It never rains but it pours. Jimmy Cumbes, the Aston Villa goalkeeper, already short on confidence, made another howler at Cardiff, aided and abetted by two colleagues.

Cumbes, who dropped in a goal at The Hawthorns last week, let go of John Buchanan’s free kick after 74 seconds and Derek Showers scored Cardiff’s first goal in five games.

Cumbes thought he had been pushed in the back as he reached and held the ball and the referee, Clive White. of Harrow, agreed but pointed out that it was a Villa player.

“Nicholl and John Robson went up with me and the ref said one of them went into me.” said Cumbes, who as a goalkeeper, was at a disadvantage on a swirling, rainy day.

He lost another cross In the sixth minute. Showers shooting wide, and there was a horrible moment when an Intended clearance by Ray Graydon turned into an up-and-under which Cumbes misfielded.

Cardiff, bucked-up by their early goal, tore at Villa for the remainder of the half and Cumbes believes Villa were lucky to be only 3-0 down at the interval to further goals from Buchanan and Jack Whitham.

Cardiff’s tactics were simple: thump high balls into the Villa goal area and wait for the wind to get up to its tricks. Buchanan, a 22-year-old Scot exchanged with Northampton for John Farrington, collated strength of shot with hard running and did more than most to upset Villa.

His goal, from a 25 yard direct free kick, was deflected by lan Ross at the end of Villa’s defensive wall, the Villa manager, Ron Saunders, revealed afterwards, and so no blame could be attached to Cumbes there.

He was sadly let down by his defence on the third goal too. Buchanan again floated a free kick and Phil Dwyer headed on for Whitham to score, just like they do in training.

Saunders wasn’t slow to make the point: “That was three goals from three set pieces,” he said. "We were diabolical, pathetic and didn’t play until the second half.”

Sounds familiar? Saunders used the same words when Villa went down 3-1 at Fulham and now they have lost five out of six away games.

Chico Hamilton’s second half goal was as much a gift as Shower’s, Bill Irwin. the Cardiff goalkeeper catching Hamilton’s centre and then throwing it over the line before, belatedly, trying to spoil it all and punch clear.

Saunders said Villa’s away form is “bloody monotonous.”

Monotonous and wasteful.