Cardiff striker Fraizer Campbell marked his home debut with two goals as the npower Championship leaders moved 11 points clear at the top with a 2-1 win over Bristol City.
The home side's first-half dominance was rewarded in added time when the January acquisition from Sunderland clipped Tommy Smith's clever through ball past former Bluebird Tom Heaton.
And 12 minutes into the second half the full debutant scored his third for the club, more than he managed in the whole of last season for Sunderland, after a mammoth long throw from Aron Gunnarsson. A bizarre own goal from Ben Nugent reduced the deficit in added time but it was too little too late for the struggling Robins.
Bristol City, backed by 2,200 vocal travelling fans, had a chance in the 18th minute when Steven Davies' clipped cross found Jon Stead and his volley flew over the crossbar.
After Heaton did well to smother Craig Bellamy's low cross the keeper was just a spectator as Bellamy fired in a thumping 30-yard free-kick that clipped the bar.
Heaton then received the congratulations of his team-mates for a fine stop to push away a Campbell drive.
And just when it looked like Sean O'Driscoll's organised Robins would make it to the break level, Campbell struck. Tommy Smith's threaded pass found him inside the box and he made no mistake with a right-footed finish across goal.
David Marshall had been a virtual spectator during the opening 52 minutes but he did have a worried glance over his shoulder when Liam Kelly's ambitious volley from 35 yards dropped onto the roof of his net.
Five minutes later Campbell, who scored just twice in 18 games for the Black Cats last season, grabbed his second, sending Heaton the wrong way after Gunnarsson hurled the ball into his path.
City grabbed a consolation in added time when, under no pressure, Nugent nodded the ball past his own keeper but this is a fixture that seems increasingly unlikely to take place in next season's npower Championship.