Yousef Salech's two goals helped Cardiff City overcome Huddersfield Town in an entertaining League One encounter to remain top of the table.
Cardiff started strongly and struck the first blow in the sixth minute with a slick counter-attack which ended with Joel Bagan crossing for Yousef Salech to head in.
Huddersfield equalised early in the second half as a smart corner routine teed up Leo Castledine to smash a first-time effort which took a slight deflection on its way in.
The Bluebirds responded well to that setback and restored their lead when Cian Ashford's fine run and cross from the right allowed Salech to nod in his second.
Substitute Isaak Davies then made sure of victory with a beautifully taken third goal, cutting in from the left and curling in a right-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Joe Taylor came off the bench to score for Huddersfield in the 89th minute but Lee Grant's side could not manage a second leveller and stay eighth in League One, still two points adrift of the play-off places.
Cardiff's fourth successive home win keeps Brian Barry-Murphy's side at the summit, one point ahead of Bradford City in second following the Bantams' win at Plymouth Argyle in the division's only other game on Saturday.
Analysis: Cardiff prevail in clash of League One entertainers
This meeting between two forward-thinking, fluent footballing teams had the potential to be a cracker, and their attacking instincts left spaces which made one another particularly threatening in transition.
The opening goal was a case in point, Cardiff breaking at pace with Omari Kellyman, Chris Willock and overlapping left-back Bagan, whose cross was headed in by Salech.
As freely as the first half flowed at times, Huddersfield's best chance came from a corner as Bojan Radulovic volleyed narrowly wide.
Ashford and Salech missed opportunities to extend Cardiff's lead and, a little more than five minutes into the second half, another Terriers set-piece yielded an equaliser.
Marcus Harness' corner from the right was played across the ground to the edge of the penalty area, where Castledine crashed in a first-time strike with the help of a deflection.
Not only did Huddersfield's equaliser puncture the mood at Cardiff City Stadium but, moments later, Bradford took the lead at Plymouth.
Having been three points clear at the top of League One a few minutes earlier, Cardiff were now second in the table.
That added urgency to their search for a second goal, which they got when the industrious Ashford burst into the box and lofted a cross to the back post, where Salech nodded in from close range to score his ninth league goal of the season – taking him to the top of the League One scoring charts.
Davies' excellent third goal looked to have wrapped up the three points, though Taylor's late second for Huddersfield prompted a few late nerves.
Cardiff defended solidly enough, however, to keep hold of top spot in their quest for an instant return to the Championship.
Cardiff City: Trott, Ng (Kpakio 83’), Fish, Lawlor, Bagan, Wintle, Turnbull (Robertson 59’), Kellyman (J. Colwill 59’), Ashford (Robinson 88’), Willock (Davies 60’), Salech. Subs not used: Turner, Chambers.
Huddersfield Town: Nicholls, Sorensen, Ledson, Low, Wiles, Harness (Kasumu 87’), Roosken, Balker (Wallace 78’), Charles (Taylor 65’), Casteldine (Ashia 65’), Radulovi? (May 78’). Subs not used: Goodman, Roughan.
