CARDIFF CITY 3 (Parry 43, Hassell OG 47, Ledley 63)
BARNSLEY 0

BARNSLEY endured a season finale to forget as Cardiff strolled to a comfortable win at Ninian Park.

With an end of season injury crisis keeping out Stephen Foster, Martin Devaney, Brian Howard and Kayode Odejayi, Reds manager Simon Davey was forced to shuffle his pack as he looked to end the campaign with an away win - his side's third on the spin following their Wembley FA Cup heartbreak against City in early April. Jacob Butterfield, making his full debut, and Istvan Ferenczi came into the starting eleven while youngster Jamil Adam was on the bench alongside Oakwell's forgotten man Dwayne Mattis. Jon Macken skippered the team for the first time as the Reds looked for their first win at Ninian Park since 1983.

There was a late change for the Reds after Daniel Nardiello's return to the Club ended with an injury in the warm up meaning a rare appearance on the bench for Dane Kim Christensen.

Cardiff made just one change from the side that drew with Burnley last week with Parry coming in at the expense of promising youngster Aaron Ramsey. Skipper Darren Purse was included on the bench after City controversially went to the Welsh FA to have his red card against the Clarets overturned.

Referee Clive Penton insisted of putting his mark on the game with just three minutes on the clock when he booked Dennis Souza for handball on the half way line. It was harsh on the Brazilian especially when there was nothing at all riding on the outcome of the game.

City went close to the opening goal just two minutes later when Kevin McNaughton did well to find Jimmy Flloyd Hasselbaink in the area and the Dutchman brought a fine stop from Luke Steele with a well-struck low shot. A slip by Diego Leon gave Hasselbaink another sight of goal on 13 minutes and this time the striker went even closer as he fizzed a shot past Steele but agonisingly an inch wide of his top corner.

Steele had to be at his best again on 16 minutes as Gavin Rae raced past Bobby Hassell and through on goal but the Reds keeper was quickly down to smother the danger. Joe Ledley then had Steele scrambling on 21 minutes as the Bluebirds continued to press as the winger's cross-shot looked to be heading for the top corner but again the keeper was in the right place to save.

Ferenczi eventually gave Peter Enckleman a scare on 23 minutes when the big Hungarian charged down a backpass but the ball cannoned out of play.

Cardiff pushed again and Hassell had to be alert on 25 minutes to hack Stephen McPhail's shot away off the line after the Reds had failed to deal with Ledley's left wing corner.

Jamal Campbell-Ryce fired over on 27 minutes after Hasselbaink had theatrically thrown himself to the ground on half way under the lightest of touches before presenting the ball to the Reds winger. Butterfield then tested his shooting boots three minutes later and brought a smart low save from Enckleman.

Cardiff went even closer on 33 minutes after Rob Kozluk had sliced his clearance out to Peter Whittingham on the edge of the box. The former Aston Villa midfielder smashed it back and Steele could only watch as it crashed off the bar and away to safety.

Steele again kept City at bay two minutes later as he managed to grab Parry's shot after the frontman had let fly from the penalty spot after being played virtually clean through by Ledley. Butterfield then tried to drag his side back into the game on 38 minutes as he found space on the edge of the area and left Enckleman flat-footed but his shot crept wide of the post.

Marciano Van Homoet then picked up a yellow card on 40 minutes after tripping Hasselbaink before Rae flashed a shot wide following a scramble on the edge of the Barnsley box a minute later.

Barnsley were cut wide open on 43 minutes as Hasselbaink, McPhail and Ledley were given time and space to carve a path through the heart of the Barnsley defence to give Parry the simplest of tap ins.

The Reds threw in a second goal for Cardiff just two minutes after the restart when McNaughton's cross caught out Steele. The ball dropped out of Steele's grasp and cannoned off Hassell into the back of the net.

Cardiff went close again on 49 minutes when Hasselbaink drove a shot just over the bar after out-muscling a couple challenges on the edge of the area.

Barnsley threatened to grab a goal back on 57 minutes when Ferenczi reacted quickest after Leon's corner had scuffed its way into the area but the Hungarian planted his shot well wide of the target.

Van Homoet was very, very lucky to escape a second yellow card on 59 minutes when his lunge left Ledley in a heap but the referee, this time, gave the Dutchman the benefit of doubt and let him off with a final warning.

Cardiff had a massive slice of luck on 63 minutes when Hasselbaink's shot took a massive deflection and cannoned through to Ledley. The ricochet left the Barnsley defence completely at sixes and sevens and Ledley made no mistake slotting the ball under Steele from six yards.

Despite City being three up and cruising, the Cardiff crowd turned their attention to Reds manager Simon Davey as fathers proudly led their children in a foul mouthed tirade against the Swansea-born manager. To his credit Davey just stood in the technical area and smiled back.

Mattis made his return to action after a wretched season at Oakwell on 69 minutes when he replaced Kozluk before Butterfield saw a low shot well blocked away by Purse seconds later. Purse again was on hand a minute later to charge down Leon's 35-yarder. Cardiff substitute Aaron Ramsey went close to a fourth on 75 minutes when his deflected shot had Steele worried but dropped just over the bar. Hasselbaink then went close a minute later with a chip that flew an inch or so over the cross bar.

Jamil Adam had a moment to remember on 76 minutes when he was thrown into the action. The Academy youngster replaced Ferenczi.

It could have been even worse for the Reds on 82 minutes when Ramsey brought a fine save from Steele with a drive from the left hand side but again the Reds keeper did well to parry the ball away. Adam had Cardiff chasing shadows on 86 minutes as he combined well with Macken before seeing his shot deflect just over the bar. Campbell-Ryce then threatened to land one in Cardiff Bay on 89 minutes as he hammered the ball over from 25 yards.

CARDIFF CITY: Enckleman, McNaughton, Capaldi (Ramsey 56), Rae, Loovens (Purse 61), Whittingham, McPhail (c), Parry (Thompson 69), Johnson, Ledley, Hasselbaink.
Subs: Oakes, Sinclair.

BARNSLEY: Steele, Van Homoet, Hassell (Togwell 48), Souza, Nyatanga, Kozluk (Mattis 69), Leon, Butterfield, Campbell-Ryce, Ferenczi (Adam 76), Macken (c).
Subs: Letheren, Christensen.