Cardiff City's final home game of the season ended in a 4-1 hammering at the hands of Middlesbrough.
Despite a relatively even game in terms of chances, the visitors were clinical and found the back of the net with unerring accuracy throughout the afternoon.
Matt Clarke scored before the break to put the travelling side ahead before a second-half blitz which saw Finn Azaz, Emmanuel Latte Lath and Alex Gilbert all net to put the Bluebirds to the sword on a dismal afternoon for Erol Bulut's side and the home supporters. Not even a Josh Bowler consolation in injury time could lift the mood.
There was a real end-of-season atmosphere to the game and, as bizarre as it sounds, the game could have gone either way, given the volume of chances both teams produced. But, as has been the case for much of the season, the Bluebirds just couldn't produce those moments of quality when needed. Boro, on the other hand, did so with aplomb.
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There were two changes for the Bluebirds, with Rubin Colwill and Yakou Meite dropping out through injury, while Famara Diedhiou and well-again Josh Bowler were recalled into the starting team.
Cardiff very nearly began the game in wonderful fashion, thanks to an audacious 35-yard effort from David Turnbull, who attempted to lob Seny Dieng in the Boro goal, but the goalkeeper, backtracking, managed to tip it over the bar.
And Boro hit back immediately just minutes later when Finn Azaz's deflected shot fell kindly into the path of Latte Lath, who was clean through on goal. But Ethan Horvath produced a top one-v-one save to keep the scores level.
After a hectic start, the game settled into a bit of a lull, with very few chances, but Boro grew more confident. Luke Thomas saw a well-hit shot, from a tight angle, saved by Horvath as the visitors took control.
It was Azaz's free-kick which would help to put Boro ahead on the stroke of half time. The midfielder lifted a ball to the back post and Clarke got in around the back of Famara Diedhiou before producing a tidy first-time finish.
Cardiff thought they'd levelled after the break when Turnbull sent in an inviting cross for Dimitrios Goutas. The Greek sent a powerful header on target, but Dieng saved acrobatically, tipping it on to the post.
Cardiff were made to pay just seconds later when Boro broke down the other end. It was a scruffy goal, in truth, but they all count. Alex Gilbert burst through a couple of tackles and the ball fell kindly for Azaz, who had to lift it over Horvath and into the City goal.
The hosts should have immediately halved the deficit, however. Josh Bowler played a lovely ball into the box and Turnbull, who seemed to be at the centre of everything, was in. But while the Scot successfully lifted it over Dieng, the ball went trickling past the upright.
But with every chance Boro had, they seemed more dangerous. Before the hour mark Latte Lath was sent through on goal with a simple ball over the top and the striker buried the chance.
There was a Championship debut for Joel Colwill, but he was barely on the pitch for a few minutes before the fourth went flying in. Luke Ayling produced a cute pull-back for Gilbert, who swept a first-time effort into the top corner from the edge of the box.
Cardiff continued to plug away, but it was a team of kids and fringe players by the end. The stadium emptied at an alarming rate after that fourth goal flew in and it's hard to blame the supporters for that. They didn't get to see Callum Robinson lay off Bowler for a relatively simple tap-in in the 91st minute.
Hardly the result City wanted ahead of their big awards do at the stadium tonight, and with Bulut's future still undecided it's not the result the manager wanted, either, but if anything it shows the work the club must now do this summer to improve on this season.
Cardiff City XI: Horvath; Romeo (Conte 57), Goutas, Phillips, Tanner; Siopis (J. Colwill 57), Ralls (Wintle 68); Ashford, Turnbull, Bowler; Diedhiou (Robinson 68).
Subs: Turner, Lawlor, Giles, Antwi, Sawyers.
Middlesbrough XI: Dieng; Ayling, Van den Berg (Dijksteel 74), Clarke, Thomas; Howson (McCabe 61), Barlaser; Jones (Silvera 61), Azaz, Gilbert (Lennon 74); Latte Lath (Matthews 82).
Subs: Connor, Bangura, O'Brien, Greenwood.
