Hull City produced a fine away display to beat Cardiff 3-0 in South Wales on Tuesday night.
The Tigers were set on their way by an early own goal by Kevin McNaughton before James Chester and Aaron Mclean added further goals in the second half.
It was a thoroughly deserved victory for the team and fine reward for the hardy band of 160-or-so travelling Tigers fans who had made the long trip.
City's starting eleven showed two changes from the weekend as Josh King and Mclean came in for Robbie Brady and Matty Fryatt. Brady missed out with his thigh problem while Fryatt dropped to the bench.
City made a bright enough start with King and Liam Rosenior causing Cardiff problems down the right and it was those two who combined to create the first chance of the night as King's shot was deflected just over.
From the resulting corner, the Tigers took a sixth minute lead. Andy Dawson delivered towards the far post where Chester was looking for a header, and the ball came off Cardiff defender McNaughton and ended up in the net for an own goal.
It was a great start, but it was far too early to believe it would be the decisive moment and a warning came City's way when Don Cowie almost converted Kenny Miller's low cross.
Miller had a great chance for the home side when the bounce of a long ball deceived both Jack Hobbs and James Chester, but the striker lobbed horribly high and wide.
At the other end, Mclean had a chance to break away, but his final shot was dragged across goal.
A fine run from King took him the length of the field and his low cross looked set to be tapped home by Mclean until Mark Hudson's vital intervention.
The home crowd were already accusing City of time-wasting as early as the 25th minute and the referee reacted by having a word with captain Jack Hobbs.
Robert Koren's 25-yarder took a deflection to earn City a corner on 34 minutes. Koren took it himself but his delivery was headed away.
The Slovenian tried his luck from distance again a minute later, this time seeing a low drive well held by goalkeeper David Marshall.
An error in the Cardiff back-line almost allowed City a run on goal as King looked for Mclean, but Andrew Taylor came over from left back to cover for his side.
City's lead was almost doubled in the 37th minute when Dawson whipped in a dangerous in-swinging free kick which somehow evaded everybody in the box and drifted agonisingly wide of the far post.
A quick break-away from City saw Mclean and Koren link well before Corry Evans was sent racing down the right, but unfortunately he didn't have the pace to get away from his man and the move ended with a tame shot at Marshall.
City then had a lucky escape. Peter Whittingham's corner was headed home at the far post by Ben Turner and all assumed Cardiff were level.....apart from the assistant referee who flagged for some shirt pulling that the referee had failed to see.
The action was soon back at the other end where Dawson picked out King with a lovely cross. The Manchester United loanee showed some fine control before volleying an effort just wide.
Half Time: Tigers 1-0 Cardiff
The Tigers made the best possible start to the second half as they doubled their lead two minutes in. Chester broke up a Cardiff attack midway inside his own half and played the ball to Koren, who advanced down centre-field. He fed King on the edge of the box who flicked the ball nicely into the path of Chester, who had kept on running to support the attack he started, and the centre back beat Marshall to the ball to poke home into the net.
Whittingham responded for the home side with a curling shot, but it was never troubling Vito Mannone.
Mclean then defended a vicious Whittingham set-piece delivery at the near post and from the next corner, Mannone flicked the ball away to keep it out of his net.
Cardiff were looking to mount a comeback and hit the bar on 53 minutes with Mannone out of position and Hobbs and Chester struggling to recover.
City withstood the pressure, though, and made it 3-0 in the 55th minute. Mclean somehow beat the offside trap to race through and although his first shot was blocked by Marshall, he maintained his composure to volley home the rebound.
Cardiff hit the woodwork for a second time on the hour when Miller's shot struck the inside of the post before rolling along the goal line and away to safety.
City were inches away from a fourth when first Stewart and then Koren were denied by Marshall in the 65th minute.
Nick Barmby made his first change on 67 minutes as Joe Dudgeon replaced Stewart.
Another flowing move from City involving Dawson, Dudgeon and King ended with Koren firing just wide from the edge of the box.
The home side introduced Robert Earnshaw with 17 minutes remaining to try and liven up their attack, a move the Cardiff fans had been calling for since the start of the second half.
King almost got the goal his performance deserved in the 74th minute, but he took too many touches and was eventually blocked by Marshall.
A fine challenge from Turner blocked Mclean's attempt on goal moments later with City completely dominating.
Cardiff were still lucking for a goal, though, and Mannone was sharp to keep out Earnshaw's low effort.
Liam Rosenior picked up the first yellow card of the night for a trip on Earnshaw before City's second change saw Fryatt introduced in place of King.
All that was left was for City to preserve their clean sheet and they did that in some comfort in the closing stages.
Tigers: Vito Mannone, Liam Rosenior, James Chester, Jack Hobbs, Andy Dawson, Paul McKenna, Corry Evans, Josh King (Fryatt 87), Robert Koren, Cameron Stewart (Dudgeon 67), Aaron Mclean.
Subs: Peter Gulacsi, Joe Dudgeon, Tom Cairney, Mark Cullen, Matty Fryatt.
Cardiff: David Marshall, Kevin McNaughton, Andrew Taylor, Mark Hudson, Peter Whittingham, Don Cowie (Conway 67), Kenny Miller (Earnshaw 73), Liam Lawrence, Aron Gunnarsson, Joe Mason, Ben Turner.
Subs: Tom Heaton, Filip Kiss, Robert Earnshaw, Craig Conway, Darcy Blake.
Referee: Mr G. Scott.
Attendance: 20,366.
