Cardiff City saw their seven-game unbeaten run come to an end on Saturday as they fell to a 4-2 defeat against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns.

Goals from Matheus Pereira and Grady Diangana ensured Albion entered the interval with a comfortable 2-0 lead before Charlie Austin then added a third for the Midlands side in the second half.

Cardiff striker Danny Ward then pulled two goals back to give the visitors a route back into the match, but Romaine Sawyers then sealed the victory for his side by scoring the Baggies' fourth in added time.

The result means the Bluebirds head into the international break sitting 11th in the Championship table, but they are still yet to win a match on the road as all four of their victories have come at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Here are three things we learned from their loss to Slaven Bilic's side...

The match was a harsh reality check for Cardiff following an impressive run

Ward's late double following his introduction meant the scoreline somewhat flattered Cardiff, as Warnock's men were largely dominated by their far superior opponents on Saturday afternoon.

The trip to The Hawthorns was the first time the Bluebirds have travelled to face one of the division's top sides this season, and this was evinced by Cardiff's failure to meet West Brom's intensity right from the start of the match.

Cardiff's recent unbeaten run would have created optimism that they could maintain this run as they look to mount a promotion challenge, but West Brom's performance proved the Bluebirds still have some way to go before they can start to consider this.

Cardiff need to avoid playing with such negativity away from home

Warnock's team selection suggested he wanted to set up Cardiff with a defensive approach for this match, with this being manifested by his decision to drop creative duo Lee Tomlin and Josh Murphy from the side.

It wasn't until Cardiff were 2-0 down that Warnock decided to make an attacking change as Nathaniel Mendez-Laing was brought on to replace Callum Paterson in the 58th minute, but the game was already starting to escape the Bluebirds at this stage.

Cardiff cannot considered promotion contenders if they continue setting up with a negative approach on their travels, and Warnock should start experimenting with more attacking combinations away from home ahead of the all-important South Wales derby later this month.

Danny Ward must start in attack during the next match

The 28-year-old replaced Robert Glatzel in the 73rd minute to make just his fourth appearance of the campaign, and he immediately made a notable impact by scoring two goals to get Cardiff back into the match.

This came after Glatzel had wasted chances in front of goal and looked too tired to provide a serious test for West Brom's defence, while Ward's energy and finishing proved he should perhaps have started the game up top.

Warnock must now be considering using Ward from the start in Cardiff's next match against Sheffield Wednesday after the break, while it may even be an option to trial Ward alongside Glatzel in a slightly altered formation.

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