Match ends, Cardiff City 0, Leeds United 2.
CardiffCardiff City0LeedsLeeds United2
Leeds claimed a league double over Cardiff to damage the Bluebirds' hopes of reaching the Championship play-offs.
Leeds withstood heavy Cardiff pressure before taking the lead as Souleymane Doukara scored with a deflected shot.
Despite having Fabio sent off after an hour, the hosts continued to dominate as Lex Immers hit the post and Kenneth Zohore headed against the bar.
But Leeds' Mirco Antenucci struck on the break in added time as the Bluebirds stayed seventh in the table.
Leeds, meanwhile, move up to 15th after securing a first league double over Cardiff since 1984.
The loss is a setback for Cardiff who, buoyed by their first back-to-back wins since September, had started the match with their sights on the play-off places.
But a first defeat in 14 home matches leaves them two points behind the top six.
Peter Whittingham's whipped free-kick and Tom Lawrence's stinging low effort were both saved by Marco Silvestri as the hosts made a confident start.
But it was Leeds who struck first, taking the lead against the run of play.
Antenucci led the visitors' counter attack, scampering clear and squaring the ball to Doukara, whose shot hit Fabio on its way in.
Cardiff continued to press with chances for Immers and Anthony Pilkington, but Silvestri preserved the visitors' lead at the interval.
Leeds could have doubled their lead early in the second half, but Antenucci had a shot blocked on the line by Bruno Ecuele Manga and two others saved by David Marshall in quick succession.
From that point onwards, it was sustained Cardiff pressure once more as Immers had one effort saved while another hit a post.
Their attempts to salvage a point were undermined by Fabio's dismissal for two yellow cards in seven minutes, but still they created chances, with Zohore heading one against the bar and another narrowly over.
Cardiff City boss Russell Slade: "Sometimes the game is cruel. We were knocking on the door all evening and even dominated with 10 men.
"I'm disappointed with the two goals, especially the first which we should have dealt with comfortably had we been more aware.
"But apart from those two lapses in concentration, the attitude was first class. Their goalkeeper was inspired and we didn't have that ruthlessness to score and get the victory we deserved.
"We had a stonewall penalty (for an alleged handball by Giuseppe Bellusci). The player's arms were out and if that's not a penalty then I don't know what the rules are. We gave a performance but didn't get the result."
Leeds united manager Steve Evans: "The players deserve all the credit for that win. We learned some harsh lessons in the defeat to Brighton but I feel we've been in a good place since then.
"Cardiff's goalkeeper [David Marshall] could have been named man of the match in the first half with some fine saves before half-time and had we got that second goal then we would have won comfortably.
"But people will forget those saves because of Silvestri pulled so many out of the bag in the second half.
"It helps when you have two centre-backs playing so well and the defence working together like that, while you have two strikers who just ran all night."
Line-ups
Cardiff
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Marshall
- 3da SilvaBooked at 64mins
- 5Ecuele Manga
- 16ConnollyBooked at 10mins
- 28Malone
- 37LawrenceSubstituted forAmeobiat 76'minutes
- 22O'KeefeSubstituted forZohoreat 82'minutes
- 8Ralls
- 7WhittinghamSubstituted forNooneat 63'minutes
- 27Immers
- 13Pilkington
Substitutes
- 4Morrison
- 11Noone
- 15Dikgacoi
- 21Moore
- 26Zohore
- 38Ameobi
- 39Saadi
Leeds
Formation 4-3-1-2
- 1Silvestri
- 28BerardiBooked at 65mins
- 3Bamba
- 5Bellusci
- 21Taylor
- 26BridcuttBooked at 56minsSubstituted forDiagouragaat 71'minutes
- 8Murphy
- 10MowattBooked at 62minsSubstituted forDallasat 76'minutesBooked at 90mins
- 23L Cook
- 7Antenucci
- 11DoukaraSubstituted forErwinat 86'minutes
Substitutes
- 4Wootton
- 15Dallas
- 16Diagouraga
- 18Carayol
- 19Erwin
- 20Botaka
- 45Peacock-Farrell
- Referee:
- Darren Deadman
- Attendance:
- 15,273
Match Stats
Home TeamCardiffAway TeamLeeds
- Possession
- Home55%
- Away45%
- Shots
- Home25
- Away10
- Shots on Target
- Home10
- Away5
- Corners
- Home13
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away9
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Cardiff City 0, Leeds United 2.
Post update
Offside, Cardiff City. Joe Ralls tries a through ball, but Anthony Pilkington is caught offside.
Goal!
Goal! Cardiff City 0, Leeds United 2. Mirco Antenucci (Leeds United) right footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Stuart Dallas.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Craig Noone (Cardiff City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Booking
Stuart Dallas (Leeds United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Craig Noone (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Stuart Dallas (Leeds United).
Post update
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Marco Silvestri.
Post update
Attempt saved. Kenneth Zohore (Cardiff City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Craig Noone with a cross.
Post update
Kenneth Zohore (Cardiff City) hits the bar with a left footed shot from very close range. Assisted by Craig Noone with a cross.
Post update
Craig Noone (Cardiff City) hits the right post with a left footed shot from outside the box from a direct free kick.
Post update
Craig Noone (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Toumani Diagouraga (Leeds United).
Substitution
Substitution, Leeds United. Lee Erwin replaces Souleymane Doukara.
Post update
Attempt missed. Scott Malone (Cardiff City) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left following a corner.
Post update
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Charlie Taylor.
Post update
Attempt missed. Kenneth Zohore (Cardiff City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Joe Ralls with a cross following a corner.
Substitution
Substitution, Cardiff City. Kenneth Zohore replaces Stuart O'Keefe.
Post update
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Sol Bamba.
