In-form Cardiff kept their Coca-Cola Championship play-off hopes alive with a comfortable victory against relegation-threatened Blackpool at Ninian Park.

Goals from Stephen McPhail, Trevor Sinclair and Peter Whittingham extended the FA Cup finalists' unbeaten run to eight league matches to leave the Tangerines looking anxiously over their shoulders at the relegation zone.

Skipper McPhail broke the deadlock with an early long-range strike and goals from Sinclair and Whittingham early in the second half extended struggling Blackpool's winless streak to eight league games.

Former Coventry striker Andy Morrell pulled a goal back for the visitors, but the damage had already been done.

Cardiff are now five points behind sixth-placed Crystal Palace and the Welsh club have a game in hand on Neil Warnock's side.

Bluebirds boss Dave Jones made four changes to the side that held Ipswich in midweek, with Kevin McNaughton, Darren Purse, Sinclair and Whittingham returning to the starting line-up.

While midfielder Keith Southern was promoted to the Blackpool starting line-up having recovered from a hamstring injury that limited him to a substitute appearance against West Brom on Tuesday night.

Cardiff took the lead just six minutes in when the Blackpool defence failed to clear their lines following a flick-on from Steven Thompson and McPhail lashed home his third goal of the season from long range.

A scrappy period of play ensued, with neither side managing to fashion goalscoring opportunities.

But Stephen McPhee came close to an equaliser with a right-foot drive from the edge of the area that flashed past the post.

The game eventually started to open up and winger Wes Hoolahan tried his luck from 18 yards out but failed to test City goalkeeper Peter Enckelman.

And Ian Evatt spurned an excellent opportunity to restore parity when he headed straight at Enckelman from close range.

Blackpool boss Simon Grayson reacted to his side's first-half display by making two substitutions at the interval, with Ben Burgess and Michael Flynn replaced by Paul Dickov and David Fox.

But the visitors were caught cold four minutes into the second half when Aaron Ramsey produced a moment of quality to set up Sinclair, who slotted the ball past Paul Rachubka from 12 yards out.

And defender Purse had an opportunity to add a third goal two minutes later but his close-range header was comfortably saved by Rachubka.

Purse then spurned another opportunity to give his side a three-goal advantage, heading a Ramsey corner wide of Rachubka's right post.

But the Cardiff faithful did not have long to wait for a third goal, which came in the 57th minute.

The lively Ramsey was once again the architect, passing to Whittingham, who produced a measured left-foot finish that nestled in the bottom-left corner.

To Blackpool's credit, they refused to throw in the towel and pulled a goal back 18 minutes from time when Dickov's cross from the left was headed home by Morrell from six yards out.

Teams

Cardiff Enckelman, McNaughton, Capaldi, Purse, Johnson, Rae,Whittingham, McPhail, Sinclair (Brown 68), Ramsey, Thompson.

Subs Not Used: Oakes, Loovens, Scimeca, Blake.

Goals: McPhail 7, Sinclair 50, Whittingham 58.

Blackpool Rachubka, Crainey, Evatt, Gorkss, Barker, Southern,McPhee (Morrell 64), Hoolahan, Taylor-Fletcher, Flynn (Fox 46),Burgess (Dickov 46).

Subs Not Used: Flinders, Coid.

Goals: Morrell 73.

Att: 14,715

Ref: Tony Bates (Staffordshire).