CARLING CUP ROND ONE - COLCHESTER UNITED 0 CARDIFF CITY 2

I was on holidays in Egypt so missed this but a professional job well done by the boys.

This report from FootyMad on cardiffcity.com

Cameron Jerome helped himself to his third goal in as many games as Cardiff City eased into the second round of the Carling Cup at the expense of League One hosts Colchester.

Two goals in a three-minute spell midway through the first half put Cardiff in complete charge and they never looked like relinquishing their hold on this match.

After a quiet first half hour, Cardiff took the lead via the penalty spot in the 31st minute. U's defender Pat Baldwin shoved midfielder Jeff Whitley in the back, inside the box, and referee Richard Beeby was in a good position to award a penalty.Up stepped cool customer Darren Purse and City's defender sent keeper Dean Gerken the wrong way with a precise penalty.

Three minutes later and this cup tie was effectively over. Cardiff striker Alan Lee raced past a couple of Colchester defenders and slipped the ball through for his strike partner Jerome, who rounded keeper Gerken to sweep into an empty net.

Cardiff have struggled in the Championship of late, losing their last two league fixtures to Watford and Derby. Yet Jerome had scored in both these fixtures as well.Colchester could not find any spark and they rarely threatened Cardiff keeper Neil Alexander, who was not actually required to make a serious save until injury time.

Alexander was in the right place to catch an angled shot from Tottenham loanee Mark Yeates. Otherwise, Alexander enjoyed a very quiet evening.Greg Halford was narrowly off target with a couple of earlier shots, but Colchester could not make any serious in roads, with Cardiff content to sit on their two-goal lead.

It was disappointing for the Essex hosts, especially as they'd enjoyed a good run in this competition last season, when they beat Premiership side West Brom and were unlucky to lose in the third run 3-2 at Southampton.Cardiff reached the last 16 of the Carling Cup last term, but they were taken to penalties in two matches. Colchester never looked like threatening them this season.