Neil Warnock’s Bluebirds showed they will fight to the end in their bid to earn automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Late goals from Kenneth Zohore and Junior Hoilett, both scored in the last few minutes in a 2-0 win against Norwich City at Carrow Road.
Goalkeeper Neil Etheridge tweeted: “Great bounce back! 3 points and a clean sheet! We go right to the end!
“Great travelling support! Thanks to everyone who travelled all that way.”
Former Cardiff player Nathan Blake, talking on BBC Radio Wales, firmly believe the Bluebirds will go up alongside Championship leaders Wolves.
“Kenneth Zohore will not score a more important goal for Cardiff City,” said Blake. “They have earned a huge, huge three points.
“The great factor Cardiff have is guts and they have that in abundance. They needed to get back on a winning track and gain momentum.
“I have said all along they will go up automatically, that this will be a special season, and I stick by that.
“Cardiff were second best, it was smash and grab, but they earned the three points.”
“Sol Bamba is the talisman. Captain Sean Morrison and Bamba are both hugely imortant.
“Morrison wears the armband, but Bamba, too, has a leadership quality, a never say die attitude.”
Manager Warnock made three changes to his Bluebirds team. City were without loan winger Yanic Wildschut, who was ineligible to face his parent club, while Loic Damour, Craig Bryson and Gary Madine were called in.
“A brilliant result, our best result of the season, and it’s all still in our own hands,” said Warnock. “If we keep winning nobody can catch us.
“Norwich are a good sid and we made a bit of a slow start, but defended really well. All the back four were excellent, and Bruno Manga) when he went on, but I thought Sean Morrison stood out. I’d give him 12 out of 10.
“Norwich probably played the better stuff in the first half, but we created the better chances.
“In the second half we kept going and eventually got our reward. That’s what I love about the Championship, being in charge of sides like these, a group of lads who are brave and honest and will go out there and die for you, week in, week out.
“They have done it again today and now I should think they are looking forward to a week’s break. I know I am!”
Madine was well below his best and was replaced by Zohore midway through the second half, while Bamba had to go off injured with Bruno Manga taking over alongside Morrison.
Zohore netted Cardiff’s first from a tight angle after 87 minutes, slipping in a clinical finish, while the impressive Junior Hoilett fired home on the volley during injury time to make it 2-0.
Dennis Srbeny hit a post of Norwich after 33 minutes when the game was goalless and the home had an edge, but Cardiff fought hard to earn the win.
Craig Bryson was a key influence in midfield for Cardiff, while Hoilett was an inspirational playmaker.
It was Zohore sent Cardiff fans into wild celebrations with his late goal and Hoilett who clinched victory.
Norwich City4-2-3-1: Gunn; Reed (Pinto 80), Hanley, Klose, Lewis; Tettey (capt), Leitner (Hoolahan 85); Vrancic, Maddison, Murphy; Srbeny (Oliveira 80). Unused subs: McGovern (gk), Zimmermann, Raggett, Husband
Cardiff City 4-2-3-1: Etheridge; Bennett, Morrison (capt), Bamba (Manga 34), Peltier; Gunnarsson, Bryson; Mendez-Laing, Damour (Paterson 46), Hoilett; Madine (Zohore 73). Unused subs: Murphy (gk), Ward, Pilkington, Grujic
Referee: Tim Robinson (West Sussex)
Attendance: 25,503
Remaining fixtures for top four in the Championship:
Wolves: Birmingham (H), Bolton (A), Sheffield Wednesday (H), Sunderland (A).
Cardiff City: Nottingham Forest (H), Derby (A), Hull (A), Reading (H).
Fulham: Millwall (A), Sunderland (H), Birmingham (A).
Aston Villa: Ipswich (A), Derby (H), Millwall (A).
Championship 2017/18
Current table
| | HOME | | AWAY | |||||||||||||
| P | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Wolves | 42 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 45 | 18 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 31 | 18 | +40 | 92 |
| 2 | Cardiff | 42 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 38 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 26 | 20 | +29 | 83 |
| 3 | Fulham | 42 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 37 | 15 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 35 | 26 | +31 | 81 |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 43 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 41 | 18 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 26 | 22 | +27 | 79 |
| 5 | Middlesbro | 43 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 31 | 17 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 30 | 25 | +19 | 69 |
| 6 | Millwall | 43 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 32 | 18 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 23 | 22 | +15 | 69 |
| 7 | Derby | 42 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 33 | 18 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 28 | 25 | +18 | 68 |
| 8 | Preston | 43 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 25 | 21 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 29 | 24 | +9 | 66 |
| 9 | Sheff Utd | 43 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 33 | 19 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 25 | 31 | +8 | 66 |
| 10 | Bristol C | 43 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 34 | 20 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 26 | 30 | +10 | 65 |
| 11 | Brentford | 42 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 34 | 22 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 24 | 25 | +11 | 64 |
| 12 | Ipswich | 43 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 27 | 21 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 24 | 33 | -3 | 56 |
| 13 | Norwich | 43 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 23 | 24 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 23 | 30 | -8 | 56 |
| 14 | Leeds | 43 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 28 | 26 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 26 | 35 | -7 | 54 |
| 15 | QPR | 43 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 35 | 30 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 19 | 35 | -11 | 53 |
| 16 | Sheff Wed | 43 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 29 | 30 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 22 | 29 | -8 | 50 |
| 17 | Nottm Forest | 42 | 9 | 2 | 10 | 22 | 27 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 23 | 33 | -15 | 49 |
| 18 | Hull | 43 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 41 | 30 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 23 | 32 | +2 | 47 |
| 19 | Reading | 43 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 25 | 31 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 23 | 32 | -15 | 43 |
| 20 | Birmingham | 42 | 8 | 3 | 10 | 16 | 22 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 16 | 39 | -29 | 40 |
| 21 | Bolton | 43 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 22 | 27 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 39 | -30 | 40 |
| 22 | Barnsley | 42 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 23 | 32 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 21 | 31 | -19 | 38 |
| 23 | Burton | 43 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 17 | 43 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 35 | -45 | 35 |
| 24 | Sunderland | 43 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 37 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 28 | 39 | -29 | 34 |
