by Robert Jones
CARDIFF City returned to winning ways with a 4-2 win over Birmingham City at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Birmingham took the lead with under three minutes played after a free kick was headed into the six-yard box and turned in by Kristian Pedersen.
The Blues nearly made it two when Dan Crowley’s low driven ball across goal was met by Jude Bellingham who squandered a golden opportunity from close range.
Cardiff struggled to cope with the visitors’ attacking threat, in particular down the right hand side as Crowley hit the City post with a first-time shot that rebounded off Etheridge for a corner kick.
Top goal scorer for the Blues, Lucas Jutkiewicz, was next to come close on his 400th league appearance, with a left-footed effort that was tipped over by the City keeper.
Cardiff finally registered their first shot on goal after 25 minutes when Nathaniel Mendez-Laing delivered a cross that Danny Ward could only put wide from five yards out.
Four minutes later and referee Andy Madley made a huge call when he awarded the home team a penalty after a suspect foul on Curtis Nelson that Joe Ralls calmly converted.
Cardiff then took the lead when Aden Flint’s close range header was well saved by Lee Camp but fell to Nelson who smashed home the rebound on his first senior team appearance.
With five minutes remaining in the first half, the Bluebirds came close to a third when Junior Hoilett’s shot was pushed over the bar by Camp.
The home team started the second half as they ended the first with Nelson heading home from a Leandro Bacuna corner but the goal was ruled out for a foul in the lead up.
Cardiff were in complete control but a poor challenge from Ward after 52 minutes on Kerim Mrabti gave referee Madley no choice but to send the City striker off.
Being a man down had no affect on City who were still pressing hard for a third when Hoilett collected the ball and tried his luck from distance again, but this time the shot sailed just over the Birmingham goal.
With an hour gone, Birmingham had their first chance of the second half when Mrabti’s close range volley was pushed wide by the out-stretched Etheridge.
Just as Birmingham were asserting themselves on the game, Cardiff made it three when Ralls got his second through brilliant work down the left-hand side by Mendez-Laing before curling his shot into the far corner.
With time running out the Blues pulled a goal back in the 88th minute through Ivan Sunjic but they too would finish the game with only ten men after Harlee Dean was sent off for the visitors after tempers flared between both sides.
In the game’s final passage of play Cardiff were awarded a second penalty after Callum Paterson was brought down in the box, which resulted in Ralls getting his hat-trick.
Cardiff City: 1 Neil Etheridge (GK), 2 Lee Peltier, 3 Joe Bennett, 5 Aden Flint, 7 Leandro Bacuna, 8 Joe Ralls, 15 Marlon Pack (C), 16 Curtis Nelson, 19 Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, 23 Danny Ward, 33 Junior Hoilett
Cardiff City Subs: 12 Alex Smithies (GK), 6 Will Vaulks, 11 Josh Murphy, 13 Callum Paterson, 17 Lee Tomlin, 22 Sol Bamba, 27 Omar Bogle
Birmingham City: 1 Lee Camp, 3 Kristian Pederson, 4 Marc Roberts, 5 Maxime Colin, 7 Dan Crowley, 10 Lucas Jutkiewicz, 12 Harlee Dean (C), 17 Fran Villalba, 18 Kerim Mrabti, 22 Jude Bellingham, 34 Ivn Sunjic
Birmingham City Subs: 27 Connel Trueman, 2 Wes Harding, 14 Jake Clarke-Salter, 19 Jacques Maghoma, 24 Alvaro Gimenez, 26 David Davis, 37 Odin Bailey
