Championship leaders Cardiff City travelled to Ewood Park to take on ninth-placed Blackburn Rovers knowing that a win would move them four points clear.
Mark Hudson headed Cardiff into a first-half lead, but Blackburn came out strongly after the break and equalised through Josh King.
However, Cardiff were too strong and managed another three goals through Craig Bellamy, Joe Mason and Kim Bo-Kyung to take a resounding three points.
Read how the action unfolded below, with Sports Mole's live text commentary.
Hello and thanks for joining me tonight. I'm anticipating a well-contested affair from a team top of the league and another that should be right up there. Straight to the team news, then.
Firstly, the Blackburn XI: Robinson; Henley, Dann, Hanley, Martin Olsson; Formica, Etuhu, Lowe, Markus Olsson; King, Rhodes
It's three changes for the hosts. Markus Olsson, Josh King and Dickson Etuhu are into the lineup in place of Morten Gamst Pedersen, Danny Murphy and Colin Kazim-Richards.
David Dunn was expected to feature, perhaps from the bench, but he's not in the 18.
Now the Cardiff XI: Marshall; Taylor, Turner, Hudson, Connolly; Cowie, Whittingham, Conway, Noone; Bellamy, Helguson
Craig Noone returns from suspension to replace Kim Bo-Kyung, but it's still too early for Tommy Smith's comeback. The one other change for Malky Mackay is Don Cowie in for Jordon Mutch.
So a win tonight would - temporarily - put Blackburn into eighth ahead of Brighton & Hove Albion, while three points from Cardiff would put them four points ahead of Palace ahead of the Londoners' game tomorrow afternoon.
Overall, Blackburn have a better record in league meetings between these two sides, with 25 wins and 15 defeats in 60 encounters. The last Cardiff win was in 1980 at Ewood Park.
Blackburn boss Berg is focusing on the result rather than the bragging rights of beating the top of the league side. He told Sky Sports News: "I think the most important thing is performances and results rather than making a statement against the league leaders. If we play to our best level hopefully that will be enough to get the result."
A worrying fact for neutrals hoping for a thrill tonight: fewer goals have been scored at Ewood Park this season than any other Championship ground. Twenty goals - 10 home, 10 away - in 10 games. It's a nice, round stat for those with OCD, but it means two goals only tonight looks likely.
As the teams come out, some thoughts from Malky Mackay: "To get the three points is important for us. A tough game against a team coming from the Premier League with a big squad.
"I’m expecting nothing other than a really tough game. If you think a team on a bad run is an easy game you’ll certainly get bitten in this league."
So, with the low number of goals scored here, Cardiff's strong defence all taken into account... my prediction? 3-1 Blackburn.
Blackburn ready to kick off. The ref is Simon Hooper.
Here we go!
A few free kicks early on in what's been a slightly scrappy half so far. Blackburn pressing Cardiff, who are trying to control the possession.
A long ball from Connolly is well dealt with by Grant Hanley in the Blackburn defence as Cardiff decide to chuck one in long.
Jordan Rhodes is an excellent striker, but Blackburn must look to try to get the ball into his feet rather than his head. His aerial threat is not his strength. Rhodes finds King but Hudson blocks well as he tried to pull the trigger. Half a sniff there for the hosts.
King spins well on the edge of the box to get round two Cardiff players, but Hudson again is there and wins the ball with a good sliding tackle. He's been very solid in the opening eight minutes.
Note to self: Markus Olsson is sans-gloves, while Martin has covered his hands up. That should help figure out which one is which.
At least I think it's that way round! Blackburn now seeing a bit of the ball and it's Cardiff's turn to be piggy in the middle.
In the end Blackburn go long and Hudson - who else? - wins the battle against Rhodes.
Connolly gifts the ball to Rhodes and the striker is nearly clean through! However he cuts back inside and is crowded out - if he'd burst forward then he could have had a sight of goal.
Henley gives the home fans something to shout about with a good, solid tackle on Taylor, before Formica sloppily bundles Conway near the byline on the left for Cardiff.
However Bellamy's cross - whose haircut is circa Ronaldo 2006 - mishits his cross badly.
Yellow card Blackburn!Lots of perseverance early on for Josh King and he gets himself in the book with a late one on Turner. Slightly harsh I think.
Yellow card Cardiff! Hudson finally mistimes a tackle as Formica does him with a nice bit of skill. It'll be a suspension now for the skipper.
Martin Olsson hits the free kick into the wall. It falls to Rhodes but he's crowded out. Small appeals for handball in the wall but correct decision.
Chance for Cardiff! Cardiff break swiftly as Whittingham finds Cowie, who cuts it across to the left. The ball comes in and Noone is under it but Martin Olsson defends superbly from under his own bar!
More solid defending as King tries to turn in the box. The Noone chance was by far and away the best of the game so far.
Taylor finds Noone, who whips in a dangerous ball towards Helguson, but Hanley clears.
Good move from Cardiff. Noone cuts in from the left, finds Conway who gives it back to him. It's really an excellent cross to the open far post, but both Cardiff strikers had drifted too close and it's away to safety.
Helguson so solid in the air. He nods down a long ball from the back, but it falls to Hanley.
Whittingham leaves Hudson with a lot of work to do with an overhit pass. The skipper keeps it in and then wins a thumping tackle to get it back to Marshall.
It's got a little scrappy in the last few minutes. Both sides giving away petty fouls in the middle of the park and both sides seem to be resorting to long balls at the moment.
Yellow card for Blackburn! Lowe thinks he has a free kick but the referee doesn't give it and Bellamy gets the ball. Lowe flies in and gets himself in the book for his troubles.
Goal! Blackburn 0-1 Cardiff! (Hudson)
The free kick comes in and eventually comes out wide to Noone on the right. He cuts inside on his left and swings a delicious ball in to Hudson, who had stayed up, who makes no mistake to nod low past Robinson.
Cardiff have another chance from a free kick, but this time Bellamy overhits and it goes out for a goal-kick.
Conway fires across a good cross - it stayed fairly low but Helguson, normally so good in the air, can't get his head on it.
King goes on a good run but takes it too far in the end and Hudson gets in the tackle. Rhodes was to his right, but there were no other options for the Norwegian.
Chance for Blackburn! Rhodes does well to get something on a ball into the box, and it eventually comes back to him on the turn. He shoots and it goes for a corner, Cardiff again defending well. The corner leads to another...
...Bizarre from Dann as he's running back to meet the corner but can only head it clear for Cardiff!
Blackburn are nervy at the back. Hanley partially clears, Noone gets another chance to cross but it's deemed to have gone behind - it wasn't, and that looked dangerous from the cross.
Etuhu finds Formica, who clips into the box for King. He's far out but decides to take a touch or two instead of heading it, which looked to be the right option.
Noone given offside, but this time he had drifted over to the left. Cardiff look very dangerous with his return.
So close Bellamy! Cardiff break superbly with a Noone pass in behind to Bellamy. The Welshman takes a touch and lashes past Robinson but it cannons back off the bar. What a wonderful goal that would have been.
A series of ball are peppered into the box. Blackburn clear as far as Whittingham, who is encouraged to shoot - he does and it falls to Noone who goes for placement into the bottom corner but puts it wide of Robinson's left-hand post.
There will be two minutes of stoppage time.
Connolly clears to Olsson, who tries a one-two with Formica, but Connolly defends well. More solid defending from the Welsh side.
Blackburn 0-1 Cardiff
The home fans, who love to show their disgust, greet the whistle with a chorus of boos. They have been outplayed and should probably be 2-0 down.
Remind yourself of the first-half action with Jack Prescott's half-time report here.
The chances in truth have been few and far between, although the best have fallen to Cardiff. Rhodes had a glimmer of a chance when Connolly gifted him the ball, but the away defence has been largely impenetrable.
Hudson has been so good that he even got himself up the other end for some extra-curricular activity to nod in the only goal so far. It was from Noone's right-wing cross, who has also been excellent.
The chance from Bellamy really would have been a top goal. They broke in a couple of seconds, Noone clipping round the corner to Bellamy, who took a touch on smashed it against the bar with his left. I didn't think the angle was there to beat Robinson, but it was and the Welshman was hugely unlucky.
The players will be back out in a few minutes and Berg will have had a tough team talk to motivate his Blackburn players. I can't see them getting back in this, but then it is a game of two halves they say...
Half-time substitution for Berg. Colin Kazim-Richards on for Markus Olsson.
Cardiff kick us off for the second half.
Cardiff continuing the pressure after the break, and Olsson gets himself into trouble by his own byline and Cardiff have an attacking throw.
King is brought down by Connolly but no free-kick given. The referee thinks he got the ball but if he did it wasn't much more than a graze.
Hanley sloppily brings down Helguson and Cardiff have a dangerous free-kick 35 yards out.
Whittingham strikes, but it was always going wide.
Rhodes chases a flick from Kazim-Richards and it's put behind for a corner by Turner. Formica crosses and Marshall has to stretch to claw it away and might have hurt himself in the process. The chance eventually ends when King blazes over.
GOAL! Blackburn 1-1 Cardiff (King)
Kazim-Richards uses good strength after a Rhodes flick on. He puts in King who slots through Marshall's legs and Blackburn are right in this!
Chance for Blackburn! Kazim-Richards latches on to a loose ball and fair whacks it goalwards, and but for a deflection that was heading in! Now they have another corner.
That substitution has changed the game. Cardiff were in control and now it's all Kazin-Richards and the visitors are suddenly looking nervous at the back. This will be a test now of Cardiff's title credentials.
GOAL! Blackburn 1-2 Cardiff (Bellamy)
A deep free-kick is half cleared by Etuhu but it comes back into the box. Helguson clips on to Bellamy who uses two touches to steady himself and then drill left footed over Robinson.
All of a sudden Blackburn's passing is wayward, although Olsson does work a corner on the left side.
The Swede takes it himself and it comes back to him but Cardiff break again through Bellamy and then Noone. Conway crosses but Dann clears for a throw.
Kazim-Richards continues to be Blackburn's outlet, but Cardiff have got back on top of this one in terms of possession.
Formica is laid off by Kazim-Richards from 35 yards but he slices it over the bar.
Miss by Formica! Oh my word. Etuhu plays a headed one-two with King and his shot takes a huge deflection and is well saved. It falls to Rhodes who cuts across to Formica and he somehow clips the bar and puts it over!
Chance for Bellamy! Neat passing ends with Taylor crossing to Bellamy who has his back to goal and can only kick into his own arm. Straight up the other end Blackburn get forward and Noone is booked for a foul on King. Good position now...
... Kazim-Richards shoots low. It's on target but easy for Marshall, who handles well.
Noone then brought down himself as Olsson goes in and misses the ball. The Swede is also booked for the foul.
Cynical foul form Helguson as Blackburn break with Kazim-Richards. No option but for the referee to give him the yellow card! Third booking in as many minutes, and all fair.
Kim Bo-Kyung comes on for Noone for the visitors.
Bellamy given offside in a dangerous position, but he looked on to me. Replay confirms it's very tight but you can see why it goes against Bellamy, he was in front of the Blackburn defender playing him on.
Bellamy is caught by Hanley, who brings him down wide on the right completely unnecessarily. Sure enough it's a deserved booking for the Blackburn man.
Blackburn's passing has really gone off the boil now. Lowe has more time than he thinks but goes long and puts the ball out of play.
Fabio Nunes has come on for Formica for the home side, by the way.
Blackburn doing more of the pressing in the past few minutes, but Cardiff's defence has recovered since the five-minute spell after Blackburn's goal and are looking strong.
Rhodes goes down for what looks like a definite free-kick but it doesn't get given. In the end his chance to go down was at the initial Hudson contact but he ended up throwing himself to floor and it was not convincing.
Substitution for Cardiff: Bellamy, who has been excellent, comes off for Joe Mason.
Substitution for Blackburn: Ruben Rochina comes on for Etuhu. An attacking change from Berg.
Rochina's first touch is a lovely spin between two Cardiff players. However he then passes straight to Hudson as if to apologise.
Chance for Blackburn! Blackburn work it well and Rhodes finds King, who spins on the edge of the box and just as he's about to pull the trigger Hudson is in with a last-ditch tackle. Superb from the Cardiff skipper.
GOAL! Blackburn 1-3 Cardiff (Mason)
Route one stuff from Cardiff. Helguson nods on from Marshall and Mason flicks past Hanley with a lovely touch on his head before finishing low past Robinson.
GOAL! Blackburn 1-4 Cardiff (Kim)
The home fans are booing again and they leave in droves. Kim wins the ball and passes to Helguson, who cuts it back to him with the Korean guiding it into the bottom corner with his left foot.
Cardiff want more here, and so do their fans who chant: "We want five". In the end Kim puts it out for a throw.
King wins a late corner as Blackburn keep trying, but the game is fizzling out now with the points more than secure.
Four minutes of time to be added on.
Rhodes given offside when he was about two onside... it's certainly proving not to be Blackburn's night.
Substitution for Cardiff: Late change as Helguson comes off for Rudy Gestede. The Icelandic has been excellent tonight as the outlet for the visitors.
Blackburn 1-4 Cardiff
Well, Cardiff show they are certainly the team to beat in the Championship this season. So many of their players have performed in a resounding and deserved 4-1 win. Blackburn's troubles continue and they're even down to 10th on goal difference!
That's all from me. Thanks for joining Sports Mole for tonight's coverage - be sure to check out our report here. Good night!
Written by
Matt Domm
Matt Domm
