How many times have we heard Cardiff City managers and players say, "one of these days, we're really gonna give someone a hammering"? It's always been talk but today was the reality and undoubtedly it was better than sex ... well maybe.

This was a do or die match for both teams, Oldham 7th and Cardiff 8th before kick-off, desperately wanting to close a 4 point gap on the teams in the play-off zone, a draw would have been useless, defeat unthinkable. No disrespect to our opponents but no City fan felt that the Latics were a better team and squad, they were well beaten at Ninian Park 3 months ago, it's a sure sign of Cardiff's under-performance that we were level on points with them at 3pm.

City fans were up for it, the number travelling making a great sight on the motorways. Loads seemed to hit on the idea of going to nearby villages and don't you just love it Oop North when you can get 3 premium beers for just over a fiver and meals cost £1.90 (mind you, I saw the kitchen in the pub so wasn't tempted!) but the others still seem to be alive.

Boundary Park at the northern limits of Manchester was another 400 mile round trip but there were no problems getting there. The M50 was closed coming back meaning City fans had to detour, and pay to cross the Severn Bridge, nobody minded today (apart from Rob Phillips of BBC Wales who left his car in Monmouth!).

The stadium is surrounded by large open ground, to its advantage for car parking, but you do wonder how it hosted Premier League football not that long ago. It's four corrugated type stands, all seater which is basically seats bolted onto old terracing in most places. It had hospitality box that makes the portakabin one at Ninian looks like the last word in luxury with hospitality boxes that makes the one at Ninian look the cutting edge in luxury.

As usual City fans were ripped off. £15 paid compared to £12/£13 to the home fans for equivalent seating. But it was very good, a large away end with an even larger roof, it made for a cracking atmosphere and what Oldham hadn't spent on ground appearance, they certainly spent on the away end toilets, outstanding!

There is undoubtedly a different atmosphere to home and away game and it's something everybody get right in the remaining games. Away and Cardiff fans are unbeatable, the vocal support is immense, the encouragement non-stop. At Ninian, we get too tense, it seems as if we are waiting for players to make mistakes. It has to be a factor why we do so well away but struggle at home.

Cardiff went into the game with a crippling injury list with no fewer than 14 doubts before the match, only 1 of whom, Rhys Weston, had recovered. It left Lennie with few options but to patch up the team - Danny Gabbidon played his unnatural left back role, Andy Legg was pushed into midfield - the subs bench featured 5 of the 6 other players City had available which included 3 teenagers. But Lennie pulled a master-stroke, he opted for 4-3-3.

His reasons were probably due to making best use of what was available to him but it also was the best way to deal with Oldham, they too were in a mess. Loads of their players were injured including key players in attack, midfield and defence, just like us. If that wasn't bad enough, another also got injured during the pre-match warm up. Critically, their senior keepers were injured so Oldham called on their ex-hero, Andy Goram, 38 in a few weeks to help them in an emergency at the club where he started his career. And ex-hero, he remained!

It was almost a year ago when Andy Goram helped Manchester United in an emergency. His dream became a nightmare as he was so bad that Alex Ferguson substituted him. Today, his dream return to Oldham turned into a living hell. He was overweight, unfit as he spent the whole match with his hands on his hips and probably finished with backache too from getting the ball out of his net so often! Crucially, he never came for any cross or corner and, on an afternoon when City at last put in quality crosses to big men, it was carnage.

Not in our wildest City dreams would we have imagined that it would be 4-0 after half-hour, all headed, and Oldham were reduced to 10 men, game over, thank you very much, who's next!

The opening exchanges gave no hint of what was to come as City found their feet and adapted to their unusual line up and formation. Oldham carved two great opportunities in the opening 5 minutes but messed up as a shot at the far post from a corner was mishit weakly to Alexander then smashed into the high roof of our away stand. Then it all went ballistic.

Just 6 minutes gone, Andy Legg took a throw in 25 yards out. He threw a huge one, even by his standards, Goram stood motionless as did many of his defenders and Scott Young powered in and nodded home with ease. Leggy's throw is always a weapon but it does seem that we are scoring more than ever from them lately.

City still weren't convincing and will be indebted to Neil Alexander who hasn't performed that well lately and has earned some criticism for his inability to be a shot stopper. Not today as he made two saves to secure City's lead, one of them an outstanding stop as he dived full length to block an effort from 12 yards from a corner that seemed set to equalise. If it had gone in, it could have been a different game altogether as it could have been if Oldham hadn't fluffed a sitter from close range.

City knew they had to hit back as Oldham were creating pressure, when they did, it was devastating.

Twenty three minutes, City win a corner after strong play that threatened to slice open Oldham's rearguard. The let off was temporary as Leggy hit an immaculate inswinging corner, LEO FORTUNE-WEST was unchallenged and nodded home from close range past the helpless Goram and his motionless defence. 2-0.

Just two minutes later, it was more mayhem in City's attacking, mass hugging, dancing and roaring in City's away end. Another corner, Campbell's darting runs and pace were hurting Oldham. Unfortunately for them, it was also on the right side for Leggy. Another inswinger, this time right across goal to the far post where PETER THORNE powered in and hit a bullet header home.

25 minutes, 3-0, I did the 100 meters up and down the stand in celebration, on a sheer high. It was at this point that I thought we weren't going to lose. To add to the joy and hilarity of the day, a group of Oldham fans sat in the stand nearest us, having gone there partly to bait the City support. They picked the wrong say. Some of them had seen enough already and got up to leave the ground with City fans singing, "Time To Go" and "Cheerio". Unbelievable.

On the half hour, it was 4-0 and this time I believed that City would win too. I was speechless, everywhere you looked, you could see Bluebird fans in a total daze, it was just unreal and there was still more to come.

Oldham were gone, City went for the kill and a through ball sent ANDY CAMPBELL racing clear. Andy Goram, for once, reacted and charged out to meet him. The rest was pinball and more comedy as Campbell's shot was blocked by Goram, rebounded to Campbell and rebounded again into the empty Oldham net. This time, I did the high hurdles and long jump in celebration.

More Oldham fans left the part of the ground nearest us, more were leaving in other parts of their home ends too and still with more than an hour to go! And when they thought it couldn't possibly get any worse, it did.

The game took a minute or two to restart, there was unrest and what seemed to be Oldham fans fighting with each other, their heads had gone on and off the pitch. Straight from the restart, Matt Appleby showed he was no professional with an appalling challenge on Danny Gabbidon, the type that can break legs and finish careers. I believe it was a 2nd yellow card but if it wasn't, it would have been straight red anyway, disgraceful.

As if things weren't bad enough for Oldham, they made a tactical change too with their 10 men and brought on ex-Bluebird, Tony Carss, a man who could give Liverpool's manager Phil Thompson competition if the biggest nose in football was ever judged. Those who remember Carss at City and were still unsure if our lead was big enough suddenly knew City would win too.

Kav, having a very quiet match again, nearly made it 5 as he hit a speculative 30 yarder but was so unlucky and Goram miraculously managed to remove his hands from his hips, get them above his head and tip it over the bar. How was Kav to know he would do that?

Oldham added to the sheer comedy of the half as Alan Smart, sent off at Ninian when Oldham finished with 10 men against us (they must like it that way), met a cross and headed against the bar. The header looped up, another player met it as it fell and put it straight at Alexander. Marvellous!

With 45 minutes up, City then made it 5-0 (Phil Suarez outside the ground later reckoned it was the first time City had ever scored 5 away from home in a first half, regardless of opposition, who am I to argue with the great man).

Same tactic, same result. City win a corner, Leggy hits the perfect ball, Oldham and Goram stand and watch, Leo peels off his man and glances a header across goal and high into the net. It looked classy, as if LEO FORTUNE-WEST knew what he was doing, which he could never do of course!! City fans was daydreaming and stunned but the goal was celebrated with everyone doing the Leo.

More Oldham fans walked out, I was waiting for their tannoy to announce for the last one of them to leave to turn the leaves out and lock the gates as he left.

And in injury time, it was so nearly 6 as Graham Kavanagh hit a superb low shot across goal, Goram made an excellent diving stop. I wouldn't like to guess what colour his pants were as City lined up with Leo, Thorne, Young, Prior and con in the area waiting for Leggy's latest inswinger, his reward for making that save, but this time it came to nothing.

The most amazing 45 minutes of football I have witnessed in my life watching Cardiff City and, for sure, something I will never experience again. City fans looked like zombies trying to take in all that they had seen, most seemed to be phoning mates on mobiles to tell them about it and check it was 5-0 on tv and radio too, it was very difficult to take in. I think I spent most of half-time laughing, it was incredible.

This was pure Fantasy Football. Not surprisingly, it was hailed as just like watching Brazil.

HALF-TIME: Oldham 0 CITY 5 (that's FIVE, F-I-V-E !!)

Not surprisingly, the second half was an anti-climax. City had declared at half-time, innings over. The name of the game this half was to be professional, keep their composure, not to anything silly and I'd imagine, avoid any injuries. To their credit, they did exactly that.

First of all, Andy Goram had to come to our end to be greeted by 1,500 voices singing "There's only 1 Andy Goram". And then, those of us who remembered his bout of schizophrenia a couple of years ago serenaded him with, "there's only 2 Andy Gorams". He was also reminded of his place in the Scottish pecking order with chants of "Scotland's, Scotland's no 10". Alexander is Scotland's no 1 of course.

Goram never turned to face us once during the half, he wouldn't dare. The way he stood with his hands on his hips, I was starting to wonder if they were superglued on there.

Chances and incidents were few and far between. Oldham nearly scored with a corner of their own soon after the restart, City cleared off the line.

City's first attack didn't come for a while but promised to be spectacular as Leggy burst through 3 or 4 challenges, sighting goal and realising he had a good chance of scoring if he put it in the air. He put it too high though, the ball sailed over. Not long after that, Andy Campbell nearly did the same but knocked the ball a little too far ahead as he beat the last man, Goram came out and collected.

But City and Campbell weren't to be denied although it has to be said, terrible defending let Oldham down again but who cared? I'm not even sure the Oldham fans were bothered anymore about how bad they were by this stage.

A desperately underhit back pass saw the alert and pacy CAMPBELL steal in, get their first, run the ball wide of Goram and steer into the open net behind him. 65 minutes, Oldham 0 City 6 (SIX) and the face of the Oldham defender as red as City's shirts.

Eight minutes later, it was Seventh Heaven and a hat-trick for Andy Campbell, his first ever in first team football and owed everything to his pace and persistence. Again, he charged through Oldham, Goram came to meet him, Campbell went wide and nearly ran the ball behind. But he stopped it and got an angle, his shot was blocked on the line but went in the air and fell invitingly for CAMPBELL to gleefully smash home high into the net, 7-0 away to the team competing with us to get into the play-offs, stunning.

Campbell has never experienced a scoring run like this, he has now scored in each of his three loan games, scored six and could have had more too. He is proving to be one of the best loans we have ever had.

Oldham their cheered up their fan left in the ground as they scored from the kick-off. City momentarily went to sleep allowing Balmer to meet a cross and nod past Alexander. We still lost concentration, couldn't keep the clean sheet but today was one time when nobody was too bothered. City fans chanted to the Oldham fan still there that, "you only need 6 more". Quite humorous to hear the p.a. blaring out music to celebrate their goal, their remaining fan clapped and said, 'hooray' apparently.

The final quarter hour was played out, mostly City knocking it about accompanied by shouts of "ole!". Lennie ignored our chants to do the ayatollah so it was jokingly followed by We Want Lennie Out chants. Lawrence later explained that he didn't know what we were chanting but that he will next time. The impact of Lennie should never be under-estimated, he talks common-sense, he uses tactics to win games and changes when they don't walk and he is unbeaten after 7 games in charge, 6 of them in league action in which City have collected 14 points.

What an afternoon, one I'll never ever forget. An incredible day made even better when news filtered through that Brizzle Zity lost 2-0 at Notts County. They now occupy the final play off spot, 1 point ahead of Cardiff with 7 games each to go, both have 3 at home and 4 away, Bristol with the harder finish on paper as they have to play Brighton, Reading and Stoke. Incredibly, a goal difference favouring Bristol at 3pm became 1 in our favour by 5pm, those 7 goals that took us to 7th place may prove even more significant.

It does look like a straight race between Cardiff and Bristol for the final play off slot, the top five are 5 points ahead of City, those behind, Oldham included, are effectively out of it. As Kevin Keegan would say, "I would love it, love it, LOVE IT" if we get to the play-offs and take out Bristol at the same time. It is a race that seems set to the final kick of our final league game. Go and do it lads! And let's get 100% behind them all the way.

Saw a few of the City players outside the ground, all were understandably beaming and very happy, not as much as us though, there again, we had a few bevvies beforehand too. More funny were the Oldham players giving autographs to their young fans being asked if they enjoyed the game. "No" or "not much" was the general answer.

The Oldham fans took things remarkably well, they were stood and had to laugh about it too, it did make me wonder how we would have reacted if the same thing had happened to us at Ninian.

A beautiful day, a beautiful game.

Campbell's star showing, however, was only part of a brilliant display from the Bluebirds which left Oldham shell-shocked following their first home league defeat since Mick Wadsworth took over as coach in November.

The Boundary Park massacre was also the first time Cardiff boss Lennie Lawrence had tasted a 7-1 success - it helped to redress the balance as the much travelled manager has been on the receiving end twice in his long career.

For Oldham, it was a day they will want to forget in a hurry.

And goalkeeper Andy Goram, who was making his first Latics appearance since leaving the club 14 years ago, must wonder what hit him.

Lawrence said: "We anticipated a tight game because Oldham are in virtually the same position as us but I could sense in the dressing room that the players were really up for it.

"If we had lost we were looking up a mountain but Oldham couldn't handle our set pieces and we made a fantastic start.

"Everytime we went forward we looked like scoring - and most of the time we did.

"The players should be priveliged to be at this club and they carry the hopes of many thousands of fans. Now we have to make sure we use this result to push on into the play-offs."

Wadsworth said: "I have never had a day like this as a manager or coach. We made a cow's backside of it in every sense.

"It was extremely poor from the first goal to the last minute and it's a total disaster but we will harbour our ambitions.

"I have thought all week that 15 points would get us into the play-offs and there is still hope that we can do it."

Wadsworth saw his captain, Matty Appleby, sent off during the first half carnage which left Cardiff 5-0 up.

And he added: "Matt is not a baby, he is a senior player who should have a lot more sense. I will look at disciplining him."

Cardiff's dream day began after six minutes when Scott Young rose to head in an Andy Legg long throw from six yards.

It was 2-0 after 22 minutes when Legg's corner was glanced in at the near post by Leo Fortune-West and 3-0 a minute later thanks to Peter Thorne's far-post header, again from a Legg corner.

Campbell opened his account on the half hour by racing through on to Thorne's through ball and getting a lucky break off Goram before walking the ball in.

Appleby went within two minutes for his second rash challenge and Fortune-West completed an extraordinary first half by planting home a header from eight yards from Graham Kavanagh's right-wing cross.

Campbell charged clear to make it 6-0 after Oldham left back Chris Armstrong played a woeful back pass and he completed his treble after 73 minutes after his initial effort was deflected back off the bar.

Hapless Oldham responded after 74 minutes when Stuart Balmer slotted in from eight yards from a David Eyres free-kick.