Report: Ashley James

Snapshot: A rampant Cardiff City knocked rivals Bristol for six on a wild night at Ashton Gate when everything that the Bluebirds touched turned to goals.

Bizarrely it was the clubs' third meeting in three consecutive Tuesday evenings and this time around The Bluebirds absolutely outclassed their cross-Severn neighbours in the most emphatic of ways. Peter Whittingham opened the scoring in the nineteenth minute when he opportunistically collected a loose ball in the box to side-foot home his eighteenth of the campaign.

Ross McCormack and Michael Chopra battered down the flood-gates with two goals in two minutes soon after - McCormack also pouncing on a loose ball to convert, while Chopra finished from the right edge of the area with the sweetest of strikes, low across Dean Gerken.

The Robins, and in particular Liam Fontaine's blushes were worsened still in the final minute of the half when he turned a Chopra cross into his own net to heap further misery on the rapidly departing home fans.

Cardiff continued their free-scoring ways just a minute after the restart when Chopra raced clear to add his second of the match with a calm finish. The scoring and humiliation was complete just before the hour when McCormack drilled in a shot at the near post for his second in as many games.

The rest of the match was nothing more than a formality, but Cardiff professionally saw out their task of keeping a clean sheet to round off a fantastic, memorable win - one that might very well live long in the minds of the Bluebirds faithful.

Chronological Report: The match opened in interesting fashion as Ross McCormack was cut down in midfield by Bradley Orr with his first touch of the match. Then Jay Bothroyd got pulses racing by seemingly springing the offside trap twice inside the opening five minutes, only to be denied, correctly so by the assistant on the far side on both occasions.

It was the home side that actually looked the more dangerous in the opening period, and looked more likely to open the scoring in a game that had goal-fest written all over it. The first half-chance fell to Cole Skuse on the edge of the Cardiff box, though he could only connect with a daisy-cutter straight at David Marshall after being set up by Robins newbie Patrick Agyemang.

In fact the home side were dominating the opening quarter of an hour; Jamal Campbell-Ryce in particular looking exceedingly dangerous on his debut. Cardiff couldn't have felt too aggrieved had the Robins opened the scoring in that time either - Nicky Maynard came closest with a great shot from 30 yards which looked like beating Marshall, hurling himself across to his left. Thankfully the ball flew wide of the mark.

Despite the lively start by the home side it was Cardiff who took the lead very much against the run of play. With nineteen minutes on the clock Michael Chopra raced onto a ball over the top knowing he was destined for a collision with goalkeeper Dean Gerken and one of his defenders. Chopra was the first to arrive however and he managed to poke the ball left to Peter Whittingham who calmly side-footed the ball home into the unoccupied net. It was an extremely well taken goal by Whittingham who took his tally to eighteen for the season.

GOAL: Bristol City 0 - 1 CARDIFF CITY (Peter Whittingham 19mins)

Far from feeling sorry for themselves though, the ever dangerous Campbell-Ryce very nearly pegged City back immediately. He managed to surge deep into the left of the Cardiff box and struck a thunderous shot across goal which skipped past the far post.

With virtually their next attack Cardiff doubled their already unlikely lead. Again it occurred courtesy of a ball over the top of a static, flat-footed Robins defence. This time however it was Gavin Rae who sprung the offside trap and cantered to the edge of the area. There he scuffed a horrible shot goalward that instead fell into the path of Ross McCormack who poked the ball home past an indecisive Gerken.

GOAL: Bristol City 0 - 2 CARDIFF CITY (Ross McCormack 23mins)

Unbelievably, just a minute later Cardiff found themselves three goals up, this time through a sensational Chopra strike. Another ball over the top picked put Chops on the right corner of the box and he took the strike on early and fired an arrow across Gerken and into the far bottom corner of the net.

That goal drew some amazing scenes at Ashton Gate as the Cardiff fans exploded with dumbfounded ecstasy at Chopra's first league goal in fifteen league games, since he bagged four against Derby at home back in September.

GOAL: Bristol City 0 - 3 CARDIFF CITY (Michael Chopra 24mins)

Thankfully for all the journalists tired fingers, the matched entered into in a quiet hush which allowed everyone in attendance to regain their breath. The next moment of excitement came courtesy of Bristol's Campbell-Ryce, again he got down the left well and picked out Nicky Maynard with a square ball, which for a moment saw the striker in space inside the area. Unfortunately for him he took his eyes off the ball and completely miss-hit his effort.

The game was being played at break-neck speed and within seconds Cardiff had a chance to further stretch their lead. Jay Bothroyd got free down the left hand side and looked to pick out Chopra with a low arching cross towards the back post, though unfortunately McAllister read the play well and cut out the danger.

Cardiff were now rampant in possession, pouring forward with sinister intent at every opportunity. With thirty-five minutes on the clock Whittingham demonstrated the level of his personal confidence with a rasping drive from twenty-five yards that flew narrowly past the right hand post of Gerken. The 'keeper was only able to swivel his head and follow the path of the ball as it fizzed past him.

One month ago to the day Cardiff had thrown away a four goal half-time lead down in Peterborough, and in the forty-third minute they quite unbelievably grabbed their second four goal first-half lead of the season. Chopra's determination to pen Bristol in deep into their own territory won him possession near the corner flag and from there fired the ball across goal.

Searching out Bothroyd, he instead found Liam Fontaine who awkwardly turned the ball past his own 'keeper into the far corner. Interestingly that proved to be the third own goal scored by Bristol City in this seasons four meetings with the Bluebirds - Jamie McCombe and Bradley Orr the other luminaries.

GOAL: Bristol City 0 - 4 CARDIFF CITY (Liam Fontaine O.G 43mins)

HALF TIME: Bristol City 0 - 4 CARDIFF CITY

Bristol City Substitution: Lewin Nyatanga for Jamie McAllister (46mins)

Cardiff's dream night on the patch of their near neighbours continued after just one minute of the second half. Chopra was slipped in behind the continually bemused and bewildered Robins defence, and with the utmost confidence slid the ball past a beleaguered Gerken for the fifth of an amazing night.

GOAL: Bristol City 0 - 5 CARDIFF CITY (Michael Chopra 47mins)

Bristol City Substitution: Marvin Elliott for Danny Haynes (48mins)

The confidence was well and truly flowing through the veins of the Cardiff front-line who were breaking with precision and swagger, always likely to add to their already considerable goal count. Whittingham was the recipient of two chances in as many minutes at the start of the second period; firstly thanks to Bothroyd who held the ball up brilliantly down the left and squared the ball to Whitts who ballooned the ball over.

The second chance came from a wobbly Gerken clearance who presented Whitts the ball near the right touchline, not unlike where Chops scored from two weeks ago. This time though, Whittingham didn't connect cleanly and Fontaine was able to block the ball on the penalty spot.

Finally on fifty-five minutes Gerken broke the astounding fact of each of Cardiff's shots on target, all five of them, having found the back of the net. A mesmerizing Whittingham picked up the ball on the right and danced his way across the edge of the box looking for shooting space. Eventually he found this on the opposite edge of the box to where he started, only for Gerken to save the shot fired in at the near post.

This was only a brief rest-bite for the unfortunate 'keeper though, from the resulting corner McCormack helped himself to his second of the season, and second in two games. The corner was rolled short to him at the edge of the box and he hit a low dipping shot towards the near post which evaded Gerken to make it six, SIX I tell you!

GOAL: Bristol City 0 - 6 CARDIFF CITY (Ross McCormack 57mins)

Cardiff City Substitution: Darcy Blake for Gavin Rae (64mins)

Rather than being offered anything to cheer by their team, the home fans took things into their own hands on the hour mark, greeting a Robins corner with the mother of all ironic cheers. If one player was to be considered immune to the biting criticism of the home support it was the debutant Jamal Campbell-Ryce, who never stopped running, or demonstrating the desire to at least fight until the death - perhaps the one glimmer of light for the shell-shocked home support.

Bristol City Substitution: Evander Sno for Paul Hartley (79mins)

Cardiff City Substitution: Warren Feeney for Jay Bothroyd (80mins)

It might sound like a strange comment to make considering Cardiff were utterly immaculate going forward, but arguably the most pleasing element of the whole night was the way which the side looked hell-bent on keeping a clean sheet, and the determination they showed at times in the second half to achieve that. Nothing summed this up more than the world class save that David Marshall made in the final minute. Nicky Maynard rocketed a free-kick from the edge of the box and Marshall threw himself to the left, and at full stretch tipped the ball away and onto the post. Again, it was World Class.

Cardiff City Substitution: Chris Burke for Peter Whittingham (90+2mins)

Burke's only involvement was to get absolutely smashed by Nyatanga who levelled the Scot with his first touch and earned himself a yellow card to end a remarkable ninety or so minutes at Ashton Gate - one that might yet prove a turning point in Cardiff's promotion seeking season.

FULL TIME: Bristol City 0 - 6 CARDIFF CITY

Bristol City: Gerken, McAllister, Fontaine, Carey (c), Orr, Campbell-Rice, Skuse, Hartley, Haynes, Maynard, Agymang. Subs not used: Collis, Nyatanga, Sno, Elliott, Sproule, Clarkson, Saborio.

Cardiff City: Marshall, Kennedy, Gerrard, Gyepes, Matthews, Whittingham, Ledley (c), Rae, McCormack, Chopra, Bothroyd. Subs not used: Enckelman, Hudson, Capaldi, Blake, Taiwo, Burke, Feeney.

Referee: Mr Andy D'Urso

Attendance: 13,825 (693 Away)