Manager Nigel Pearson saluted his Leicester side after they outplayed high-flying Cardiff to win 2-1 at home in the npower Championship for the first time since November.

Goals in either half from Paul Gallagher, one a penalty and the other a free-kick, put the Foxes in the driving seat before the Bluebirds hit back with a Peter Whittingham spot-kick to set up a tense finish.

"I'm not sure 2-1 is ever comfortable, but from our perspective we deserved to win," Pearson said.

"We were dominant and a little unlucky to concede a penalty because there was a foul on Kasper (Schmeichel) leading up to the incident.

"I think we played with confidence and created some good chances as well."

Cardiff manager Malky Mackay berated his players for their slow start to the game.

"I'm disappointed because in the first half we didn't get out of the blocks," he said. "But it didn't help when one our our main players, Aron Gunnarsson, went off early on.

"We were playing a good team who we didn't get close enough to in the first half and allowed them to play too much.

"We competed better in the second half and after our penalty we caused them a few problems with our forwards Kenny Miller and Rudy Gestede.

"It was always going to be tough coming here. They have a good manager and a fantastic squad and you always have to be ready to match them and I don't think we did that until the second half."