This was a poor performance and a game to forget, apart from unintentional entertainment from the officials and a steward ... more later, but all that matters now are results and we're getting them in abundance.

Under Lennie Lawrence, it's now 7 wins, 2 draws, 0 defeats in the league - outstanding. When it's all about bottle, professionalism and showing who wants it most, we've been magnificent.

Easter couldn't have gone any better, we got 6 points and 2 clean sheets. Only Brighton and ourselves, of the leading pack, got maximum points in the last 72 hours.

City fans were cheered before the match started after learning that Brighton luckily beat Bristol City 2-1 in a lunchtime kick-off, their 94th minute winner virtually sealing their promotion but delivering a killer blow to Bristol, our main rivals. Whilst Cardiff have collected 23 of the last 27 points of offer, Bristol have completely blown up collecting a poxy 7 points out of the last 24 - thank you Wurzels!!

Cardiff have unbelievably gone from play-off hopefuls to odds on favourites to make them. We now stand in 6th place, 4 points clear of Bristol and with a game in hand and within 1 win of Stoke and Huddersfield. With Reading drawing 6 of their last 7, there's even an outside chance of an automatic promotion spot but I wouldn't even think about that.

What really matters now is that with 4 games left, Cardiff need a maximum of 6 points, 5 points if the superior goal difference remains. The play-off berth could be booked this weekend at Colchester if City win and Bristol fail to Bury at home. All ifs and buts but Bristol City players and fans must be very close to realising it's all over for them. I couldn't be happier to do it at their expense!

The game against Port Vale was poor, the first-half as dreadful as anything seen at Ninian Park all season. The crowd of 15,556 (not quite as big as expected but the first time City have had consecutive 15,000+ league crowds for 26 years!!) went home, after partying in the pubs, delighted by Peter Thorne's net bursting winner on 74 minutes.

City had to start without Andy Legg due to a tendon injury sustained at Chesterfield, Mark Bonner replaced him. City struggled. No Legg meant no width, a major problem when the team play with 3 strikers. Not only that, a playing system/formation that is so effective on the road (it has produced those convincing wins at Oldham and Chesterfield) doesn't work half as well at Ninian when teams pack their defence, and as Port Vale did, stick five across the middle.

The only on target Cardiff chance of the opening 45 minutes was an early Scott Young header that Goodlad did well to palm away in the 5th minute. Leo Fortune-West showing more of his Rivaldo-like skills turned his marker well on the edge of the area before shooting wide across goal on his left foot close to half-time whilst Danny Gabbidon side stepped a marker and drilled a low shot into the side netting in injury time. Other than that, forget it.

Play was condensed into a 30 yard wide strip in the centre of the pitch. With no width, City uncharacteristically resorted to long ball. They were too slow attacking (Kavanagh especially seemed to be responsible for that) and lacked recent high levels of passion and intensity. The flat back four meant that Weston and Gabbidon were hardly able to get forward. It all left Campbell, Leo and Thorne feeding on crumbs. It was very, very messy.

City could count themselves lucky to be 0-0 at half-time. Neil Alexander had to make 3 saves, one of them an edge of area header from Armstrong that seemed destined to sneak into the top right corner. A couple of other shots went narrowly wide.

Entertainment was minimal, the highlights (lowlights) came from Leo trying to chest the ball 15 inches off the ground and ending flat on his face and a linesman getting injured, it was that desperate.

The linesman in front of the Bob Bank pulled up with a hamstring injury and got no sympathy whatsoever. Even less sympathy as the game stopped whilst the 4th official ran across the pitch to see him, then back to change, then insisted on having a warm up before the he took over. The injured linesman walked across the pitch instead of around it as they make players do.

The 4 minutes of added time were entirely due to this episode. Cardiff undoubtedly needed half-time the most, simply to sort themselves out. Port Vale were having a stroll, we gave them no problems whatsoever, they weren't anything special but asked more questions of us.

Half-time: City 0 Port Vale 0

Many thought that Earnie may come on for the 2nd half and go outside to give City badly needed width and pace. Gary Croft, who can play wing back on either side, was another option but Lennie restarted with no changes and watched in agony as his side were so close to 47th minute suicide.

On the attack, City played the ball backwards and backwards ending with Scott Young passing back to Alexander. With Vale's Brooker closing him, Alexander panicked, slicing his kick straight in the air. The Vale player lost the ball at first but then had it 15 yards out with Alexander and Young charging back to cover the line, City were so lucky that he shot over the top to 15,500 mass sighs of relief followed by 15,000 shouts of "sort it out City!".

Alexander's kicking and distribution continued to be suspect, it often is, but his handling, on occasions when he was called on, was immaculate.

After the let off, City finally managed to find another gear but only shifted from 1st to 2nd, it was laborious and very, very tense. The extra energy and intensity still wasn't good enough. There was little penalty area action and even less action on the wings, it was getting worrying.

Finally, after 65 minutes, City decided to change the game. Gary Croft replaced Mark Bonner, he played himself into the match but gradually made an impact giving City that much needed width and, with that, some space too. He took on his man, put crosses over and Cardiff were a different proposition altogether. Not before time.

The game was still drifting when, on this April Fool's Day, the jokes were all on the officials. Vale had a minor chance which went for a harmless goal kick. A Vale player outside the area bent over to tie his laces. The ref, running backwards, didn't see him, tripped over him and fell to the ground in agony clutching his shoulder which appeared to be dislocated.

The crowd were in hysterics, Rhys Weston on the pitch was doubled up in laughter. The game was held up for several more minutes. A God-like officialdom voice on the tannoy announced "do not worry, this game will continue shortly".

The surreal events became even more bizarre as another linesman became referee and the new linesman was none other than a Cardiff City steward!! Tony from Grandstand Block F is well known to many City fans and well known to many South Wales footballers too as he is a local leagues referee. I can only assume there is a contingency plan, at Cardiff and other clubs, for 5th officials and he is City's.

The game was held up longer while Tony had a warm up then the afternoon took its best and most decisive turn as City scored within 10 seconds of the restart.

Port Vale were caught totally cold as Alexander's goal kick was knocked on by Andy Campbell and left PETER THORNE racing clear on goal. As he got into the area, he smashed the ball home with true venom, it was unstoppable. His 3rd goal in 4 games. Thorne was clearly onside, Tony was happy with it but supposing he had been offside, I wonder if Tony would have flagged it knowing he would have had to face us next game!!??

City and the fans were both lifted and liberated by the goal. The tension remained but eased considerably. They could have added to the tally, Thorne drove wide, Weston hit a scorcher from 20 yards that Goodlad parried away. Kav raced clear on goal, Thorne-like, and hit an even harder smash that hurt Goodlad as it bounced off him, he knew little about it.

Leo won man of the match, deserved for his non-stop running and commitment, what a revelation he has become under Lennie Lawrence. Earnie was welcomed back for the final 10 minutes, great to see the wee man back, and Brayson came on in injury time replacing Campbell and Thorne respectively.

City should have sealed it late on as Earnie busrt into space on the right but instead of squaring to Leo, he tried to go alone and was snuffed. Leo rollocked him then and again at final whistle for that.

There were 6 minutes of added time, and a couple more again, with late substitutions so the game didn't finish until after 5 o'clock. Vale had a late flurry and a corner but it came to nothing.

Final whistle was total relief and mass joy. The tannoy blared "Rudie Can't Fail" by The Clash. Right now, it seems more like City Can't Fail.

But this was a below par Cardiff peformance against a workmanlike Port Vale side and the match was more notable from the fact that both the referee, Phil Richards and his senior assistant Simon Habgood, had to leave the field because of injuries.

Mr Habgood went off in the 35th minute after picking up a knee strain and he was replaced by the fourth official.

It became a bit more complicated in the 69th minute when referee Richards fell awkwardly after an accidental collison with a Cardiff defender and left the field clutching a damaged shoulder. The match ended with assistant referee Les Probert holding the whistle and an unnamed reserve official running the line.

Port Vale goalkeeper Mark Goodlad made a wonderful save at the foot of his left-hand post to keep out a Scott Young header from a Graham Kavanagh corner in only the fifth minute as Cardiff opened strongly.

But it was Neil Alexander who was to become the busier of the two goalkeepers as Port Vale strung together some sweet passing movements that seriously tested the Cardiff defence.

One particularly flowing move led to Matthew Carragher crossing from the right. Ian Armstrong rose to meet it with a powerful header that was on its way to the top corner of the net until Alexander stretched to palm it out from just under the bar.

Armstrong also saw a shot deflected for a fruitless corner and Alexander had to go full length to hold another shot from the busy Armstrong as Cardiff struggled to cope.

It was during the four minutes of time added on at the end of the first half due to the injury and replacement of Mr Habgood that Daniel Gabbidon created space on the edge of the Port Vale penalty area only to send his shot flashing into the side netting.

Cardiff were looking second best but gradually managed to pick up their game and put pressure on the Port Vale defence but they lacked the creativity needed to carve out any genuine scoring chances.

They put that right within seconds of the match restarting after the departure of the referee. Willie Boland found Andy Campbell, who lifted the ball over two defenders for Thorne to burst through and drive an unstoppable shot past Goodlad.

It seemed to inspire Cardiff and Sagi Burton had to get up high to head a dangerous cross from Gary Croft's over the bar before Goodlad brilliantly beat out a stinging shot from Kavanagh.