Cardiff ease away from danger

Cardiff - Cardiff City eased their relegation fears with a crucial 1-0 win over fellow strugglers West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Peter Whittingham scored the only goal of the game on 65 minutes when he showed great determination to turn in Craig Noone's cross.

The two sides started the day one and two points above the drop zone but the Welsh team's victory means they now have a little breathing space having opened up a gap of four points to Crystal Palace in 18th place.

West Brom dropped to 16th after a fourth Premier League defeat in a row, and sixth game since their last win against Palace at the beginning of November.

Cardiff snapped their own five-match winless streak.

The game was a turgid affair with little entertainment to warm the spirits of the fans who braved the chilly conditions.

West Brom's travelling support did at least keep themselves busy jeering their former striker Peter Odemwingie throughout.

The Nigerian, who moved to Cardiff in the summer, has not been forgiven for trying to engineer a move away from the Baggies to QPR last January without his club's permission.

Neither goalkeeper was seriously tested in the first half although Cardiff's Steven Caulker came close with a volley, while Albion's best effort came from an inadvertent intervention from home defender Andrew Taylor, who forced his own goalkeeper David Marshall into a smart stop.

Just before the goal, WBA almost took the lead but Gary Medel cleared Gareth McAuley's shot off the line.