Cardiff see off luckless Derby

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Earnshaw scored a controversial goal

Cardiff defeated Derby 4-1 through a combination of luck, fortunate refereeing decisions and quality play to continue their solid start to life in Division One.

The home team's third and fourth goals both came courtesy of controversial refereeing decisions that incensed Derby, who were still in the game at 2-1.

Alan Lee had opened the scoring with a cross that looped over Derby goalkeeper Lee Grant and brought back memories of David Seaman.

Graham Kavanagh then scored a penalty before Candido Costa was red carded for an ungainly hack at Richard Langley.

But Derby pulled one back through Mathias Svensson and grew in confidence before the Cardiff struck twice more to take the match beyond them.

Cardiff had taken the lead after 30 minutes.

Lee broke down the right-hand side and floated a seemingly innocuous cross into the Derby penalty area that looped over the despairing dive of Rams keeper Grant.

A teasing cross from John Robinson almost led to a second goal for the home team before Junior came close to an equaliser with a snap-shot that was well saved by Neil Alexander.

Derby's hopes of forcing their way back into the match suffered when Robinson was fouled inside the Rams penalty area by Ian Taylor and Bluebirds skipper Graham Kavanagh neatly slipped the ball home.

KEY MOMENTS 30 mins: Lee opens the scoring 38 mins: Kavanagh extends his team's lead from the penalty spot 43 mins: Costa is sent-off 48 mins: Svensson pulls one back 55 mins: Earnshaw extends Derby's lead 70 mins: Collins heads Cardiff's fourth goal

And Derby's rapidly deteriorating afternoon took another downward lurch when Costa was dismissed for violent conduct.

The Portuguese youngster was frustrated by Richard Langley shielding the ball near a corner flag and kicked out at the Jamaican midfielder.

Willie Boland cut through the Derby defence in the earl minutes of the second-half but having done the hard work smashed the ball straight at Grant.

And Boland's failure to extend his team's advantage was soon punished by Svensson, who collected a precise pass from Ian Taylor and slipped the ball past Alexander.

But Derby's hopes of an unlikely comeback were snuffed out soon afterwards.

Lee was returning from an offside position when he latched onto a ball over the top from midfield and squared the ball for Earnshaw to slide into an empty net.

The Derby players were furious at the absence of an offside flag but replays suggested the pass inadvertently came from a Rams player challenging Cardiff's James Collins.

Derby's unfortunate afternoon continued when Collins met a deep corner and headed past Grant.

Taylor appeared to have spectacularly cleared the ball off the line but the goal stood.

Earnshaw and Langley both forced saves before full-time as Cardiff threatened to extend their lead.

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Cardiff: Alexander, Weston, Vidmar, Collins, Barker, Robinson, Kavanagh, Boland, Langley, Earnshaw, Lee. Subs: Prior, Thorne, Bonner, Whalley, Margetson.

Derby: Grant, Jackson, Mills, Johnson, Boertien, Taylor, Huddlestone, Candido Costa, Morris, Svensson, Junior. Subs: Oakes, Caldwell, Valakari, Bolder, McLeod.

Referee: N Barry (N Lincolnshire).