Cardiff City 3-1 Burton Albion

Kenneth Zohore's opening goal was his eighth of the season

Cardiff City took another step towards automatic promotion as they battled past Championship strugglers Burton Albion to make it eight wins in a row.

Darren Bent cancelled out Kenneth Zohore's opener to worry Cardiff.

But goals from Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Callum Paterson secured the victory that matches the best winning run of manager Neil Warnock's career.

Burton remain in the relegation places, while Cardiff head to Sheffield United on Monday seeking a ninth straight win.

• Relive Saturday's EFL action

If Warnock manages to secure victory at his former club then the Bluebirds will equal a 71-year club record at Bramall Lane.

Not since 1947 have Cardiff won nine league games in a row, yet Warnock will surely be more concerned by the points than the history books.

His team are still chasing down leaders Wolves, who visit Cardiff City Stadium next week.

Burton face a battle of their own as they look to claw their way out of the bottom three and have now lost five of their past six games, though they did offer small signs of hope during this performance.

And while it will not help their relegation worries, they deserved credit for pushing their way back into proceedings after Zohore's 16th-minute opener, the Danish striker making it four in his past six games when he finished at the near post following good work from Junior Hoilett.

Burton refused to roll over though and, with Bruno Manga caught flat-footed by Lloyd Dyer, Bent was teed up for his first goal since his loan move from Derby County.

Yet Cardiff's momentum soon took charge and, after spurning chances to regain their lead earlier, winger Mendez-Laing smashed past a rooted Stephen Bywater following a flick-on from Zohore moments before the break, before Paterson fired home from inside the area.

Cardiff City boss Neil Warnock told BBC Sport Wales:

"The players have really done well, we knew it would be hard today because everyone expected us to win and those games are the hardest ones in football.

"With the other games we have to come there won't be that same expectation.

"The referee had a nightmare, because it could have been a lot more comfortable for us.

"We've got eight games to go and we need to do our best and to hang in there. I don't worry too much about records, I am just going to enjoy it and that is what I keep telling the lads. We should be enjoying this."

Burton boss Nigel Clough told BBC Radio Derby:

"I feel a bit hard done to with the decisions today. I thought conceding the goal just before half-time - the lad's come back from an offside position, and the third one's a handball and offside. It's difficult to take when you get three decisions go against you like that that lead to two goals.

"The timing of the goal, at the end of the first half, gave them such a huge lift. When you go in 2-1, you feel ten feet tall.

"In the first half, we should have got our noses in front, and at least gone in level at half-time."