How they rated

NEIL ETHERIDGE

Restored to the side, but you feel his dead-ball kicking still needs improvement. Caught well under pressure when called into action and claims yet another clean sheet.

BRUNO MANGA

Solid in defence, thwarting Sunderland with some eye-catching tidying up at the back.

SEAN MORRISON (C)

A very composed performance on his league return and, as if by magic, the Cardiff defence looked more assured with the skipper by their side. He even ventured forward on occasions.

SOL BAMBA

Sunderland centre-forward Josh Maja didn’t exactly offer the kind of physical challenge Bamba is used to. But he kept the youngster very quiet and provided a quiet assurance alongside Morrison.

JOE BENNETT

George Honeyman looked to team up with Billy Jones to trouble the Cardiff left-back, but he coped well enough.

JAZZ RICHARDS

It was hard to pin down the Welshman to a specific position, as he man marked Lyndon Gooch and then Joel Asoro. But he didn’t let anyone down with some effective defending, making his first league start since September.

CALLUM PATERSON

Played out of position in central midfield and covered plenty of ground as well as nodding home the all-important opener, plus a clinical finish for Cardiff’s third. One of his best Bluebirds’ displays.

NATHANIEL MENDEZ-LAING

Looked sharper than in previous weeks and got through a huge amount of work on the right wing, tracking back as a wing-back to deny Bryan Oviedo space. Replaced by debutant Yanic Wildschut.

JUNIOR HOILETT

Seems to have added a free-kick threat to his game, and went close twice in the first half. His heroics weren’t required as Ralls and Paterson took centre-stage after the break.

KENNETH ZOHORE

Didn’t winning the aerial duels in the first half that he might be expected to claim. But linked up well with Ralls for the Bluebirds’ second and looked more like himself thereafter.

SUBSTITUTES

Wildschut (for Mendez-Laing, 58); Pilkington (for Zohore, 82); Feeney (for Hoilett, 82). N ot used: Murphy, Halford, Tomlin, Damour.?

SUNDERLAND

Ruiter; Jones, O’Shea, Clarke-Salter, Browning, Oviedo; Wilson (Cattermole, 45), N’Dong, Honeyman, Gooch (Asoro, 60); Maja (McManaman, 79). Subs not used: Steele, Love, Matthews, Robson.

REFEREE

Andrew Madley

YELLOW CARDS

Cardiff: None; Sunderland: Oviedo, Gooch.

RED CARDS

Cardiff: None; Sunderland: Ndong

ATTENDANCE

17,703.