Cardiff 1-2 Northampton

Two goals from Marco Gabbiadini sent Cardiff City crashing to defeat against Northampton Town.

The veteran marksman struck after 10 minutes with a blistering 35-yard drive and then five minutes after the interval he toe-poked home a close-range effort to restore the visitors' lead.

City skipper Graham Kavanagh had brought the sides level after 15 minutes when he headed a loose ball high into the net.

But it was a poor Cardiff performance and their back line never got to grips with the movement of Gabbiadini and his strike partner Jamie Forrester.

It was only when Lennie Lawrence reverted to a 3-5-2 formation late on that City looked capable of clawing a goal back.

Cardiff: Alexander, Weston, Gabbidon, Barker, Croft, Legg, Kavanagh, Whalley, Thorne, Fortune-West, Campbell. Subs: Earnshaw, Prior, Maxwell, Hamilton, Margetson.

Northampton: Harper, Marsh, Sampson, Burgess, Spedding, Harsley, Trollope, Hargreaves, Gill, Gabbiadini, Forrester. Subs: Carruthers, Abbey, Lincoln, Asamoah, Morison.

Referee: L Cable (Surrey).