Leeds United 0 Cardiff City 4: Defensive troubles return as Cardiff punish Leeds

So partial, in fact, have the more excitable element among both clubs' support been to conflict whenever their paths have crossed that the 1,000 or so Welsh visitors to Elland Road could only buy tickets if willing to travel on official coaches.

By the final whistle, however, the choice of pre-match music had become horribly apt for the Leeds loyalists in the 20,747 crowd after they had been forced to endure the sight of Cardiff running riot against their team.

Two goals from Jay Bothroyd together with second-half strikes from Michael Chopra and Lee Naylor ensured the Bluebirds claimed the resounding win their efforts deserved.

But, in terms of Leeds's prospects for the rest of this season, the most worrying aspect was that had Cardiff converted even half their chances then the winning margin could have been doubled.

After a promising start when Alex Bruce had twice gone close to opening the scoring, United collapsed in spectacular fashion to slide to a third straight defeat on home soil.

A distinct lack of on-field leadership and an inability to cope with the neat passing style of the visitors did not help their cause.

But what was most alarming was the manner in which, not for the first time this season, Leeds pressed the self-destruct button time and time again.

The last time Leeds had lost three home games on the bounce before last night was a little over four years ago when Cardiff, Wolves and Sunderland all left Elland Road with three points. At the end of that season, United were relegated from the Championship.

It is too early to suggest a repeat could be on the cards this time around but there can be no denying a defence that is being opened up with embarrassing ease has become a liability.

Regardless of the personnel selected by Simon Grayson, the back four seem to be an accident waiting to happen.

A week ago at home to Leicester City, it was Richard Naylor who made the costly slip that led to Steve Howard netting what proved to be the winner.

Last night, Bruce and Kasper Schmiechel were the guilty parties responsible for handing Cardiff a 22nd-minute lead that they never looked like surrendering.

When goalkeeper Tom Heaton punted a long clearance forward, there appeared little danger.

That was, however, until Bruce inexplicably allowed the ball to bounce – a mistake the defender, in for Naylor, then compounded by nudging the ball past Schmeichel as the goalkeeper hesitated.

Bothroyd was the beneficiary of such an almighty mess, the City striker being left with the simple task of rolling the ball into an empty net.

It was the sort of defending that would embarrass a schoolboy team and, crucially, the catalyst for Cardiff to seize control.

What followed in the next 40 minutes or so either side of half-time was what can only be described as an onslaught on the home goal.

Neat play by Chris Burke coupled with more shoddy defending allowed the midfielder to dart down the right flank before being foiled in his attempts to pick out Bothroyd.

Schmeichel then had to save from Craig Bellamy before Neill Collins did well to block a Seyi Olofinjana shot and repeated the trick to deny Bothroyd.

There was little doubt, as Bothroyd shot wide following a neat dummy by Bellamy, that United were the more relieved to hear the half-time whistle blow.

Any hopes, however, the interval may have brought a change of fortune were quickly dispelled as only a header off the line by George McCartney kept out a header from Gabor Gyepes.

It proved to be only a temporary respite as, with their next attack, Cardiff capitalised on a mistake by Davide Somma to sweep the ball upfield for Chopra to score.

By now rampant, the Welsh side made it 3-0 on 56 minutes when Burke picked out Bothroyd and the striker applied the finishing touch.

The final humiliation for Leeds came on the hour when more slack play meant Naylor was afforded sufficient space to look up and drill a shot just inside Schmeichel's post.

Leeds United: Schmiechel; Connolly, Bruce, Collins, McCartney; Snodgrass, Howson, Faye (Clayton 81), Johnson (Gradel 64); Somma (Nunez 54), Becchio. Unused substitutes: Brown, Kilkenny, Hughes, Bromby.

Cardiff City: Heaton; McNaughton, Hudson, Gyepes, Naylor; Burke, Olofinjana, Whittingham, Bellamy; Chopra (Keogh 73), Bothroyd. Unused substitutes: Marshall, Rae, McPhail, Koumas, Blake, Wildig.

Referee: M Oliver (Northumberland).