by Ashley James and Mark Denham

Snapshot

Goals from Joe Ledley, Michael Chopra and Peter Whittingham were enough to see of ten-man Barnsley on a damp Tuesday evening. Ledley gave the Bluebirds the lead on four minutes after striking home from two yards out after Barnsley failed to clear a corner-kick. The Bluebirds dominated much of the first half though didn't get their second goal until two minutes before the interval when Chopra followed up a rasping Whittingham shot. Barnsley came out stronger after the interval and pulled one back through Jon Macken who scored with his first touch of the game after coming on as a subsitute; minutes later though, Andranik Teymourian was sent off for a second bookable offence after an off the ball the incident. Following the dismissal, Cardiff dominated the last twenty-five minutes with man of the match Eddie Johnson impressing in attack. Two minutes from time, Whittingham secured the points with a curling shot from outside the area.

Team News: Dave Jones promised to wield the axe and duly made three changes from the eleven that started in the disappointing loss down at Southampton three days before. Michael Chopra returned from a heel injury after just the one-match absence which meant Paul Parry reverted back to a wide right role in midfield as Chris Burke had not recovered from a knock in time to make the twenty-two. Wales Under-21 International Darcy Blake started at right-back in the place of Miguel Comminges who dropped to the bench while the gutsiest move saw goal-less American striker Eddie Johnson partner Chopra up-front in place of Ross McCormack who was seemingly dropped to the replacement bench. Also warming themselves in tracksuits alongside Ross were Tony Capaldi, Riccardo Scimeca and Quincy Owusu-Abeyie.

Chronological Report:

After the horribly sub-par performance produced down at St. Mary's last time out Cardiff couldn't have hoped for a better start to a tricky match with an understandably edgy underlying feeling. Peter Whittingham floated in a free kick from the right which Roger Johnson headed towards goal, Barnsley captain Steve Foster reacted instinctively to block but could only headed the ball skywards which saw he and Roger challenge for the rebound and forced Heinz Muller in the visiting goal to punch out for a corner. Whittingham took the corner and again Johnson rose to meet it and direct it across goal where Joe Ledley watched it bobble before lashing it home with his left foot.

CARDIFF CITY 1 - 0 Barnsley (Joe Ledley 4mins)

Tykes boss Simon Davey certainly wasn't happy with the fact that his side had conceded so early or the fact that a number of officiating decisions had gone against his team thus far and was, let's say, animated on the touchline. The linesman on the near side bore the wrath of Davey in the form of a full throated verbal attack while in return Davey bore the wrath of the Ninian Park faithful for his Swansea roots.

In contrast to our visitors Cardiff looked energized and full of vigour and it seemed apparent that the squad, during training this week, had received similar treatment from Dave as tonight's linesman had received off Davey minutes earlier. Cardiff were looking particularly dangerous down the left where Paul Parry and Mark Kennedy had already combined effectively on two occasions to open up the Barrnsley defence while through the middle Eddie Johnson had shown some neat early touches which would have done his confidence the world of good.

Cardiff were definitely showing the more endeavour and it nearly paid dividends on twenty-one minutes when Michael Chopra and Whittingham exchanged passes down the right flank which resulted in the latter flashing a low ball across goal which Eddie Johnson, who had darted near post, was only inches away from connecting with.

Just past the half hour mark City were once again a whisker away from doubling their lead after Hugo Colace had tripped Whittingham centre of goal and just five yards outside the box. Chopra shaped to shoot with his right only for Whittingham to curl it towards the bottom left corner and watched agonisingly as Muller brilliantly tipped it away for a corner. From the set-piece Parry managed to float it in on the second attempt towards Eddie Johnson at the back post, however crowded out by a group of defenders he could only nod wide.

Eddie Johnson had thus far had a bright game only to get needlessly booked minutes later in bizarre fashion. As Kennedy pumped a ball long into the Barnsley box, Eddie rose looking to flick the ball on only to do so with his outstretched fist in plain view of the ref.

Five minutes before the break Michael Mifsud nearly grabbed his side an equaliser with a fine piece of individual play. He took advantage of some sloppy Cardiff passing to pick up the ball midway inside the City half, glide past Ledley and hit a wickedly dipping shot which Dimi Konstantopoulos did really well with to turn over his own bar.

Three minutes later Cardiff had the two goal advantage they arguably deserved. Kennedy fed Whittingham midway inside the Barnsley half and drilled a great left footed drive from thirty yards. Muller did well down to his right but could only palm the effort out to Chopra who showed great composure to take a touch to steady himself before sliding the ball home with ease.

CARDIFF CITY 2 - 0 Barnsley (Michael Chopra 43mins)

Half Time: CARDIFF CITY 2 - 0

Barnsley Substitution: Darren Moore for Dennis Souza (46mins)

Barnsley needed to fire out of the blocks quickly after a poor first half showing and in fairness they did just that with a chance falling to Mifsud inside the opening minutes. Andranik Teymourian played in the Maltese striker who got behind the Cardiff defence and struck the ball across goal on the bounce but cleared the far post also.

In the fifty-second minute a defensive mix-up nearly gift wrapped Cardiff a third. Eddie chased a long ball which Foster and Muller got in all kinds of trouble trying to deal with; Eddie snuck in un-noticed and got a foot to the ball tumbling over Muller in the process. The Ninian Park crowd were desperate for a penalty however, it would have been soft and Mr P Miller rightly disagreed.

Barnsley Substitution: Jon Macken for Daniel Bogdanovic (62mins)

Barnsley, despite their better second half showing, needed something special to get themselves back into the game and while Macken's introduction wasn't particularly spectacular it certainly did the job well enough. City failed on several occasions to end the game of aerial ping-pong taking place on the edge of their area and instead Macken took things into his own hands by taking the ball down with his first touch, turning and rifling the ball home into the top corner with his left foot.

Cardiff City 2 - 1 BARNSLEY (Jon Macken 63mins)

It was perhaps deserved for their way Barnsley had performed since the interval but things were about to go very sour, very quickly. Eddie Johnson controlled a long ball, turned his marker and ran infield along the edge of the box where he had his legs taken from under him by a desperate lunge from Hugo Colace. In the ensuing melee Teymourian, who had already been booked for an early indiscretion, finally tested the referee's patience once too often and was punished with a second booking and the chanced to be first into the lavish Ninian Park showers. When the free-kick was eventually taken Chopra was foiled by Muller who punched the ball safe while diving to his left.

Cardiff City Substitution: Ross McCormack for Michael Chopra (70mins)

Cardiff City Substitution: Quincy Owusu-Abeyie for Paul Parry (74mins)

Quincy made and immediate impact for Cardiff as he led a break away up-field, ran directly at the Barnsley defence who backed off, a step-over created the space he needed for a shot and he looked to curl the ball delightfully into the far corner with his execution only narrowly missing. A minute later he attempted another shot from the same area, this time he struck it firmly and straight down the throat of Muller.

Barnsley Substitution: Maceo Rigters for Adam Hammill (81mins)

Cardiff had been here far too often this season and knew that just the one goal lead entering the closing minutes wasn't enough to ensure the three points just yet. The City players looked intent on getting that elusive third goal and threw themselves forward in numbers at every opportunity. They looked to have the third from an unlikely source late on when Gavin Rae's thunderous strike beat Heinz Muller but not the crossbar.

In the eighty-ninth minute Cardiff finally scored a third goal for the first time all season. Again direct running from Quincy made it possible, he played in Eddie who in turn laid off to Whittingham on the right who cut inside onto his favoured left foot and curl the ball beautifully inside the far post.

CARDIFF CITY 3 - 1 Barnsley (Peter Whittingham 89mins)

The five minutes of added time turned into a siege on the Barnsley goal with the City players desperate to make it four, especially man of the match Eddie Johnson. Never the less our visitors held firm, thanks in no small part to another diving save from Muller and Cardiff had to settle for three goals and a vital three points.

Full Time: CARDIFF CITY 3 - 0 Barnsley

Cardiff City: Konstantopoulos, Blake, R. Johnson, Gyepes, Kennedy, Parry (Owusu-Abeyie 74mins), Rae, Ledley, Whittingham, Chopra (McCormack 70mins), E. Johnson. Subs not used: Capaldi, Comminges, Scimeca

Goals: Ledley 4mins, Chopra 43mins, Whittingham 89mins.

Barnsley: Muller, Hassel, Foster, Souza (Darren Moore 46mins), Kozluk, Hammill (Rigters 81mins), Colace, Teymourian (s.o. 66mins), Campbell-Ryce, Mifsud, Bogdanovic (Macken 63mins). Subs not used: Steele, Van Homoet.

Goal: Macken 64mins.

Ref: P Miller

Attendance: 15,902