The Roy Keane era got off to a superb start as goals from Pablo Couñago, David Norris and Jon Stead gave the Blues a 3-0 win at Cardiff in Ninian Park's last ever league game. The match could have been very different had Richard Wright not saved Ross McCormack's early penalty.

Keane made three changes of personnel with Jaime Peters, Matt Richards and Owen Garvan coming into the side for Alan Quinn, Ben Thatcher and Veliche Shumulikoski. Richards was playing his first Town game since March 2007, while Peters was making his first start for the Blues since May the same year.

The Canadian was at right-back in what started as a 4-1-4-1 formation with Ivan Campo in front of the back four behind David Norris and Owen Garvan with Giovani Dos Santos wide on the right, Kevin Lisbie on the left with Pablo Couñago up front on his own.

Cardiff forced a couple of early freekicks which came to nothing but the first serious attacking action saw Joe Ledley's 10th minute shot blocked for a corner.

A minute later, the home side were rightly awarded a penalty when Campo clearly shoved Roger Johnson inside the area. Ross McCormack took the kick, low to Wright's right and the Town keeper was able to get down to push the ball away and make his first penalty save for the Blues since the Wembley play-off final in 2000.

The game had still to really take shape and the Blues began to take control in the minutes after the missed spotkick. On 12 Peters forced Kevin McNaughton into a cynical foul on the edge of the area with a pacy run down the right.

The Canadian international created more danger in the 15th minute, sending in a cross from the right which Couñago just failed to control. Lisbie and Dos Santos had by now swapped flanks.

Alex Bruce suffered what looked to be a hand injury in the 22nd minute and after going down the tunnel for treatment was replaced with Jon Stead five minutes later. Stead went up front as the Blues switched to 4-4-2.

Wright failed to hold Chris Burke's shot in the 34th minute, but Campo was on hand the clear.

A minute later, the Blues went in front. Garvan played a ball down the right for Stead to chase. The striker took the ball around Gyepes, who very clearly hauled him back by the shirt, cut in and laid the ball back to Couñago eight yards out, the Spaniard slamming home the first goal of Keane's Town reign.

Town deserved to go in a goal up at the break, although but for the penalty save it could have been very different. Overall though, the Blues had passed the ball around well with the pace of Peters a threat down the right, but without creating too much, Couñago's goal having been pretty much the only shot on target.

The second period started with Couñago shooting through to Cardiff keeper Tom Heaton. At the other end McCormick shot wide.

Five minutes into the new half, Town added to their lead. Dos Santos played the ball wide to Peters, who sent it in to Stead. The ball came back out to the Canadian, who again played it in to Stead, who laid it back to Norris, the former Plymouth man shooting through a crowd of players and into the net.

Chris Burke tried to get his side back into the game with a shot across the face and then another effort which deflected through to Wright.

On 56 Danny Haynes replaced Couñago, the Spaniard receiving a shake of the hand and a pat on the back from his new manager. Haynes went to right midfield with Dos Santos on the left and Lisbie up front.

A minute later Matt Richards made a superb saving challenge on Cardiff sub Michael Chopra with the former Sunderland player in a fantastic position inside the area. The Town support were by now singing a song to the tune of Yellow Submarine claiming that "Roy Keane says bounce around the ground” with attendant bouncing actions.

Alan Quinn replaced Jaime Peters in the 71st minute, the Canadian having started to suffer for his tireless and speedy runs up the right and having required treatment for cramp a few minutes earlier. Quinn went to central midfield and Norris to right-back.

Dos Santos was yellow carded for kicking the ball away on 74, then Haynes joined him the book for a rather wild challenge on halfway for which he immediately apologised.

On 81 Campo cleared weakly to sub Eddie Johnson and Wright did superbly to get down to his left to save from the American.

As the game entered its final minute, Dos Santos was upended by Gyepes when on a run towards goal, the defender picking up a yellow card. Campo curled the freekick from the edge of the box off the inside of the post, Stead, who was sold by Keane at Sunderland, reacting quickest to tap the ball over the line from a matter of inches.

Referee Scot Mathieson blew his whistle to applause from Town's away fans, celebrating their ninth away win of the season, but the first of the Roy Keane era.

It was a thoroughly impressive all-round performance from the entire Town side. Rarely in any of the previous eight away victories or at home this season have Town controlled a game in such an assured manner.

While there weren't numerous chances, those that were created were taken, while there seemed a greater urgency about the passing, with the pace of Peters and Dos Santos in particular giving the Cardiff side problems throughout.

The team played with the spirit and hunger you'd associate with a side managed by Roy Keane with Norris particularly impressive in central midfield, Stead a live wire up front, netting one and creating two, while Peters continued the good work from last week's derby.

Matt Richards will have done himself little harm with a solid display, while Richard Wright again played a pivotal role by saving the crucial early penalty and continuing his Players' Player of the Year-winning form.

All in all, it's difficult to think of a better way for the Keane era to have started and if it continues in anything like the same vein, an exciting 2009/10 awaits.

Town: R Wright, Peters (Quinn 71), Richards, Bruce (Stead 26), Balkestein, Campo, Garvan, Norris, Dos Santos, Lisbie, Couñago (Haynes 56). Unused: Bialkowski, Miller. Att: 19,129.

Photo: Action Images

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