Cardiff stepped up their promotion challenge with a comfortable win against disappointing Doncaster, who had been the form team in the Coca-Cola Championship.

Michael Chopra fired his third goal in four matches in the 10th minute and Jay Bothroyd drilled a second from the edge of the penalty area to put Cardiff in firm control at half-time.

Dave Jones' side, who have now lost just once in their last 16 league matches and have the fewest defeats in the Championship, sealed the points on the hour mark when substitute Eddie Johnson curled home a fine finish from the edge of the penalty area.

Doncaster had climbed up to 10th in the table having won nine of their previous 11 league games prior to this encounter, but despite plenty of attractive build-up play there was no end product on their first trip to Ninian Park in 11 years.

On the down side for Jones' boys, goalscorer Bothroyd was one of two Cardiff players forced off injured, Mark Kennedy was the other, while Doncaster's best player Brian Stock also hobbled out of the action.

Cardiff, who made one change with Bothroyd starting up front in place of Eddie Johnson, wasted little time in picking up where they had left off in midweek following a 3-1 win over Barnsley.

Gavin Rae played the ball into the penalty area from the right in the 10th minute and Chopra, on loan from Sunderland, arrowed the ball into the bottom corner from 12 yards.

Chances were few and far between before Rae almost doubled the Welsh side's advantage in the 20th minute when his left-footed shot from inside the area was kept out by Doncaster goalkeeper Neil Sullivan at full stretch.

The visitors had failed to muster a single effort on goal before Matt Mills headed Martin Woods' corner just over the crossbar, while Cardiff were dealt a blow in the 26th minute with Kennedy forced out of the action through injury and replaced by Miguel Comminges.

But there was no stopping the men in blue. Roger Johnson picked himself up to play a free-kick across the edge of the penalty area following Jason Price's foul and Bothroyd slammed a right-footed shot into the bottom corner.

Doncaster's Brian Stock was hurt in the 34th minute and replaced by Mark Wilson and then goalscorer Bothroyd became the third player to hobble off soon after, with Eddie Johnson sent on.

Cardiff continued to shade possession after the interval and effectively killed the game on the hour-mark when substitute Johnson curled the ball home into the bottom corner from the edge of the area, left-footed, after cutting in from the right.

Doncaster manager Sean O'Driscoll sent on Dean Shiels and James Hayter for Price and James Coppinger a couple of minutes later.

It was not long before Shiels almost pulled one back for Rovers when he let fly from 20 yards, but Konstantopoulos was equal to it and the visitors were unable to make further in-roads as Cardiff retained most of the possession.

Teams

Cardiff Konstantopoulos, Gyepes, Roger Johnson,Kennedy (Comminges 26), Blake, Rae, Whittingham, Parry, Ledley,Bothroyd (Eddie Johnson 36), Chopra (McCormack 63).

Subs Not Used: Owusu-Abeyie, Scimeca.

Goals: Chopra 10, Bothroyd 29, Eddie Johnson 60.

Doncaster Sullivan, Chambers, Mills, Hird, Roberts, Wellens,Stock (Wilson 34), Woods, Spicer, Coppinger (Hayter 62),Price (Shiels 62).

Subs Not Used: Letheren, Lockwood.

Booked: Mills.

Att: 17,821

Ref: Grant Hegley (Hertfordshire).