Luton Town 0-2 Cardiff City: Harry Wilson and Will Vaulks extend unbeaten run

Harry Wilson's goal for Cardiff was his fourth since joining on loan from Liverpool

Cardiff City made it six games unbeaten under new manager Mick McCarthy as two superb goals by Harry Wilson and Will Vaulks gave them victory at Luton Town.

A rugged first half offered few chances, Luton's James Collins heading the best of them wide from close range.

But Wilson lit the game up after the break, curling a beautiful left-footed shot into the bottom corner.

Then four minutes later, his Wales team-mate Vaulks fired in from the edge of the area for Cardiff's second.

A fourth successive win moves the Welsh club within three points of the Championship play-off places.

That represents a remarkable turnaround for the Bluebirds, who were closer to the relegation zone than the top six when McCarthy took over with Cardiff 15th, 13 points adrift of the play-offs.

But having drawn his first two matches and then won his next four, the former Republic of Ireland boss has made the best start to a Cardiff managerial reign since Lennie Lawrence in 2002.

His side's newfound confidence has been based on a straightforward approach: robust defending, direct long balls into the attackers and an emphasis on set-pieces.

That almost brought them an opening goal in the 13th minute as a short corner was played to the edge of the Luton penalty area, where midfielder Vaulks struck a low first-time effort which was well saved by Simon Sluga.

Two minutes later, the home side should have been in front. Luton's former Cardiff defender Tom Lockyer swept a deep diagonal cross towards the back post, where Collins headed into the ground and wide from close range.

Those chances were rarities in a first half where the ball spent much of its time in the air or out of play.

Fortunately for the game's prospects as a spectacle, Wilson was playing.

The genesis of the goal was classic Cardiff - a long ball for centre-back Aden Flint to nod down - and the finish was trademark Wilson, taking a touch to compose himself before stroking an elegant shot into the far corner.

The Liverpool loanee almost scored an even better goal moments later but his 25-yard strike was tipped over by Sluga.

From the resultant corner the ball bounced to the edge of the box and Vaulks demonstrated excellent technique to guide his shot into the net, via a deflection.

Both goals were a perfect snapshot of Cardiff under McCarthy, both simple in their creation - the first from a long ball and the second from a corner - and both finished with the kind of individual quality to make the difference in what could otherwise have been a tight encounter.

Luton manager Nathan Jones:

"They're a tough side to play against because they're giants. They put you under pressure but I thought we handled that really well.

"We had the best chance of the first half, James Collins' header, and when you don't take that, the first goal is always vital.

"We lost two centre-halves and, especially against these, I picked the biggest, strongest side I could pick - apart from our groundsman, who's 6ft 4in!

"That set us back and the first goal was vital. Once they had the first goal, they were difficult to break down."

Cardiff manager Mick McCarthy:

"Another hard-earned one. It wasn't a particularly pretty game of free-flowing football, certainly the first half.

"I just thought the game was ebbing away from us at the end of the first half, I was a bit concerned and I expressed that at half-time.

"We didn't start the second half particularly well. Little mistakes brought on corners and a free-kick.

"But we gradually worked our way into it and Harry (Wilson) worked a little bit of space and punished them with the goal.

"If you get the first goal it's always going to be hard for them. It wasn't long between the two goals and they had a real uphill battle then."