

Some Horvath hesitancy invited Armstrong forward. He took his time, decided against the chip from the right of the box and squared for Price, whose first-time hit found the far post, crossed the six-yard box and went behind. The travelling Baggies contingent at the other end of the stadium thought it was in.

Home support grew restless at a lack of urgency to attack. Griffiths was largely untroubled aside from a comfortable low save from David Turnbull.

The first half lulled towards its end. As the thousands of travelling fans entertained themselves with the songbook repertoire Darnell Furlong's powerful header from Grant's cross drew a save.

Cardiff thought they had a stoppage-time lead through the dangerous Chambers as he nodded in from a deep free-kick but the offside flag was long since raised.

Morrison's men started the second period in decent nick. Diakite blazed poorly over from Armstrong's cut-back before Price was denied from close range after excellent work from Grant.

Torbjorn Heggem was required to make an important block to deny Andy Rinomhota's strike down the other end.

Cardiff found some inspiration either side of the hour and somehow failed to score in one of the most bonkers goalmouth scrambles of recent Albion memory.

Callum O'Dowda's cross saw an Alex Robertson scuffed effort cleared off the line. Robertson's rebound was saved by Griffiths, the ball then dropped to striker Yousel Salech who hit the post before Chambers was then denied by Griffiths again - all in a few seconds.

Griffiths kept his composure to deny O'Dowda from an ankle moments later.

It had temporarily been all Cardiff but Albion should have led just after as keeper Horvath gave it away. Price's low cross for the unmarked Armstrong was wayward, however.

The hosts knew they needed a goal but left gaps and made errors. A Mowatt through ball released Armstrong on goal. He jinked inside a covering defender but a left-footed effort from eight yards was saved by Horvath.

Substitute Daryl Dike had it in the net after compatriot Horvath's spillage but referee Andrew Kitchen gave a foul.

Results elsewhere had the hosts desperate for a goal and experienced skipper Joe Ralls, on from the bench, was agonizingly close from the edge of the box.

The anguished hosts lacked composure until the death as Griffiths denied Salech in stoppage time. A share of the spoils confirmed the Bluebirds' relegation on an afternoon of low quality as Albion once again failed to win again on the road.

Cardiff (4-2-3-1): Horvath; Ng (Daland, 45), Fish, Chambers, O'Dowda; Rinomhota, Turnbull (Ralls, 71); Ashford (Tanner, 78), Robertson (Colwill, 78), Willock (Alves, 71); Salech.

Subs not used: Turner, Goutas, Meite, Bagan.

Albion (4-2-3-1): Griffiths; Furlong, Bartley (c), Heggem, Styles; Diakite, Mowatt; Fellows (Johnston, 85), Price (Wallace, 65), Grant; Armstrong (Dike, 78).

Subs not used: Wildsmith, Ajayi, Holgate, Whitwell, Diangana, Lankshear.

Referee: Andrew Kitchen