Peterborough were brought crashing down to earth after their FA Cup joy last weekend as they were beaten 4-0 at relegation rivals Cardiff.
Cardiff came into this crucial relegation clash battle-hardened by their 1-0 win at bottom-of-the-table Barnsley and never looked in danger of losing after hitting the front as early as the fifth minute.
Visiting manager Darren Ferguson admitted pre-match that if Cardiff won and went 12 points clear of his side that they would probably be safe from the dreaded drop.
He was hoping his team could recreate the magic that helped them beat QPR in the FA Cup to earn a dream fifth-round tie against Manchester City next month.
Bluebirds boss Steve Morison made seven changes to the side he sent to Anfield on Sunday for the 3-1 FA Cup defeat by Liverpool and his team got off to a flying start.
Tommy Doyle hit the post with a right-footed shot from the edge of the area in the fourth minute and a minute later Joe Ralls hit the back of the net.
Josh Knight was hustled off the ball wide on the right by Isaak Davies and the speedy forward went into the box and picked out his skipper with an inch-perfect pass to allow him to lash home into the bottom right corner.
If Peterborough were hoping to give their manager an early 50th birthday present then they did not look capable of doing so throughout a first half totally dominated by the home side.
Jordan Hugill hit the post with a header from a delightful free-kick by Doyle and Cardiff threatened from every dead ball situation.
It was only a matter of time before the second goal came and it arrived in the 38th minute from a Ralls corner from the right. The giant Aden Flint had been the target for all the earlier corners and free-kicks swung in by Doyle, but this time the centre-back dropped back from the aerial battle.
Posh goalkeeper Stephen Benda just managed to punch the inswinging corner, but only managed to find Flint on the edge of the box. He chested the ball down before volleying home to double the lead.
The visitors’ best chance of the game came in the shape of a free-kick on the edge of the Cardiff area in the 52nd minute, but Oliver Norburn merely crashed his shot into the wall.
The response from the Bluebirds was almost immediate as they added a third goal to their tally.
Codey Drameh intercepted on halfway and sprinted up the right wing. He saw Hugill running across the box and picked him out with a perfect cross that allowed the on-loan striker to make it two goals in four games since his arrival last month.
Another of last month’s new loan recruits, Uche Ikpeazu, rounded things off with a goal on his home debut as he converted a Rubin Colwill near post cross.
