Football: Bluebirds lift the Lennie hoodoo; Cardiff........................4 Sunderland..............0.

ROBERT EARNSHAW and Peter Thorne are football's most potent strike-force - but this was a day the supporting cast took centre stage for Cardiff.

Earnshaw and Thorne, with 35 goals between them, were blanked out as Cardiff finally lifted a hoodoo that has troubled manager Lennie Lawrence all season.

This was the first time the First Division's newcomers had beaten a side in the top half of the table. And they did it in style.

"It was starting to get on my nerves having to field the same question every time we faced a top-half side," said Lawrence.

"But, more importantly, it is a big psychological barrier for the players to have overcome. Now they can really believe they deserve to be here."

The only cloud for Lawrence was that victory came against a side reduced to 10 men from the 17th minute when Swedish defender Joachim Bjorklund was red-carded for a professional foul on Richard Langley.

"That's what stops me from saying it was our most complete performance of the season," he said. "We'll never know how we would have done against 11.

"But we had battered them from the start. I felt we were already winning the game."

Sunderland manager Mick McCarthy had his own view. "The sending-off coloured the afternoon. We were suddenly left chasing the game with 10 men," he said. "It would have been very different if we'd had our full team out there."

Cardiff skipper Graham Kavanagh fired home the free-kick following the sending-off to set the Welsh side on their way. And Langley, defender Danny Gabbidon and sub Alan Lee scored the rest to complete the rout.

What especially pleased Lawrence was that this result came after nine of his squad had been absent all week on international duty. "I warned them before the start that I wanted no excuses about tiredness. I told them I would jump on them if I saw the slightest reaction," he said.

Now he's so pleased that he wants midfielder Willie Boland to join the international set.

The Irishman was the cornerstone on their victory with a typically grafting display. "The problem for Willie is that the role he plays is not fashionable but it's vital for us. Every team needs someone like him," he said.

Chance

"That's why I hope that Irish manager Brian Kerr will take a look at him."

This victory pushed Cardiff to within three points of a play-off spot and sets them up for a crunch game at West Ham.

It also gave Lawrence the chance to set his men a new challenge. "Let's see now if we can beat a top half side with 11 men!" he said.

CAPTION(S):

SINGING THE BLUES: Langley after his goal; BJORKLUND gets the red card