Cardiff City 1-2 Bristol City: Weimann at the double for Bristol City

The away side has now won each of the last five league meetings between Cardiff and Bristol City.

Cardiff City were beaten for the first time in the Championship this season thanks to an Andreas Weimann double.

Weimann gave Bristol City the lead at half time as he took advantage of some hesitant Cardiff defending.

Bristol City goalkeeper Daniel Bentley could do nothing about Cardiff's equaliser as the ball struck him as the visitors desperately tried to clear.

Weimann then won it with a superb volley on 71 minutes to give Bristol City the Severn Bridge bragging rights.

The result was just about merited after a strong second half display from the visitors who responded well to Cardiff's slightly fortuitous equaliser to end the Bluebirds' 11 game unbeaten streak in the league.

Both managers opted to make changes for what was the 100th meeting between the two sides, with Cardiff making two personnel switches from their win over Millwall last time out, with the Robins making three changes from the side beaten 1-0 at home by Swansea City.

An entertaining first half saw clear opportunities for both sides to open the scoring, but it was the visitors who did so on 21 minutes when Weimann took advantage of hesitation in the Cardiff defence as Aden Flint and Dillion Phillips left the ball to each other.

The goal was out of the blue with both Phillips and Flint debating who was to blame, but the hosts could have been ahead at that stage but for some outstanding defending as the recalled Nathan Baker produced an incredible last-ditch tackle to deny Ryan Giles who burst clear on 12 minutes.

Cardiff thought they had equalised when Bristol City failed to clear a corner and the hosts worked the ball to Kieffer Moore, but his shot through a crowded penalty area was brilliantly cleared off the line by Moore's Welsh teammate Andy King who anticipated the danger.

Robins goalkeeper Bentley made two important saves at the end of the first period, denying Joel Bagan's header which he turned around the post and Leandro Bacuna's firmly struck volley.

It was the visitors who began the second half on the front-foot but Han-Noah Massengo's strong run culminated with a fierce shot that just missed the upright, while Chris Martin's downward header from a corner bounced over the crossbar.

The missed opportunities buoyed the hosts and after Marlon Pack's shot was deflected wide they duly levelled when Moore's shot was cleared off the line by Nathan Baker but deflected off the back of goalkeeper Bentley who could do nothing to react as the ball flew into the net.

It was a bitter blow for Nigel Pearson's side but they responded well and from Antoine Semenyo's pinpoint cross, Weimann slammed home his second with a superb volley.

Cardiff threw men forward in search of an equaliser, but Bentley saved James Collins' header as Bristol City held firm to earn the three points.

Cardiff City boss Mick McCarthy told BBC Sport Wales:

"My team gave me absolutely everything but we lacked a bit of quality.

"It's hard to take the defeat. We had momentum and initiative back and then conceded a goal that is tough to take, the perfect volley at the far post.

"We're going to lose games in the season and it's how you respond.

"Generally we've responded well because we've shown that willingness and spirit to work."

Bristol City boss Nigel Pearson said:

"Physically it was a big challenge, We needed to be relatively big today and they did well.

"I think the players have a bit of trust in each other, which is really good.

"We look more like a team than we did and our points total doesn't necessarily reflect the performances we have had.

"It was a very important result, but it's just one game."