Sat Feb 20, 2016 2:50 pm
Wales Online
Cardiff City cruised to a stunning win over high-flying Brighton in a wet and windy Welsh capital.
The game was effectively over by half-time as Peter Whittingham, Anthony Pilkington and Lex Immers put the rampant home side on the way to victory.
When Dale Stephens nodded home one for the visitors early in the second-half it proved to be a false dawn as Whittingham lashed home a penalty to ensure Russell Slade and his men see their play-off hopes put back on track.
As far as dream first-halves go, this was right up there for the home side. Early pressure from the visitors proved a false dawn. As on 12 minutes, Whittingham forced a save from David Stockdale from a free-kick and then, four minutes later the Bluebirds’ stalwart was on the score-sheet. Matthew Connolly’s lovely pass slipped the Brighton defence and after a nice touch Whittingham guided it home.
Barely two minutes later Pilkington fired home to double the lead with Stockdale getting a hand on it, but not enough to keep it out.
And on the half hour Slade’s men were in dream land as Immers got his second in two starts when the ball broke in the box for him and he lashed it in the corner.
In the second period you thought Cardiff had ridden the inevitable early pressure from their desperate hosts, Immers went close again, but on 55 minutes, Stephens nodded home a good cross from Jiri Skalak.
Although Cardiff had a great shout for a penalty not long after hen Lewis Dunk appeared to drag Bruno Manga down in the box. But on 64 minutes they did have a spot-kick as Connor Goldson clipped Pilkington in the box and there was that man Whittingham to lash home from 12-yards.
That proved enough to kill off Brighton’s spirit as the home side eased to the final whistle and the three points.