Leicester City recorded their first away victory since November 24th with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Cardiff City at Ninian Park on Saturday afternoon.
A Darren Purse own goal in the 27th minute settled the game as a contest but the scoreline could have been even more emphatic with DJ Campbell twice coming close in a one-sided first-half while Steve Howard also proved to be a constant threat up front.
At the other end, City's backline stood firm and more than nullified the guile of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
Campbell should have put the visitors one up inside four minutes.
The City striker was given a clear run-in on goal after Peter Enckelman had scuffed his goal-kick straight into his path.
But Campbell could not find the back of the net from close range, as Enckelman made amends for his misdemeanour with a smart save at the striker's feet much to the visiting fans' anguish.
Howard tried his luck from distance three minutes later but Enckelman was equal to the task and saved comfortably.
The former Derby man was then denied by a brilliant point blank from Enckelman after he had met Stephen Clemence's corner from the right.
At the other end, the returning Paul Henderson had to be alert to clear under pressure from Paul Parry after Richard Stearman had under hit his back pass.
On 15 minutes, Henderson saved from Parry's header before new signing Lee Hendrie drove in a low shot from the edge of the area, but the Bluebirds No.1 gathered the effort easily.
It was all the Foxes at this point with a last ditch tackle from Darren Purse thwarted Campbell then Howard headed wide from Jamie Clapham's hanging cross from the left on 20 minutes.
The visitors were only denied an opener moments later when Campbell did well to round Enkelman but he then saw his goal-bound shot cleared off the line by the back-tracking Roger Johnson.
However, the Foxes did take the lead on 27 minutes even if in fortuitous circumstances.
A long punt over top by Henderson was met by Purse but the central defender could only direct the ball past his own keeper for a lucky opener.
Henderson gathered Aaron Ramsey's speculative effort from under his own bar on the half-hour before Iain Hume shot just wide in the 42nd minute.
Hendrie narrowly failed to latch on to Howard's teasing cross across the face of goal a minute later but the visitors had done more than enough to go into the break a goal to the good.
Campbell saw his shot blocked at the start of the second half then Ramsey's effort did not trouble Henderson on 51 minutes.
The Bluebirds made their first change in the 55th minute with Steve Thompson replacing Stephen McPhail.
Encklemen dashed off his line to smother Howard's downward header from Bruno N'Gotty's free-kick soon after.
Peter Whittingham's free-kick from 25-yards was deflected over for a corner then Howard's shot was gathered by Enckelman on 65 minutes.
Clemence came within inches of doubling the Foxes advantage three minutes later but his lob over Enckelman drifted just the wrong side of the left hand upright.
Henderson got down well to collect Whittingham's left-wing cross in the 75th minute then he made way for former Fox Ricky Scimeca 10 minutes from time.
Cardiff threw everything at the Foxes in the dying minutes but Kevin McNaughton drilled his shot over the bar.
The visitors made a treble change on 89 minutes with Hendrie, Hume and Campbell making way for Joe Mattock, James Wesolowski and Barry Hayles.
But Ian Holloway's men had already done enough to secure three welcome points and send the visiting fans home happy.
City: Henderson, Stearman, Kisnorbo, N'Gotty, Clapham, Hume (Wesolowski 89), Clemence ©, Oakley, Hendrie (Mattock 89), Howard, Campbell (Hayles 89). Subs not used: Chambers J, Fryatt.
Cardiff: Enckleman, McNaughton, Capaldi, Rae, Purse ©, Whittingham (Scimeca 80), McPhail (Thompson 55), Parry, Johnson, Ramsey, Floyd-Hasselbaink. Subs not used: Oakes, Sinclair, Blake.
Yellow Cards
City: None
Cardiff: None
Referee: M Thorpe
Attendance: 13,355
