Cardiff missed out on moving near the play offs with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of second placed Brighton. Brighton went ahead through a thirteenth minute penalty that was given away by Rhys Weston.
Bobby Zamora took his goal tally to 25 with a 13th-minute penalty as Brighton regained second spot in Division Two with a 1-0 over Cardiff.
The Seagulls, winners of only two of their previous seven league games, were made to work mighty hard for their much needed victory.
Cardiff were left to reflect on poor finishing but goal-machine Zamora made no mistake from the spot after Nathan Jones was flattened by Rhys Weston.
Cardiff's misery was compounded by the sending off of striker Leo Fortune-West in the final minute due to two bookable offences.
Zamora, a Cardiff transfer target last season, has now scored in eight of his last nine Withdean matches.
Brighton were put under considerable pressure at times and Jason Bowen, who headed wastefully wide early in the second half, had a late shot splendidly saved by Michel Kuipers.
Brighton striker Daniel Webb should have doubled the Seagulls' lead just before the break after Zamora ran half the length of the field, but he blazed his shot over.
