Cardiff Sweep Aside Stoke

Cardiff City needed a win this afternoon against Stoke City and came through with an easy 3-0 win that keeps the Bluebirds in touch with the play off challengers.

And Cardiff had to do it without influential midfielder Jason Koumas who was banned for this game and also the injured Steve Thompson, Stoke were without Sammy Bangoura who has still not turned up after going AWOL.

Cardiff started off pretty strongly with Nsungu, who was making his first start, flashed a shot across the Stoke goal in the early stages.

At the other end, a good move by the visitors ended in new loan signing Josip Skoko heading just wide of the upright. Then a slip by Chris Barker let in Sidibe, but he was far too slow in taking advantage and the defender recovered in time to concede a corner.

The ground exploded in the 18th minute when Cooper picked the ball up down the right hand side and went on a run which resulted in him cutting in and lashing a shot into the top corner of the net giving Simonsen in the Stoke goal no chance.

Twelve minutes later and Cardiff fans were celebrating again. This time it came from a Cooper corner which was flicked on by the clever Cameron Jerome and Cox was there to fire home unmarked for 2-0.

Stoke had a chance of pulling a goal back just before half time when they went on a rare excursion into the Stoke half. They were awarded a free kick which was taken by Sweeney but Sidebe could not keep his header on target and the danger was passed.

Early in the second half Willie Bolland tried a shot at goal that Simonsen managed to get his fingers to and tipped the effort over the bar.

Then Darren Purse thought he had got on the score sheet when the ball fell nicely for him from another corner, his shot beat Simonsen but not the woodwork.

On 68 minutes Cardiff put the game beyond the reach of the visitors, not that it already wasn?t, when Neal Ardley sent in a free kick and Cox glanced a header beyond the keeper and into the corner of the net.

Cardiff then took there foot off the pedal and allowed Stoke to play, but they never looked like scoring and the Bluebirds hung on easily to take another three points off the Potters.