Birmingham City ensured in-form Wolves stay within touching distance following a 2-1 win over Cardiff City.
McFadden and Owusu-Abeyie on target in Blues success
Birmingham City ensured in-form Wolves stay within touching distance following a 2-1 win over Cardiff City at Ninian Park.
Earlier in the day Wolves beat Bristol City, but Blues responded with goals from James McFadden and Quincy Owusu-Abeyie putting the visitors two up.
Ross McCormack pulled one back late on to set up a frantic finale, although it proved a disappointing afternoon for The Bluebirds as City triumphed.
Cardiff were on the back foot from the off as Blues drew first blood after just five minutes.
Delicate chip
Quincy capped off some great work on the left with a delicate chip past a stranded Bluebirds defence and McFadden was left unmarked to stab in his first goal since March.
McCormack and Joe Ledley both went close for the home side in the opening 20 minutes as Cardiff started to apply some pressure, before the former rounded goalkeeper Maik Taylor but could not capitalise from a tight angle with a lack of support from his team-mates.
Blues left-back David Murphy saw a great chance to double the visitors' advantage well saved at the second attempt by Heaton, before Lee Carsley cleared Roger Johnson's header off the line at the other end.
Birmingham were looking dangerous on the break as the first half came to a close and Quincy made Cardiff pay the price for some poor finishing in the final third with a thunderbolt of his own into the bottom corner.
The visitors were quite happy to sit back and welcome Cardiff's pressure at the start of the second half as the pattern of the game continued in much the same fashion as it had for the majority of the opening 45 minutes.
Struggling
The Bluebirds were struggling to create a clear-cut chance of note and Birmingham looked more comfortable the longer the half continued, former Cardiff striker Cameron Jerome almost adding a third for the away side just after the hour mark.
Taylor saved well from Johnson's header before Whittingham lashed a volley well wide as the hosts started to look even more short of ideas going forward.
Blues defender Jaidi was putting in a commanding display at the back while Carsley continued to boss the midfield as the game entered the closing stages.
Marcus Bent came on to a chorus of boos with 15 minutes remaining having rejected a transfer to Ninian Park in favour of a last-minute switch to Birmingham, while Mark Kennedy and Eddie Johnson appeared for Cardiff.
McCormack's left-footed effort ensured a frantic finale but Birmingham held out for what proved to a battling but somewhat comfortable victory.
