Snapshot: Cardiff come out on top of an extremely hard-fought and feisty local derby which swung one way and then the next before eventually being settled by Peter Whittingham's late winner at the second attempt after Adriano Basso had saved his initial penalty.

Team News: Cardiff were forced into one change with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink suspended so Steve Thompson, who was sent off in the reverse fixture back in December starting up top with Paul Parry. As a second change from the team that started against Colchester a week ago a fit again Stephen McPhail was preferred to Aaron Ramsey in the centre of midfield and retained the captain's armband in the process.

Chronological Report: It was the home side that crafted the first half decent chance; Tony Capaldi played the ball into feet of Steve Thompson at the edge of the Bristol area, when he looked to turn and shoot quickly his effort was blocked out for a corner by Louis Carey who also took a large piece of Thompson in the process. Loovens met the resulting corner full on the volley however under pressure from Marvin Elliott he not only cleared the cross-bar but the roof of the Canton Stand also. Minutes later Peter Whittingham swung in a testing ball from the right that Thompson got up well to in the box but so did Tamas Vasko in challenge and Adriano Basso reacted well to rush out and grab the second ball. Another Whittingham cross nearly paid dividends on sixteen minutes when his free-kick from wide on the left looked to be drifted harmlessly safe only for Roger Johnson to meet it at the back post however his attempted header back across goal instead ended up nestled in the side-netting.

Bristol had arguably enjoyed the better of the early possession but were still yet to really stretch or test the Cardiff defence, that changed on seventeen minutes however and the visitors were mere inches away from taking the lead. Basso's goal kick held up wickedly in the swirling wind causing mass confusion at the back for the Bluebirds which allowed Dele Adebola to eventually take control of the loose ball on the left of the area, he drove a dangerous ball across goal where Michael McIndoe at full stretch failed to connect just six-yards out centre of goal. Cardiff responded immediately and could and perhaps should have been one-up themselves; Gavin Rae drove through the heart of the Bristol midfield and played a lovely ball in behind for Thompson to race on to and poke a first-time left footed attempt goal-ward that Basso dealt with uncomfortably allowing the ball to squirm away from him and head for the line only for Jamie McAllister to get back and hook the ball clear.

A flurry of excitement around the 20 minute mark as tackles began flying in from everywhere and there are bizarre refereeing decisions or lack thereof galore from both referee and linesmen and all of a sudden we have ourselves a heated local derby.

Half-chance apiece around the half-hour mark as firstly some neat hold-up play at the edge of the Bristol area allowed McPhil to dink a great ball out to Ledley on the left who drilled a firm half-volley across goal that Carey read well to head clear. Then Lee Trundle who had been heckled throughout by the Cardiff faithful over his dubious footballing past found himself in space on the left; he looked to drill a ball across goal but Enckelman did well to get down to the ball and make a tricky save look anything but.

Further evidence of the problems the wind was causing on thirty-one minutes as Bradley Orr swung over a ball from the right towards Adebola, he and Johnson nullified each other in the air and the ball floated past the two and skipped off the turf and onto the back post with Peter Enckelman looking the most relieved man inside Ninian Park. Again Cardiff fired back right away as Whittingham broke up-field and played a neat inside ball to Paul Parry whose heavy first touch unfortunately took the ball away from him and allowed a block from Vasko to come flying in as Parry looked to pull the trigger.

We really do have a derby on our hands now - a contested drop-ball deep in Bristol territory, nothing came of it but it was a welcome rare sight all the same.

A minute before half-time is never a good time to concede, conversely it's a damn good time to open the scoring and that's exactly what Roger Johnson did for Cardiff delivering the breakthrough with a timely headed goal. Ledley was fouled on the turn by Ivan Sproule wide on the left-hand touchline and from the free-kick Whittingham swung over another deep ball that seemed to hang in the air, Basso came out but got nowhere near the ball which allowed Johnson to rise at the back-post and power a thunderous header home into the back of the net. The noisy travelling Bristolians fell suddenly silent while the rest of Ninian Park exploded into raucous delight.

Cardiff City 1 - 0 Bristol City (Roger Johnson 44mins)

Half-Time: Cardiff City 1 - 0 Bristol City

Bristol Substitution: Liam Fontaine for Tamas Vasko (Half-Time)

After a decidedly even first-half Cardiff were the sharpest out of the blocks in the second period and had a slew of chances to stretch the lead early doors. Firstly with the ball bobbling around the edge of the Bristol area it eventually fell to Ledley on the left but it just wouldn't sit down for him and he struck a half-volley just over the bar. Then a quick breakaway off a Robin's corner led to a 3 on 1 chance for Cardiff with Rae driving forward, he laid the ball off to Whittingham who in turn had Ledley and Rae running off him left and in acres of space but Sproule got his foot to the decisive final pass and the wonderful chance went frustratingly begging. On fifty-five minutes some neat interplay by the Cardiff midfield worked the ball out left to Capaldi who drilled a low cross into the box which clearly struck the hand of Bradley Orr which was obvious to see to most but not the referee.

Cardiff really began getting on top around the hour-mark and the noise from the stands became deafening although to be honest that seemed to be mainly instigated by the referee's performance rather than that of the City players. Then a quick one-two between McPhail and Ledley culminated in a beautiful reverse pass from the Irishman that Ledley somehow managed not only to keep in play but also dig out a cross from the by-line. That allowed Thompson and Basso to become re-acquainted at the near post and the Scot managed to get a foot in and poke and effort just wide mid-collision.

Bristol Substitution: Steve Brooker for Ivan Sproule (69mins)

Peter Whittigham's dead ball delivery continued to cause the visitors problems and a whipped free-kick from the right was missed by the head of both Loovens and Thompson before Parry stuck out a leg at the back stick by the weak effort was easily collected by Basso.

A minute later and Britsol struck a sickening blow with the simplest of equalisers; McAllister floated over a ball from the left and Adebola rose unmarked in the box to nod home with ease from less than 5-yards out.

Cardiff City 1 - 1 Bristol City (Dele Adebola 73mins)

On the 78^th minute a near identical ball over from McIndoe met the head of Brooker in the box who again nodded home with worrying ease only for the linesman to give a surprisingly favourable decision and rule it out for offside.

It seemed to give the Cardiff players a momentous lift and in within minutes momentum and the lead had swung back Cardiff's way. Capaldi found himself wide on the left and shaped to cross only to play a square ball inside to McPhail just inside the box, his beautiful turn got himself away from Elliott who left his foot in and sent the Cardiff captain tumbling. Whittingham stepped up and struck a well hit shot to the keeper's right that Basso saved well but when the ball ball back out Whittigham was the only one to react and smashed the ball home to send the crowd into raptures.

Cardiff City 2 - 1 Bristol City (Whittingham 81mins)

As the riot police moved into position to prevent any possible off the field clashes no-one had thought of directing them towards the dug-out which is where they would have been useful as Bristol manager Gary Johnson was sent to the stands after reacting angrily following a clash with Dave Jones.

Cardiff City Substituation: Aaron Ramsey for Peter Whittingham (82mins)

Ramsey arrived and immediately showed two flashes of brilliance down the right wing, firstly skipping past two defenders on the touch-line and then playing a wonderful reverse pass into the path of Ledley who in turn flicked an equally delightful cross to Thomspon whose glanced header looked destined to secure all three points for Cardiff only for Basso to throw himself to his right and turn the ball round the post magnificently with his fingertips. Ramsey the very nearly made true hero of himself when he picked the ball up in space in the midfield and looked to run right at the Bristol defence and with little other option available to him he blasted a low drive from fully 30-yards that whistled just past the right hand post.

The four minutes injury time was a case of playing the waiting game and, waited and waited and waited we did for the sweet sound of the referee's oft blown whistle to confirm the well deserved and extremely hard fought three points.