Following hot on the heels of victory along the M4 at Swansea last week, Town leapfrogged their opponents into the top half of the table by securing another three points - making it six points from both trips to south Wales for the second season in a row.

Nathan Jones named an unchanged team from Friday's 1-1 draw against Sheffield United, with Elijah Adebayo partnering Carlton Morris up front, the latter who had scored twice in his last two matches.

The only alteration came on the bench, where Henri Lansbury was named amongst the substitutes instead of Admiral Muskwe, having not featured since picking up a knock in the Carabao Cup first round defeat to Newport three weeks ago.

Jordan Clark had seen a long range effort deflected well wide in the early stages, but it was Ethan Horvath who was the first goalkeeper called into action, the American having to get down to his right to turn a Max Watters drive away in the 11th minute.

Sheyi Ojo spurned a better opening a minute later, stabbing over the bar from close range as Town struggled to clear a corner, before Niels Nkounkou shot wide of the target from distance just before the quarter-of-an-hour mark.

Freeman was the first player into referee James Linington's notepad for a foul on Andy Rinomhota in the 21st minute, but Adebayo was soon causing concern in the Bluebirds' penalty area, attempting to round Ryan Allsop before being forced back, then Morris drew a first save out of the former Wycombe and Derby keeper.

In between those Hatters chances, Ojo had Horvath scampering across his line to make sure a curling effort went the right side of his right post, as the game developed into an end-to-end affair.

Cardiff captain Joe Ralls was next to go close, his 25-yarder always rising over Horvath's bar, before Morris turned impressively in the box and flashed a 41st-minute cross-shot across the face of Allsop's goal.

Amari'i Bell whipped in an inviting cross for Adebayo a minute before the break, but Nkounkou did well to ease him away from the ball as he looked to attack it at the far post, with a yellow card for the Town striker the only other incident of note, for a late challenge on Mahlon Romeo, before the break.

Jones made a change at half-time, Fred Onyedinma coming on for his first appearance of the season in place of Reece Burke, who had required treatment for a facial injury early on.

James Bree went to centre-half with Onyedinma deployed as right wing-back, and his impact was immediate, the former Wycombe man beating his man and drilling a cross from the byline for Freeman to volley past Allsop from six yards out in the 47th minute.

Cardiff tried to mount a response, Romeo skimming a low shot wide of the far post, but Jordan Clark was controlling the midfield and he was the next to have a sight of goal, although his volley from the edge of the area was too high.

Jones replaced the goalscorer, Freeman, with Osho on 56 minutes and Town went close again within seconds, Bell and Campbell pressing Cardiff on their own 18-yard line to present Morris with a shooting opportunity, but his right-footed curler wouldn't come back enough to find the far corner.

Osho's impact was perhaps not as immediate, but equally telling as he met Bree's outswinging 62nd-minute free-kick with a far post volley that doubled the advantage in the 62nd minute.

Osho was soon into Linington's book for a foul on Nkounkou, but the Hatters were now in complete control, Morris attempting a 45-yard chip with Allsop well out of his goal, before the summer signing from Barnsley was replaced by Cameron Jerome.

Bree sent a 25-yard free-kick narrowly over the City bar on 73 minutes after Clark was brought down in full flight by Cardiff sub Romaine Sawyers. Then he had to be brave at the other end to throw himself in front of a shot from another City sub, Jaden Philogene, when the hosts looked certain to halve the deficit.

They did just with five minutes remaining as Sawyers cracked a 25-yard shot past Horvath into the bottom corner, and Jones quickly brought on Luke Berry and Cauley Woodrow.

It was a second win of the season for the Hatters as they moved up to 9th place in the table ahead of Saturday's home match against Wigan Athletic.

GOALS:

LT - Freeman 47, Osho 62

CC - Sawyers 85

ATT: 17,202 (421 away fans)