Ricardo Fuller finally showed Southampton fans what he can do by netting two goals as a fine second-half performance earned a 3-2 win which all but ends Cardiff's Coca-Cola Championship play-off hopes.

Claus Lundekvam had given the home side the lead with a rare goal - and although Cameron Jerome quickly equalised, Fuller netted twice to seal the points before Darren Purse's late consolation effort.

It was the Saints who had the first chance when the ball fell to Polish striker Grzegorz Rasiak six yards out, but he fired over the bar.

The next real opportunity fell to the visitors when Jim Brennan had to clear Glenn Loovens' effort from a Jason Koumas corner off the line.

Jerome was then off target from 20 yards before Kevin Cooper's 25-yarder also missed Kevin Miller's goal as Cardiff turned the heat up on their struggling opponents.

The Saints finally fashioned another chance when Rasiak rose highest to meet Danny Higginbotham's cross but looped his header wide of the target.

Peter Madsen saw his shot saved by Neil Alexander, and Higginbotham shot wide as the Saints finished the first period the stronger.

Cardiff made a tactical change at the interval by bringing Neil Cox on in place of Loovens - but within a minute, they were behind from the unlikeliest of sources as Lundekvam touched home Brennan's corner to net only his second goal in 375 appearances for the club.

Lundekvam then had to hack off the line at the other end in a frenetic start to the second half.

With 54 minutes on the clock, Jerome levelled after an almighty scramble in the Saints goalmouth as both Purse and Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu hit the bar and then the England Under-21s international managed to poke home his 19th goal of the season.

Fuller nearly restored the lead with a smart shot, but Alexander was able to keep it out; then Rasiak missed the target, and Alexander kept out a Higginbotham header.

But the now rampant Saints were not to be denied as Fuller gave them the lead for the second time when he cut inside Purse and shot past Alexander to net his fourth goal for the club.

Four soon became five for the Jamaican when he sweetly volleyed home after his header from another Brennan corner came back out to him as the Saints finally gave their long-suffering fans something to cheer about at St Mary's.

Purse set up a nervous final few minutes by thumping home a header from Neal Ardley's corner.

Cardiff had a chance to nick a point in the dying seconds when Koumas' 30-yard free-kick got over the wall only to be kept out by Miller.

Teams

Southampton Miller, Baird, Lundekvam, Kenton, Higginbotham,Madsen (Belmadi 78), Wright, Chaplow, Brennan, Rasiak,Fuller (Jones 80).

Subs Not Used: Smith, Dyer, McGoldrick.

Booked: Baird.

Goals: Lundekvam 47, Fuller 70, 75.

Cardiff Alexander, Ardley, Purse, Loovens (Cox 45), Barker,Koumas, Ledley, Scimeca, Cooper (Boland 78), Jerome,Ndumbu-Nsungu (Ferretti 67).

Subs Not Used: Whitley, Weston.

Booked: Ndumbu-Nsungu.

Goals: Jerome 54, Purse 90.

Att: 22,388

Ref: P Walton (Northamptonshire).