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Snap Shot: City returned to winning ways at Ninian Park thanks to a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace to maintain our place in the play-offs after two losses. The win was secured thanks to a first half Michael Chopra penalty and a second half Joe Ledley winner after Sean Scannell had levelled by taking advantage of a rare defensive error at the back.

The match continued to bring incident as in injury time Matt Lawrence was sent off for a penalty area tackle on Eddie Johnson, resulting in a second penalty for Chopra which was saved.

Team News: Michael Chopra's second homecoming was confirmed by the submission of the team-sheets - Chops partnering Eddie Johnson up front as both McCormack and Bothroyd continued their road to recovery.

Darren Purse was also confirmed his starting place following the FAW decision to quash the red card shown at QPR, leaving Gabor Gyepes back on the bench. Returning to the fold from injury was Mark Kennedy at left-back following the two yellows for Miguel Comminges at Loftus Road.

For Palace Darryl Flahavan made his first start for the Eagles first team.

Cardiff: Heaton, McNaughton, Purse, R. Johnson, Kennedy, Whittingham, McPhail, Rae, Ledley, Chopra, E. Johnson. Subs: Enckelman, Gypes, Parry, Blake, Brown.

Crystal Palace: Flahavan, Lawrence, Hill, Derry, McCarthy, Fonte, Scannell, Beattie, Ifill, Watson, Oster. Subs : Carle, Moses, Ertl, Kuqi, Wiggins.

Chronological Report

Cardiff started brightly and could have opened the scoring after only one minute. Welsh International John Oster mistakenly gifted Eddie Johnson the ball in midfield, leaving Eddie to surge forward and shoot from the edge of the area. The ball however was blocked well by the Eagles defence.

Palace in the early exchanges were finding it difficult to get forward due to Cardiff's pressure, though Watson and Ifil continually looked a danger on the break. After six minutes Fonte looked to head in at the back stick, though Heaton collected the looping cross well.

While penalty area entries were limited, City maintained their pressure and excited the crowd through Edie Johnson and Chopra's movement and some mid-range efforts from Whittingham.

As we approached the twenty minute mark, the action dipped as both teams looked unable to break from midfield with conviction. Of the two Palace began to edge the territory war however, looking to exploit Cardiff at the back via Scannell and Beattie - aiming predominantly on the right hand side against Ledley and Kennedy.

Crystal Palace had their closets chance to go ahead after twenty two minutes through a free kick after a foul by Darren Purse. Watson as expected was the Eagle to try from the dead ball - and his whipping effort almost made it to the left of Heaton, but was sent wide.

City upped their tempo towards the half hour and were unlucky not to go ahead after Chopra's tenacity and blocked shot after twenty eight minutes. The ball then fell to Eddie on the left of the box, but the USA man blazed the ball high over the bar.

The forward running from Chopra was thrilling the home support, and two minutes later his energy was rewarded as he was clipped on the run into the area by Jose Fonte. The penalty was awarded to the dismay of the Palace players, and Chops certainly didn't disappoint with his cheeky penalty to send Cardiff into the lead.

GOAL: CARDIFF 1 - 0 Palace. Chopra (pen). 32 mins

Cardiff were looking largely comfortable in defence, but only four minutes after taking the lead they gave it away with a moment of confusion. A route one ball from Flahavan came between Kennedy and McCormack - rebounding through and leaving Heaton to try and resolve from outside the area. The ball deflected off his chest and found its way to youngster Sean Scannell with an easy tap-in to the unguarded net.

GOAL: Cardiff 1 - 1 PALACE. Scannell. 36 mins

The goal was a gift to Palace, who then looked to capitalise further on Cardiff's error of judgement by lifting the temp themselves. Cardiff continued to make some uncharacteristic errors in their passing to frustrate the home support, but the half ended with both teams locked with one goal apiece.

HALF TIME: CARDIFF 1 - 1 PALACE

Cardiff opened the second half with a denied claim from the officials as Eddie Johnson was clipped as the last man when running forward on goal. Only a throw in came our way, though from this angle it looked to warrant considerably more.

With the second half less than five minutes old, Cardiff were concerned by the fact that Joe Ledley needed attention from physio Sean Connelly as he went down for a few minutes. We feared the worst, but thankfully Joe was ok to resume, leaving Paul Parry to put his coat back on and return to the bench.

Ledley was ok to play, and a good thing too. As seconds after coming back on he picked up on the ball on the right from a great Eddie flick on header and smashed the ball home across the keeper to make it two for the hosts.

GOAL: CARDIFF 2 - 1 Palace. Ledley. 52 mins

Palace were rocked by the second Cardiff goal and began to show their frustrations as Cardiff grew in confidence - including Neil Warnock on the bench. The introduction of Shefki Kuqi looked to add to the Eagles firepower, with the striker coming close after sixty five minutes with a drilled low shot that flashed wide of Heaton's post.

Paul Parry was introduced with twenty minutes left, coming on for Whittingham on the right of midfield. Palace as expected were pushing for their second leveller, trying to make the most of their chance, especially through dead balls. After 77 minutes Watson tried from a free-kick 25 yards out, which was well blocked by Rae's towering header from the wall.

At the other end Cardiff came close as Parry's shot looped up on a deflection, but couldn't cruelly punish the Eagles keeper to make it three. Moments later Darcy Blake was given a great reception on his introduction as he came on for Gavin Rae.

It was backs to the wall as City defended deep to add to our already frayed nerves. On top of that the calls from the referee and linesman were leaving us baffled on occasion, which never helps.

Palace pressed, but couldn't break through. Four minutes of added time even gave us further excitement as Matt Lawrence was sent off for a penalty award winning tackle on Eddie Johnson as he fired into the Eagles box. Chops stepped up again, but was denied from the spot. Not to worry though, as the match was in the bag seconds later to bring us back to winning ways.

FULL TIME: CARDIFF 2 - 1 PALACE 

Cardiff: Heaton, McNaughton, Purse, Roger Johnson, Kennedy, Rae (Blake 80), Whittingham (Parry 70), McPhail, Ledley, Eddie Johnson, Chopra.
Subs Not Used: Enckelman, Gyepes, Brown.

Booked: Whittingham.

Goals: Chopra 33 pen, Ledley 53.

Crystal Palace: Flahavan, Lawrence, Hill, McCarthy, Fonte, Derry, Ifill, Watson, Oster (Moses 71), Scannell, Beattie (Kuqi 62).
Subs Not Used: Carle, Ertl, Wiggins.

Sent Off: Lawrence (90).

Goals: Scannell 37.

Att: 17,478