Cardiff made 2 changes from the team that drew with Reading mid-week, fit again Bellamy came in for McPhail, with Whittingham slotting into the centre and Kevin McNaughton came in for Adam Matthews. Gabor Gypes also made a return to the squad but could only make the bench, with Darcy Blake keeping his place in the team for the second consecutive game.
Pre-match I felt confident Cardiff would put a difficult week behind them and take the 3 points back to South Wales and knew that - with league leaders QPR playing Nottingham Forest away - there was a fair chance it would be enough to take us back to top spot.
The game itself was preceded with an immaculately observed minute silence in memory of those who have lost their life and suffered injury in war, something that always manages to put the game of football into perspective.
Cardiff got off to the start that justified my pre match confidence and by the 10th minute they had taken a 2 goal lead. The first came in the 2nd minute after Scunny keeper Murphy could only manage to parry a right footed Chopra shot to the feet of Bothroyd, who tapped in from 2 yards to put Cardiff ahead after a flowing move.
Cardiff came close to doubling their lead just seconds later when McNaughton shot just wide from 12 yards after a mazy run, but the travelling Cardiff fans only had a wait few more minutes to celebrate again. It was Chopra's turn to tap in this time, finishing from Bothroyds cross after a move to surpass the quality of the build up to the first goal.
It was the perfect start, spoiled only by the sight of Chris Burke hobbling off with the injured winger being replaced by Jason Koumas. As well as Koumas had done the previous Wednesday at Reading he doesn't offer the same natural width as Burke and Cardiff's shape was slightly affected by this forced change.
Cardiff continued to dominate for much of the first half and although Scunthorpe had their chances through some slack Cardiff defending it was they who increased their lead 11 minutes before the break when Bothroyd scored his 2nd of the day and 15th of the season with a glanced header from a Bellamy free kick.
Cardiff were cruising and the game looked as good as over and in all honestly probably would have been had Kevin McDonald not given Scunthorpe a glimmer of hope on the stroke of half time with a well placed volley on the edge of the area. Although conceding that goal was disappointing, Cardiff fans still had a lot to be happy with going into the break, however Scunthorpe thoroughly deserved that goal and in reality should have scored 10 minutes earlier when Sears somehow put wide from 8 yards with just Heaton to beat.
Had Scunthorpe not got one back when they did Cardiff - attacking in front of their fans in the second half - would almost certainly have increased their lead. But that goal gave the home side renewed belief and they started the second half looking to put the Bluebirds on the back foot.
With 10 minutes gone of the second half, most of which Cardiff were under pressure, Bothroyd was denied his first ever hat-trick when Irons keeper Murphy made a fantastic close range double save, firstly from the head and then from the left foot of the Cardiff striker.
Scunthorpe, seeing most of the ball and by now winning the battle in the centre of the park, piled the pressure on and in the 73rd minute were rewarded when N'Guessan headed home a Forte cross. It wasn't as if the goal wasn't coming and I'm sure I wasn't the only one who was thinking back to Peterborough last season. Could this happen again? Probably.
It seemed inevitable that Scunthorpe would get an equaliser, however Cardiff seem to be made of sterner stuff this season and proved this with a decisive, albeit lucky,goal with 12 minutes remaining when Olofinjana deflected in a long distance Koumas strike for his 3rd of the season.
This 4th goal seemed to knock the wind out of the home side, they had done brilliantly to get within one of goal of their visitors and to see the deficit go back to 2 in such fashion must've knocked the stuffing out of them. Cardiff held on to take all 3 points and with it re-gained top spot in the league as QPR could, yet again, only manage a draw. It was a long but happy journey home for the 700 plus travelling Cardiff fans, 4 goals, 3 points and what more a call-up to the England squad for their star striker Bothroyd. Worth the trip? definitely.
Result - Scunthorpe United 2 Cardiff City 4
Scorers - City: Bothroyd (2,34), Chopra (9), Olofinjana (79), Scunthorpe: McDonald (45) N'Guessan (73)
Attendance - 5,333
My man of the match: Heaton! Had Bothroyd got that hat-trick then I probably would've given it to him, but Heaton was superb for the second consecutive game, had he not been on top form then Cardiff may not have come away with the 3 points.
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