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Goals were spread around with a defender, a midfielder and a couple of strikers scoring - and neither were Chopra or McCormack. Roger Johnson headed City into an interval lead when Derby were arguably the better side but City cruised away afterwards with Rae and Bothroyd scoring around the hour before Eddie Johnson enhanced his cult status by adding a fourth and then a comedy own goal to gave The Rams an injury time consolation.
After playing Swansea City last Sunday, this was Cardiff's second 'Derby' match in 4 days (awful pun, sorry) and with another 2 games to follow in the next 5 days, Dave Jones was keen to shuffle the pack - such a change from the same Dave Jones who used to play the same 11 and make the same subs at the same times every game.
City still believe they can grab automatic promotion by winning all their last game - The Magnificent 7 is now a Super 6 after tonight. It was the third successive home game - and the last ever league match under the famous floodlights. City hoped they would have acted as a launchpad but a solitary point, 5 goals conceded and 2 red cards (one rightly rescinded) from the first two after winning, non-conceding football beforehand meant this was a 'must-win' as The Bluebirds have stumbled recently with 5 points in 5 games and 3 defeats in 8 heading into this encounter.
Their biggest problem this week has been money related - coins and a Purse! After the club being unfairly hammered in the media following the ref incident in the Swansea game, Captain Darren Purse kept them filling copy by telling local press, "nobody has had the decency to even talk to me about my future, "nobody has said a word to me. I think I've deserved more than that … it just leaves a sour taste in your mouth when you're still the club captain and not a word is said." after seeing Mark Kennedy and Riccy Scimeca get new 1 year contract offers while fellow centre-half Gyepes signed a 3 year extension.
So Dave Jones, who completely refutes those allegations, did speak to him … to tell him he was dropped. He didn't even make the 16 - it's not the first time someone has been unable to zip a Purse, my Missus has the same problem when she goes shopping.
He had company as Joe Ledley was rested and not even making the bench but it made sense as he has looked jaded and had the additional burden on World Cup games too giving City what used to be the regular central midfield set up on Rae and McPhail, the latter was skipper. Peter Whittingham started, Paul Parry was put on the bench and joined a called up Chris Burke.
CARDIFF CITY: Taylor; McNaughton-Johnson(Roger)-Gyepes-Kennedy; Whittingham-Rae-McPhail-McCormack; Bothroyd-Chopra. Subs: Heaton-Burke-Comminges-Johnson(Eddie)-Parry.
Derby had been in free-fall after being the Premiership's worst ever team last season and were threatened with League One relegation this time. In their hour of need, they called on a legendary name - Clough - in the form of Daddy's Boy, Nigel. It had the desired impact as The Rams immediately won 4 games on the bounce but they've struggled recently. It's no win in 5 after tonight and 7 points only from their last 8 games but, 6 points clear of the drop zone, they need just a solitary win in their final 6 games to survive and look more than good enough to do that on tonight's evidence although he will be alarmed at how they collpased second half.
They are the best supported Championship side with crowds around 30,000 and 5,000 more turning up since Clough entered the scene but less than 400 made the trip to watch the following side playing the now predictable 4-5-1 formation that visitors increasingly utilise these days.
DERBY COUNTY: Bywater; Connolly-McEveley-Nyatanga-Albrechtsen; Savage- Sterjovski-Teale-Eustace-Bannan; Hulse.
All eyes, and jeers, were on Robbie Savage of course who strutted around without the menace, pace or drive that he once had and, as City sussed him out and closed him down, he became a peripheral figure.
The crowd was excellent - 18,403 - meaning it was a virtual home sell out and on a lovely, mild evening, Ninian Park was suitably atmospheric. These night games have a magic quality about them. After last weekend's events, ref Neil Swarbrick decided tossing a coin on the pitch was a Health and Safety risk so the captain settled for a game of rock, paper, scissors instead … ok, maybe not.
When the action got underway, it was the visitors who opened very strongly with half a dozen shot, two penalty appeals and one Taylor save needed in the opening 15 minutes while Cardiff struggled to get going.
The first attempt came from a Savage free-kick in front of goal, his effort hit the wall, Gyepes scrambled the ball away with leading scorer Hulse going to ground amid desperate penalty appeals which were just that … desperate! Derby were closer not long afterwards as City were guilty of standing off Eustace allowing him to control a cross, turn and acrobatically hook the ball towards goal which Taylor had to dive full stretch to palm away and then another chance as Kennedy hopelessly scuffed a clearance straight at the same player but his shot rang gently to the keeper.
City looked all at sea and almost playing like the away side. The biggest cheer a Cardiff man had was a Canton Stand punter who parker his car across Leckwith Allotments and was asked to move it, half the ground waved him away. Derby were running the show while Cardiff were guilty of not closing down play and not keeping the ball down but in their forays, they showed a quality that Derby did not appear to possess. On 16 minutes, nerves settled and that touch of quality told as City took the lead against the run of play.
Peter Whittingham, who had one of his better games, whipped in a superb cross from 35 yards out and there was ROGER JOHNSON to superbly glance it off his head from 12 yards out perfectly across goal and inside the far opposite Canton Stand corner, his 5th of the season and a cue for celebration and relief at the same time.
A couple of minutes later, a smart move saw Michael Chopra cut inside two and whip a low shot that Bywater spilled but nobody pounced on. Bywater possibly holds a unique distinction of spending time on loan at Cardiff City yet never getting a game. He was also troubled by superb whipped and pacy Ross McCormack touchline free-kicks, one nearly sailing over him.
Chopra has one disallowed as he was just caught offside but the same lino later flagged him offside again when put clear by Rae when he was easily onside.
However the visitors were still causing concern, Hulse stabbing an effort wide after he got around Roger Johnson and plenty of corners and crosses at the end City defended with Cardiff winning a solitary corner at the other end yet no major scares occurred. Cardiff got to the interval hanging on a bit and not playing well at all but, at the same time, the longer the half had progressed, the more they had nullified the visitors.
Half-time: Sheep 1 Rams 0
The main early moments after the restart came from the stands and terraces as City fans got behind the team in a big way, making an excellent noise. Was it me or were Derby were the quietest visiting fans all season?
More and more, City had settled into the game, Savage was not finding time to play and their five man midfield had stopped being influential as Gavin Rae finally got his distribution going (his Rae-dar wasn't working 1st half) while Steve McPhail who had been impressive with his passing and defensive help 1st half was becoming an influence going forward.
Increased McPhail confidence was at the heart of Cardiff's outstanding second goal just past the hour. Firstly, he saw a difficult ball coming down and played it forward, as he advanced, he set GAVIN RAE away with one of the passes of the season - if not the pass - and Rae who usually loses all composure in the box was coolness personified as he rounded Bywater and slotted into an empty net with enough power to beat defenders chasing back. That was quality.
Derby reacted to that setback by introducing two subs but before either had touched the ball, it was incredibly 3-0 as Peter Whittingham whipped in a vicious corner which was narrowly missed by Johnson, then Bywater, deflected by a Derby defender but then lashed home by JAY BOTHROYD for his 11th of the campaign.
Game over, Dave Jones brought on Eddie Johnson (to the standard OTT ovation) and Parry to give McCormack and Bothroyd a rest while City fans were in full party mode.
Having scored 3 for the 3rd time this season, all at home in the past few weeks, Cardiff finally went one better and got 4 for the first time and it was mayhem as EDDE JOHNSON netted it. Closing down play and pouncing on a poor touch, Eddie zoomed past a defender and was bearing down on goal. He appeared to overrun the ball but as Bywater came out, Eddie got there first and stabbed over and past him t get the Grandstand, Bob Bank, Grange End and Canton Stand bouncing.
Derby had thrown in the towel and Cardiff were now prepared to run down the clock while City fans were enjoying singing games - maybe the funniest when Ali announced text lines were open to vote for man of the match and was drowned out by supporters chanting Eddie, Eddie, Eddie who has only just come on.
Cardiff closed the game in full control, Peter Whittingham's normally reliable shooting was a touch wayward and he was taken off for Burke but the finally say went to Derby and … erm … Eddie.
The Rams won a free-kick, Taylor did brilliantly to get down and touch the ball away when he saw Common's low free-kick very late but with a simple clearance, Eddie outrageously sliced the ball behind for a needless corner. That error was compounded as Derby's low free-kick was swung at again by Eddie, this time catching the outside of his boot again and squeezing inside the near post. Some City fans cheered, shouted Eddie, Eddie, Eddie again and a chant of Eddie's on a hat-trick was sung by a few as well. Never has a Cardiff City own goal been so warmly greeted!
Sponsors man of the match went to Steve McPhail and it's a sign of how well he played that he was universally applauded and that included some of his biggest critics as well. Fans man of the match went to Eddie … who else?!?
Next up is a trip to London on Saturday and Crystal Palace away. Who knows, another quick win and we may still have something to really say about an automatic promotion challenge.
Report from FootyMad
Cardiff City ran riot as they secured their biggest win of the season against Derby County at Ninian Park.
Roger Johnson's first-half header was ably supported by strikes from Gavin Rae, Jay Bothroyd and substitute Eddie Johnson after the interval.
But American striker Johnson turned from hero to zero when he sliced Gary Teale's stoppage-time corner into his own net.
The result sees the Bluebirds leap above Burnley into fifth place in the Championship table but the scoreline flattered the hosts after Derby had dominated the opening half.
Johnson set the hosts on their way with a 16th-minute header before quick-fire second-half strikes from Rae and Bothroyd and a fourth from Johnson sealed a convincing victory.
Cardiff boss Dave Jones made three changes following the pulsating south Wales derby draw with Swansea City last Sunday.
Bluebirds skipper Joe Ledley was rested allowing Stephen McPhail to regain the captain's armband with Rae restored to central midfield.
Gabor Gyepes, fresh from signing a three-year contract extension, and Peter Whittingham also started as Darren Purse and Paul Parry made way.
Rams manager Nigel Clough opted to make just two changes with John Eustace and Mile Sterjovski replacing Kris Commons and Stephen Pearson.
The visitors started brightly and, within 90 seconds of the kick-off, had a penalty appeal turned down when Eustace appeared to be hauled down by Gyepes.
Derby continued to dominate the early possession and it was the former Coventry midfielder who came closest to breaking the deadlock in the ninth minute.
The hosts failed to deal with Jay McEveley's cross from the left and Eustace's acrobatic volley forced Stuart Taylor to turn the ball around for a corner.
Clough's men kept pressing for the opening goal and should have been awarded a penalty on 14 minutes when Mark Kennedy handled Eustace's powerful shot from the edge of the box.
But two minutes later, Johnson's glancing header past Stephen Bywater put Cardiff ahead against the run of play.
Whittingham floated a fine free-kick in from the right which allowed centre-back Johnson to rise highest to score his fifth goal of the season.
Michael Chopra stung the hands of Bywater before Derby hit back in the 22nd minute when Sterjovski steered his close-range shot wide.
After an action-packed opening quarter, the pace and intensity dropped as both sides failed to create another clear-cut chance before the interval.
Eustace came closest for Derby after the interval before the hosts doubled their advantage when Rae scored his first goal of the season on 61 minutes after latching onto McPhail's slide-rule pass to round Bywater.
Cardiff had their tails up and they grabbed a third goal just two minutes later when Bothroyd prodded Whittingham's corner home.
Derby were left shell-shocked but their woes continued with just 11 minutes remaining when the hosts added a fourth.
Johnson sealed the victory when he broke clean through before coolly slotting the ball past Bywater from the edge of the area to spark wild celebrations among the home fans.
But Derby added a late consolation in stoppage time when Johnson miscued into his own net from Teale's left-wing corner.
External Reports
Cardiff City Official Website
Derby Official Website
The Times
Wales Online