Cardiff 3-0 Crewe

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Cardiff strikers Peter Thorne and Rob Earnshaw celebrate

Peter Thorne scored twice as Cardiff cruised to a comfortable victory against Crewe at Ninian Park on Saturday.

Thorne, doubtful for the game with a neck strain, took advantage of some indecision in the visitors' penalty area to scramble in the opener just before half-time.

Then fellow striker Robert Earnshaw netted his 14th goal in 10 games shortly after half-time.

Thorne wrapped up the points for the Bluebirds in the closing stages with his fourth of the campaign.

In-form Earnshaw almost opened the scoring for the home side after just 56 seconds, but blazed over from close range.

Home goalkeeper Neil Alexander, who returned in place of Martyn Margetson, was called into action in the fourth minute, tipping Dean Ashton's piledriver around the post.

Cardiff were enjoying the better of the early stages, skipper Graham Kavanagh letting fly with a stinging 25-yard drive which Clayton Ince did well to claw away in the Crewe goal.

Tony Vidmar forced another fine save from the Trinidad &Tobago stopper seconds later, with a powerful header at the near post from a Kavanagh corner.

Neat flick

Crewe spurned several good chances to take the lead, as top scorer Ashton headed over from six yards, then headed tamely at Alexander from David Vaughan's inswinging corner.

The Railwaymen were made to pay on 44 minutes as Kavanagh's cross eluded two defenders and allowed Thorne to steal in and score.

Crewe lost defender David Wright to injury at the start of the second half and lost a second goal in the 52nd minute.

Willie Boland's neat flick played in prolific striker Earnshaw and the Wales star coolly slotted the ball past Ince for his ninth goal in just five games.

Ince denied Earnshaw his second goal of the afternoon three minutes later, saving point-blank from six yards.

Crewe battled to get back into the game, but it was the Bluebirds who completed the scoring after 85 minutes.

Thorne chested down Boland's pass and lashed the ball past Ince to seal City's first win in four games in fine style.

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Cardiff: Alexander, Weston, Vidmar, Gabbidon, Barker, Kavanagh, Langley, Bonner, Boland, Earnshaw, Thorne. Subs: Campbell, Croft, Prior, Collins, Margetson.

Crewe: Ince, Wright, Walker, Foster, Vaughan, Lunt, Brammer, Tonkin, Cochrane, Ashton, Edwards. Subs: Bell, Sorvel, Bankole, McCready, Varney.

Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).