Burnley 5-0 Cardiff: Ethan Horvath howler sets tone as Clarets win in Championship

This always looked like a tough test for Cardiff who came to Turf Moor with boss Erol Bulut making two changes to the side beaten 2-0 by Sunderland, but all game plans went out of the window as the Bluebirds surrendered the advantage in this contest in truly farcical circumstances.

Burnley looked extremely impressive in their demolition of Luton, but they barely needed to get out of first gear before Cardiff gifted them a 1-0 lead.

There was little danger for the Bluebirds when Goutas opted to pass back to Horvath, but the goalkeeper allowed the ball to slip under his foot and was powerless to stop the ball trickling over the line as he ended up in the net.

Cardiff might have got back on level terms five minutes later when Joe Ralls sent Yakou Meite clear, but the forward struck the post after firing at goal at full stretch. That was as good as things got for the Bluebirds.

The visitors were ruthlessly punished for another mistake to go 2-0 down as Goutas slid into a challenge with Rodriguez and completely missed the ball, with Rodriguez’s cross deflecting to Koleosho who finished emphatically.

Cardiff have endured a horrible run of results against Burnley, with this defeat meaning they are now winless in away games against the Clarets since December 1990, having lost nine and drawn eight of their 17 games. Their last win at Turf Moor came in 1988.

The omens were not good for a second-half comeback, but any hopes the Welsh side had were dashed entirely when Brownhill scored his third goal in as many Championship matches after Callum O’Dowda surrendered possession.

The hosts were able to cruise at 3-0, having fully punished Cardiff’s sloppy play, before Amdouni hammered a fourth off the underside of the crossbar.

Things got even worse for Cardiff in stoppage time as Berg Gudmundsson added his own spectacular finish, lashing home as he cut inside.

Burnley’s five goals came from just four shots on target, with Cardiff’s miserable start to the season continuing as they head into the south Wales derby bottom of the Championship, with Burnley top after two games.

Cardiff’s bad afternoon was compounded by a possible injury to Wales captain Aaron Ramsey, while the Bluebirds also lost their own skipper, Joe Ralls, to a first-half injury.