Report by NigelBlues
Cardiff City fans, still revelling in true fantasy football as Craig Bellamy returns home, had to pinch themselves again as Doncaster were demolished 4-0. City's last signing of such extraordinary magnitude, the legendary John Charles, scored a 70 yard free-kick to crown his debt, Captain Bellamy made it a day never to be forgotten either creating 2 (one of them a 60 yard assist with a pass from near a corner flag as City defended) then striking the most stunning 35 yard free-kick late on. City's other goals were by Jay Bothroyd (2) and Chris Burke.
To put his result into context, it was Doncaster's biggest defeat since being in the Championship and their first four goal loss in the league since beating beaten at home by the same margin in January 2008 League One ironically by ... Swansea.
Yet there were few signs of this outcome in a first half that Doncaster edged on points for a sizeable period while Cardiff battled for the right to play their football and City also had to cope with the loss through injury of both Michael Chopra and Kevin McNaughton inside the first half hour.
After a week of what felt like unprecedented drama and fervour (and that alone takes some doing with the soap opera that is Cardiff City) which also grabbed national and international attention, it felt a relief to be going to watch football instead of talking about it. It also felt surreal to believe Craig Bellamy, a Premiership superstar at the height of his powers, had elected to come home but he certainly had as thousands of extra shirt and season ticket sales plus a home sell out crowd showed only too well.
The difference was also noticeable in Canton bars. Opening home game, I walked into a half empty Admiral Napier and was served instantly. Today, I had to barge my way through the crowd ... that was just to get inside from the street. I'd also never seen the pubs empty quite so early either, everyone wanted to be there to see the moment Bellamy led out the team but not just that, it was also to pay their respects to Bluebirds legend Brian Clark.
The sights and sounds were spine tingling as the teams were led out with Bellers at the front. The crowd was 24,027 and the poignancy of the occasion was heightened again as the club paid full tribute to my boyhood idol, true legend and all round nice guy Brian Clark who sadly passed away recently after illness. He will never be forgotten for scoring the goal that beat Real Madrid, surely the greatest night in club history, but I will always remember him for far more that that. That minute's applause and chants of there's only one Brian Clark with both teams and former team-mates Bobby Woodruff, Don Murray, Steve Derrett and Gary Bell on the pitch with the big screen showing some magical memories was very fitting ... even if Dave Jones wearing his black armband over his white shirt did look slightly, and very unintentionally, Nazi.
Darcy Blake was injured warming up having rolled on his ankle so swiftly replaced by Adam Matthews but, with all other players available including Kevin McNaughton after his concussion/hospital trauma last weekend, the questions were who would Bellamy replace and what formation would City deploy?
It was the unfortunate Chris Burke, last week's match winner, who found himself on the bench as City stayed 4-4-2 with Bellers on the left and Peter Whittingham switched to the right. Such has been City's activity in the market that they went from 4 subs only in the league opener a fortnight ago to what must be City's strongest bench ever.
CARDIFF: Marshall; Matthews-Blake-Hudson-Gyepes-McNaughton; Whittingham-Olifinjana-Drinkwater-Bellamy; Bothroyd-Chopra. The subs were Heaton-Gerrard-McCormack-Rae-Koumas-Burke-Naylor.
Doncaster are of one the Championship's least fashionable but most likeable clubs. They play football as it should be their passing and movement is often exceptional as Cardiff found out last season getting beaten away but having a lucky last minute home win at CCS. Some fancy Donny as this season's Blackpool as they started well enough with a comfortable opening day win at Preston but they needed an added time penalty to avoid home defeat to the hapless Wurzels last week.
So to the game and after all that build up, Bellamy could. Maybe should, have opened inside 2 minutes as City's first slick move saw Chopra taken out by an horrendous Thomas flying studs in challenge but play moved so fast, few saw it as the ball was worked by Jay to Bellamy who hooked over as O'Sullivan ran out to block.
Chops needed prolonged treatment and also limped off for more later while the game was in play but in between came so close to opening the scoring as he latched onto Jay's flick on, tried to lob veteran keeper Neil O'Sullivan whose reflexes belied a player who turned 40 last season.
However it was Donny who opened up the better with the game being played at a furious pace that was never going to last. Passing and moving the ball as they can, they were exposing Cardiff and creating plenty of problems, one shot missing by a whisker and Marshall having to be at full stretch to turn away two other efforts.
Cardiff's problems increased as Kevin McNaughton limped off inside 20 minutes followed by Chopra who could not recover from his knock (and may now be out for up to 6 weeks) but City's bench showed its power as they were replaced by debutant Lee Naylor producing a very pleasing debut and Chris Burke showing how to respond to being dropped with, arguably, a man of the match display. Cardiff also matched up Donny's 4-5-1 with Peter Whittingham tucking in and running the show and the tide turned with it.
Within 4 minutes, Cardiff were ahead. Danny Drinkwater fed Craig Bellamy and his first time daisy cutter across the box from the edge of the area found BOTHROYD whose flick took a lucky deflection off Donny's Thomas and left him one on one with O'Sullivan to finish coolly stroking the ball wide of him.
Half-time: CITY 1 DONNY 0
The proverbial game of two halves, City were now able to open up and show their mighty attacking quality. I personally felt Donny had worked so hard in the first half, they had run their legs off to a certain extent and while Cardiff could go up a gear, the visitors could not respond. However they so nearly levelled it as a fluke Coppinger cross deceived Marshall and bounced off his crossbar.
It was a sideshow to what were three stunning second half goals. Donny can question their defending but no denying each goal was a classic in its own right.
The second and decisive goal on 62 minutes was almost a tribute to Brian Clark. Chris Burke, back to his very best, got the ball wide, ran at defenders, dummied past one and got to the by-line before crossing to the far post for BOTHROYD to send a towering header back across goal into the top corner. Clarkie would have been smiling looking down at that. It was Jay's 4th of the season as he sets about beating last season's 13.
Any thoughts Donny could still make a game of it were banished 6 minutes later and in incredible style. Bellamy won the ball by the corner flag with City defending. As he belted it up field, it looked like a clearance but the ball cleared Donny's defence and sent CHRIS BURKE clear. He would never be caught and finished with real aplomb as he fired home high from just inside the box leaving O'Sullivan motionless. CCS was now truly rocking.
Job done, game over, the contest looked now resembled a training match but had one moment of humour as City put together 20 or more passes before nearly scoring with each pass greeted with an ole only for Donny to get the ball and do their best to replicate with their beleaguered support doing the same, volume 50 times quieter.
Bellers is a long way from match fitness and blowing frequently but came alive on the ball but his afternoon finished in amazing style. Winning a free-kick 35 yards out on the left side of goal, BELLAMY let fly with the ball seemingly accelerating en route to beat O'Sullivan and hammer in off his far post. It was truly an extraordinary moment, the noise and celebrations in the crowd simply fantastic.
Before he departed for a standing ovation, he got booked for dissent (I think the ref just wanted his name in the book) but that still left time for Jason Koumas to show how devastatingly good he can be with some superb touches and passes.
However this was a team display where every player performed really well, apart from those already mentioned, I was especially impressed by Olifinjana in midfield who only plays 25 yards either side of halfway and doesn't veer too far left or right but the game can't pass him by there and he is an anchor, the type of general the side have been missing for too long.
The frightening thing is that you suspect this side will only get better. They are still working on their shape, they are still getting to know each other. Even the City pessimists are optimistic!
As Lou Reed sings, it's such a perfect, I'm glad I spent it with you. Final whistle saw the heavens open and the mother of all downpours, City fans left CCS truly singing and dancing in the rain. What a day, it will never be forgotten by anyone there.
Report from The BBC
Craig Bellamy rounded off a perfect Cardiff City debut by firing home a stunning 35-yard free-kick to seal a 4-0 demolition of Doncaster Rovers.
The new Cardiff captain had a hand in Jay Bothroyd's first-half opener as the ball fell kindly for the big striker.
Bothroyd headed his second on the hour from a dangerous Chris Burke cross.
On-loan Manchester City star Bellamy then sent Burke free with a 60-yard ball for Cardiff's third, before Bellamy's firecracker sealed victory.
The eye-catching victory continued the Bluebirds' unbeaten start to the new Championship season.
Bellamy's high-profile year-long loan signing to his home-town club had dominated the build-up to this fixture between the Championship's two longest serving managers.
Cardiff boss Dave Jones was clearly the happier, as new boy Bellamy inspired the Welsh club to a comprehensive victory with a master-class that will leave some Premier League managers wishing the Wales captain had joined them.
But their loss is Cardiff's gain as the 31-year-old continued the form that often lit up the top-flight last season when he was wanted at Eastlands.
Bellamy lived up to the enormous hype and his breathtaking free-kick with six minutes remaining capped an impressive all-round performance to consign Doncaster to their first league defeat of the season.
Cardiff, last season's defeated play-off finalists, sent a warning out to their promotion rivals with this triumph against a good Doncaster side that, at times, controlled the game.
But, as Bellamy scored on his debut for the third time in four, the Welsh side showed they are now likely to be the team to beat in this division.
Doncaster's Sean O'Driscoll was the happier manager early on as the visitors created three goal chances in the opening 10 minutes.
Billy Sharp's shot was blocked before Brian Stock fired the loose ball arrowing just past David Marshall's right-hand post.
And Stock threatened to overshadow Welsh international team-mate Bellamy's bow, as the Doncaster skipper again fired goalwards but outstretched Cardiff keeper Marshall finger-tipped the shot around the post.
But in an incident-packed opening quarter, only a fine save from veteran Rovers stopper Neil Sullivan kept out Michael Chopra as the Cardiff striker pounced on Bothroyd's flick.
Bellamy, playing on the left wing, seemed a little over-anxious on his home-coming with a string of loose passes - but great interplay between him and Bothroyd created space for Peter Whittingham whose 20-yard shot fizzed just wide of Sullivan's left-hand post.
But the B&B combination did conjure up the opener 10 minutes before the break - albeit a little fortuitously.
Bothroyd stepped over Bellamy's low cross from the left to allow Whittingham through on goal.
However, the ball ricocheted off unfortunate Doncaster defender Wayne Thomas straight into Bothroyd's path, who kept his composure well to slot past Sullivan.
Although Cardiff led at the break, Jones would have been concerned that both striker Chopra and full-back Kevin McNaughton limped off in the first half - especially when defender Darcy Blake withdrew from the starting line-up after suffering an injury in the warm-up.
And it could have been worse for Jones if James Coppinger's looping right-wing cross had dropped a little quicker but the back-peddling Marshall was fortunate the ball cannoned back off his crossbar.
But Bothroyd's second on the hour - his fourth of the season - put Cardiff in control as he rose unmarked in the six-yard box to nod in substitute Burke's right-wing cross.
The Scottish winger then turned goal-scorer as he raced onto Bellamy's exquisite 60-yard ball from his own corner flag to seal Cardiff's fifth successive home league win over Doncaster.
Then Bellamy ensured he stole the show with a goal of the season contender as Cardiff set a standard for the Championship this season.
See also
Attack of the killer B's
Daily Mail
The Guardian