Jay Bothroyd silenced the Coventry boo-boys with a menacing display against his former club as Championship promotion hopefuls Cardiff stretched their unbeaten league run to 10 matches at the Ricoh Arena.

Bothroyd, who spent three years with the Sky Blues before leaving to join Italian outfit Perugia on a free transfer in July 2003, had his every touch roundly jeered by the home supporters.

But the former Arsenal youngster had the last laugh when he lashed the ball home from close range after 33 minutes after Keiren Westwood had saved his initial far-post header.

Bothroyd's strike partner Ross McCormack sealed the points for Cardiff with a second goal just after the hour.

Coventry went into the game unbeaten in league and cup since mid-December and Bothroyd always looked the most likely threat to ending their run.

It was his perfectly-weighted through ball in the first minute that split the home defence and sent McCormack clear.

McCormack was on to it like a flash but rather than chipping the ball over Westwood as he raced from his line, Cardiff's top scorer tried to take it round him and let the Sky Blues off the hook by running the ball out of play.

Three minutes later Bothroyd glanced a near-post header wide from Kevin McNaughton's right wing cross.

Bothroyd was at the hub of the action again midway through the first half when he blazed over following Mark Kennedy's cut-back - much to the delight of the Coventry supporters.

He then flashed a low shot narrowly wide of the far post after cutting infield from the left-hand side.

Coventry offered little as an attacking force. Freddy Eastwood wasted their best chance.

The Wales international poked his shot straight at Peter Enckleman when one on one with the Cardiff keeper after industrious work from Aron Gunnarsson in midfield had set-up the opportunity.

Cardiff continued their seemingly relentless barrage of Coventry's goal and McCormack's thunderous volley produced a fine save from Westwood after 29 minutes.

Dave Jones' side finally made the breakthrough after Kennedy dug out a superb cross from the left byline.

Bothroyd met the ball at the far post but his header was blocked by Westwood.

However, the striker blasted home the rebound before reeling off to taunt the supporters that had spent more than half-an-hour berating him.

McCormack had two chances to extend Cardiff's lead in first-half injury-time but Westwood got down well to save before the striker mishit the second chance wide from 10 yards.

The Scot made amends after the break though when he latched on to Gavin Rae's pass and slid the ball under Westwood to put the game beyond Coventry with his 16th goal of the season.