Toon time: City 0-1 Newcastle

This was City's biggest home league game for many years - both in the quality of the opposition and the occasion. Over 25,600 came to Cardiff City Stadium to watch the Bluebirds take on the Toon.

In the first half an hour City looked frightened of their opponents, standing off and giving them too much time and respect. This resulted in the games only goal, a scrappy affair after City had repeatedly failed to clear the ball. After that, City began to settle, but you can't give a team like Newcastle a goal start and expect it to be easy. It wasn't. They were fast, technically good and fairly physical as you'd expect from a team with Alan Smith and Joey Barton in it.

In the second period City blossomed a bit more, but the final ball was always poor, the crosses were rubbish and set pieces were, well, in need of a great deal of practice.

City had two decent shouts for a penalty late on but the ref was having none of it, and 1-0 was probably a fair result in the end.

It's set City a benchmark though. After a flying start we've now lost our last two, and we know that Middlesborough, West Brom and Newcastle are probably the sides we're going to have to compete with if we are truely to realise our Premiership dream.

C'mon City. Let's get back on it!