This was a decisive defeat for a Bluebirds line-up that was disrupted by injuries early in the game to both Riccy Scimeca and Steve MacLean. But if City had taken their chances, it would have been much closer against a strong Bristol City side.

The loss of Scimeca, who started at the back after twelve minutes meant that the Bluebirds had a young back-four over most of the game, with Paul Gallagher coming on to play at right-back and Dean Hudson switching to the centre of defence.

Not long afterwards, Steve MacLean had to go off through injury, with Matt Green switching from his wide-right role to a central-attacking position; Rhys Kelleher coming on to play on the right.

The Bluebirds could well have been ahead midway through the first half when Matt Green saw his close-range first-time effort saved by Chris Weale. Moments later Bristol City took the lead through Darren Byfield from a low cross by full-back Martin Slocombe.

Byfield nearly had a second when his header was just wide, but he made sure inside the final quarter of an hour if the first half when a Kevin Betsy corner was headed down by defender Jamie McCombe for Byfield to get a touch.

There were chances for both sides in the opening twenty minutes of the second half including Peter Whittingham's effort going just wide followed a few minutes later by a fierce effort from defender Ashley Buswell whose 25-yard effort hit the woodwork.

The Bluebirds were back in the game with thirteen minutes left when Kelleher's cross from the right deceived Bristol City 'keeper Weale and rebounded from the post over the line.

But a few minutes later, Phil Jevons rose high to head in a Kevin Betsy corner to make 3-1 to the visitors. Whittingham and Green both went very near inside the last fifteen minutes, but then Bristol City substitute Ashley Kington scored with a fierce drive from a cross by Betsy; and it was Betsy who set up a goal for substitute Marlon Jackson with the last kick of the game to give Bristol City a 5-1 win.

TEAMS: Cardiff City - Oakes, Hudson, Bloom, Carlile, Scimecca (sub.Gallagher), Buswell, Green, Whittingham, Fowler, MacLean (sub.Kelleher)(sub.Upcott), Cooper. Subs not used - Magennis, Mason, Kaeed, Wade, Webbe, Wheatle

Bristol City - Weale, Walker, Slocombe, Wilson 9sub.Wilkinson), McCombe, Betsy, Noble (sub.Kington), Byfield (sub.Jackson), Jevons, Casali (sub.Plummer). Sub not used - Bouaza