Match Analysis: Cardiff City 0-3 Southampton

Southampton secured their third away win of the season and in the process ended their six-match winless run with a 3-0 win against Cardiff City this afternoon.

The away side took control early on, as Jay Rodriguez scored twice with only 20 minutes on the clock. Rickie Lambert pounced shortly after to give Mauricio Pochettino's side a commanding lead at half time.

Cardiff tried to force their way back into the match in the second half, but were unable to create enough chances to worry their opponents.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at the key moments of the 90 minutes.

Match statistics

Cardiff City: Shots 9 On target 0 Possession 40% Corners 6 Fouls 11

Southampton: Shots 11 On target 6 Possession 60% Corners 3 Fouls 13

Was the result fair?

Peter Whittingham missed a great chance just before Rodriguez opened the scoring, but the first goal gave Southampton the confidence to push on and they didn't look back. They were stronger than their opponents in every department, particularly when it came to creating chances. When Malky Mackay looks back on this match, he'll have no complaints about the result.

Cardiff's performance

Mackay will be pleased with the effort and determination of his players to keep going, even when 3-0 behind. However, their performance was let down by a lack of quality in forward areas. They were also outclassed in the middle of the park by Adam Lallana, who controlled the tempo of Southampton's play. Kevin Theopile Catherine made one or two good blocks and got forward when he could, but the centre-backs will be disappointed with how they defended, particularly for Rickie Lambert's goal.

Southampton's performance

This was a great Boxing Day for Mauricio Pochettino. His side were confident on the ball and attacked with pace and purpose. With the likes of Lallana, Lambert and Rodriguez playing well, Southampton always have a chance, and today their superior quality in front of goal was vital. They took their chances and then defended resolutely in the second half. The only complaint that Pochettino might have is that they didn't score more after the break.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Jay Rodriguez: This was a tough one to call, with Lallana also putting forward a strong case. However, Rodriguez gets it for his two goals. The first was a simple tap-in and the second a cool finish with a volley.

Biggest gaffe

At 0-0, Craig Noone sent in a cross which reached Peter Whittingham. The Cardiff man had just Paulo Gazzaniga to beat, but he scuffed his volley wide. Just two minutes later, Rodriguez had made it 1-0 to the Saints and set them on their way to victory.

Referee performance

Andre Marriner dished out three yellow cards in what was a clean, fair 90 minutes. He received the occasional boo for a decision against the home side, but overall he produced a composed display.

What next?

Cardiff: Cardiff come up against Sunderland at home in what is a crucial match for both.

Southampton: Southampton travel to Everton for an early kickoff on Sunday afternoon.