West Ham United have claimed an early advantage in the first of the Championship playoff semi-finals after inflicting a 2-0 home defeat on Cardiff this evening.
The hosts made the better start to the match, coming close twice in the first few minutes through efforts from Peter Whittingham and Kenny Miller.
The Hammers were ahead within 10 minutes, however, as Ricardo Vaz Te's cross found Jack Collison who converted at the second time of asking.
The visitors almost doubled their lead before the 20-minute mark, but James Tomkins could not convert Matthew Taylor's cross.
They did get their second goal before the half-time interval, however, as Collison's strike from the edge of the box took a wicked deflection, wrong-footing David Marshall.
It was almost three for the visitors just minutes later when another Taylor delivery was met by Carlton Cole, but Marshall was equal to the effort this time.
The Bluebirds began the second half looking for a way back into the match, and almost got it when Ben Turner's header seemed to have beaten Rob Green, only for Cole to clear it off the line.
West Ham had a good chance to put the game, and perhaps the tie beyond doubt with 20 minutes left when Taylor's cross found Kevin Nolan, only for the midfielder to head over from close range.
Cardiff then spurned a gilt-edged chance of their own with less than five minutes to go. Turner found Joe Mason inside the box but the Cardiff man blasted his effort over the bar.
The home side then had a penalty appeal turned down in the 89th minute when Mason went down under the challenge of George McCartney in the box, but referee Neil Swarbrick waved the claims away.
The Hammers proceeded to see the rest of the match out, taking a valuable two-goal lead into the second leg at Upton Park next week.
See how the match unfolded play-by-play here.
Barney Corkhill
