Mark Hudson earned his first win as interim Cardiff City manager thanks to a late piledriver from Mark Harris and an injury-time penalty save from Ryan Allsop against Blackburn Rovers.
By Glen Williams
It looked for all the money in the world that Cardiff would draw this one, despite being utterly dominant in almost every aspect. The clock ticked towards the allotted 90 minutes and that dreaded lack of cutting edge appeared to be their undoing once again.
But up stepped Harris, who drove a stinging effort into the top corner of Rovers' net, but it wasn't over there. Allsop, as the clock went into injury time, was adjudged to have brought down Dominic Hyam in the Cardiff box. George Hirst, though, saw his spot-kick denied.
The stadium erupted and all three points, deservedly, were City's.
The Bluebirds started the game like a house on fire. It was about as positive a start as you could have wished for.
Callum Robinson enjoyed an early hat-trick of chances, such was City's dominance, but as has typically been the case this season, those chances did not translate into goals.
Robinson's best opportunity early on came when Sheyi Ojo's sliding tackle dispossessed Lewis Travis before the ball trickled into Robinson's path. The forward skinned one defender, but his shot from close range was blocked by Dominic Hyam sprawling back to his own goal line.
Mahlon Romeo was taken off midway through the first half, a move which saw Perry Ng shift to right-back, with many thinking it might quell City's danger on the attack. It didn't.
Cardiff continued to bang on the door, but it wasn't budging. It was Robinson again who had Cardiff's last big opportunity of the first half after Andy Rinomhota was brought down on the edge of the Rovers' box. The striker's curling free-kick was just whipped wide of the mark, though.
As for Rovers, their only big chance of the first half saw Tyrhys Dolan smack one over Ryan Allsop's bar from 35 yards out. It was all looking rosy from a home team's perspective.
However, the visitors had a rocket up them after the break and caught Cardiff cold with a good counter-attack. Dolan, Rovers' most dangerous player, burst down the right wing and skipped past Niels Nkounkou before firing in a low cross. Sammie Szmodics was found near the penalty spot and his effort was straight at Allsop. In truth, he should have put the visitors ahead.
But Cardiff resumed control of the match and kept their foot on Rovers' throat. It was once again that killer instinct which alluded them, though.
Opportunities continued to pass them by, like when Perry Ng hit a laser-like pass to Robinson in the box before the striker swivelled and looked to pull the trigger. However, a goal-saving tackle from Daniel Ayala denied him the opportunity.
It took one moment of utter quality from Harris to break the deadlock in the end. Robinson, who had fired off so many shots all night, turned provider as he lay a lovely ball into Harris' path and the Welshman needed no second invitation. He smashed a sweetly-struck effort rifling into the top corner from 20 yards. The goalkeeper had no hope.
Just as Cardiff thought they had won it, though, Allsop brought down Rovers defender Hyam with just seconds left to play. All the air was sucked out of Cardiff City Stadium at that moment.
But Hirst stepped up, hit a low effort to Allsop's left and the goalkeeper parried clear. Harris smashed it clear of danger and, just like that, Cardiff claimed the win.
What a relief for Cardiff, too, because that really would have felt like two points dropped if they had not won that.
Four points from two games, certainly not to be sniffed at.
Cardiff City XI: Allsop; Romeo (Simpson 23), Ng, Kipre, Nkounkou; Wintle, Rinomhota, Sawyers (Ralls 62); Ojo (Harris 62), Robinson, O'Dowda (Philogene 76).
Subs: Alnwick, Nelson, Whyte.
Blackburn Rovers XI: Kaminski; Brittain, Hyam, Ayala, Travis; Szmodics (Dack 68), Buckley (Morton 57), Pickering; Dolan (Hirst 57), Brereton Diaz (Gallagher 68), Hedges.
Subs: Pears, Wharton, Carter.
Attendance: 16,150
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