Albion’s promotion hopes suffered a stunning setback today as they were hammered 4-1 at Cardiff City.
The Seagulls were blown away in the first half in a wet and windy Welsh capital, trailing 3-0 after 30 minutes.
They were cut apart far too easily by smart movement from their hosts, who still have promotion hopes.
Matthew Connolly slid Peter Whittingham through the middle for a well-taken opener on 16 minutes.
Anthony Pilkington cut inside Lewis Dunk before firing the second through David Stockdale’s ineffective dive three minutes later.
And Lex Immers followed up for the third after Whittingham had again made a clever run into the box.
Dale Stephens pulls one back for Albion
Bobby Zamora failed to take a good chance to pull one back before the break after being fouled by Jiri Skalak’s fine cross.
Another great ball in from Skalak on the left set up Dale Stephens to touch home in the 55th minute for a Seagulls side who had made two changes and reverted to 4-4-2 at the interval.
For a while the visitors looked like getting right back into the contest.
But Whittingham’s 66th-minute penalty, pictured above, after Goldson fouled the troublesome Pilkington ended their resistance.
Skalak's energetic full debut was one of the brighter spots of a grim afternoon as was the return from injury of Liam Rosenior in the second half.
Albion's fans sang until the end and clapped their side off but they will desperate for a positive response at Bristol City on Tuesday.
Cardiff: Marshall; Fabio (Peltier 55), Ecuele Manga, Connolly, Malone; Lawrence (Zohore 85), Ralls, O'Keefe, Whittingham; Pilkington (Gunnarsson 73), Immers,. Subs not used: Moore, Dikgacoi, Oshilaja, Saadi.
Albion: Stockdale; Bruno, Goldson, Dunk, Calderon (Rosenior 46); Knockaert, Sidwell (Hemed 46), Crofts, Stephens, Skalak; Zamora (Baldock 66). Subs not used: Maenpaa, Greer, Murphy, Kayal.
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