Cardiff thrashed Watford 4-0 at Vicarage Road to move into fourth in the Championship.
Cardiff win after Whittingham brace and goals from Matthews and Bothroyd
Cardiff thrashed Watford 4-0 at Vicarage Road to move into fourth in the Championship.
Peter Whittingham put the visitors ahead via the penalty spot on 24 minutes before rookie Adam Matthews scored his first goal for the club four minutes before the interval with an outrageous free-kick.
The 17-year-old, in his first season as a professional, watched in astonishment as his 45-yard drive flew over the floundering Scott Loach and into the Watford net.
Whittingham then added his second of the game on 66 minutes and Jay Bothroyd wrapped up the win with a fourth a minute later.
For Watford, who have conceded seven in their last two games, it was another sapping defeat after their seven-game unbeaten run came to an end against Coventry on Tuesday.
Dave Jones had preferred Stephen McPhail - who starred in the 6-1 defeat of Derby on Tuesday - to the out-of-form Joe Ledley in Cardiff's midfield.
Alongside Ledley on the Cardiff bench was Ross McCormack, who made an unexpected return from a hamstring injury.
Craig Cathcart, Ross Jenkins and Don Cowie had all overcome illness to start the game for Watford.
Superior ability
But Cardiff's superior ability on the ball was quickly established with openings created for Bothroyd and Chris Burke.
And when Burke slipped the ball through to Bothroyd in the 24th minute, there was enough contact from Cathcart to justify the penalty.
With great composure, Whittingham placed the ball wide of Loach and into the bottom-left corner.
Watford's more direct approach still created some problems. Cowie's fierce free-kick had left the crossbar shuddering minutes earlier while Tom Cleverly forced David Marshall into a diving save from another dead-ball situation.
Michael Chopra, who scored four goals during the week, should have doubled Cardiff's lead but his predatory skills evaporated as he somehow sliced the ball wide from six yards out after Bothroyd's cross.
Cardiff's Mark Hudson, an inspiring figure throughout, then hit the post with a header as the visitors pressed hard.
Reward
They got their reward in the 41st minute when Matthews' free-kick from just inside the Watford half appeared innocuous enough but Loach came too far and was left bemused by his misjudgement.
Cardiff continued the assault in the second half and there were more screams for a penalty when Cathcart blocked Chopra's shot on the line with suspicions of handball.
Watford responded by bringing on striker Nathan Ellington, returning from suspension.
But it only got worse for the hosts. Firstly, Whittingham headed in Gavin Rae's cross and then Bothroyd smashed his shot into the top left corner to complete the rout.
