Cardiff continued their trend of a Cup win to follow a league loss on Tuesday night, though their 1-0 victory over an industrious Leyton Orient was far more impressive than we had seen against Brighton in round one two weeks prior.

Amazing saves and the woodwork continued to keep the Bluebirds from capitalising until the eighty ninth minute - the O's until that point earning plenty of points in the defence department to take back with pride to League One this weekend.

The break came just as additional time was being announced, with Peter Whittingham smashing a mid range shot low into the net to dispel the possibility of extra time - something that will comfort both Cardiff and Orient with the main priority of league football set to return in only four days.

The goal was in fairness just reward after holding sixty five percent of possession and amassing a total of twenty seven shots compared to the O's seven. Again Cardiff were dominant going forward and again found it difficult to break what was beginning to look like a curse had been placed on our opponents goal.

The difference however, as the six thousand inside Ninian Park will verify, is that the attacking runs and quality going forward was a marked improvement on recent performances - that coming from a front line that were making their first run at a partnership together.

The papers will no doubt lead with Fowler and Hasselbaink - though in fairness there were many performances to note on the night. Round three awaits, but we'll trade it all for a run of results in the league starting this Saturday.

Full report to follow . . .

Cardiff: Turnbull, Gunter, Purse (Blake 45), Johnson, Capaldi, Parry, Rae, McPhail, Whittingham, Hasselbaink, Fowler (MacLean 90). Subs Not Used: Oakes, Ledley, Ramsey. Booked: McPhail. Goals: Whittingham 90

Leyton Orient: Nelson, Terry, Thelwell, Mkandawire, Palmer, Daniels, Thornton, Demetriou, Melligan (Chambers 70), Gray, Echanomi (Boyd 61). Subs Not Used: Corden, Morris, Oji. Sent Off: Thornton (69 - second yellow)

Att: 6,150

Ref: Mike Russell (Hertfordshire)