Summary The 27-year-old's emphatic finish lifted Steve Bruce's side 4 points clear of third-placed Watford.
LONDON, March 31, 2013 (AFP) - Cardiff manager Malky Mackay refused to press the panic button after the Championship leaders crashed to a shock 2-1 defeat at struggling Peterborough.
Mackay s team have won just one of their last five league matches following Saturday s setback at London Road and their lead at the top has been cut to four points.
Cardiff led courtesy of Aron Gunnarsson s 23rd minute strike, but Northern Ireland midfielder Grant McCann levelled with a 72nd minute penalty after Mark Little had been tripped by Don Cowie.
And McCann stepped up to beat Cardiff goalkeeper David Marshall from the spot again in the 79th minute after Dwight Gayle had been sent tumbling by Matt Connolly.
Fortunately for Mackay the teams below second placed Hull both slipped up as Watford drew 3-3 with Burnley and Crystal Palace were thrashed 4-0 at home by Birmingham.
That kept the Bluebirds with an eight-point cushion in the race for automatic promotion to the Premier League and Mackay believes his players have the character to see the job through.
"My players have shown terrific character to be top of the league for four months and bounce back from any setbacks they have suffered," Mackay said.
"I have no doubt they will do that again in our eight remaining games."
Cardiff s stumble allowed Hull to take advantage as George Boyd capped a memorable week with a spectacular winner at Huddersfield.
Boyd, on loan from Peterborough, rifled home his fourth goal in six games for Hull within 60 seconds of the start of the second half, four days after making his Scotland debut against Serbia.
The 27-year-old s emphatic finish lifted Steve Bruce s side four points clear of third-placed Watford.
Meanwhile, Wolves manager Dean Saunders praised the determination of his players after they boosted their bid to avoid relegation with a 3-2 win against Middlesbrough.
Wolves are now just a point from safety and Saunders said: "The game was unbelievable to watch for a neutral. Both teams could have scored 10.
"Everyone has got momentum going now and we had to win. If we can win again at Birmingham on Monday we could be just four points away from 10th spot."
Brighton manager Gus Poyet refused to blame Casper Ankergren despite the goalkeeper s stoppage-time error gifting play-off rivals Nottingham Forest the equaliser in a 2-2 at the City Ground.
Forest were chasing a club record-equalling seventh straight win but it looked like manager Billy Davies would taste defeat for the first time in eight games when Will Buckley put the visitors back in front with five minutes remaining.
However, Ankergren allowed Henri Lansbury s shot to squirm beneath his body in the final moments.
"To begin with I thought the shot must have taken a deflection but when I ve seen it again I nearly killed myself!" Poyet said.
"When you are a keeper you pay the price and Casper has done that today. He was having a very, very good game, making two or three good saves, coming for crosses and kicking very well."
Elsewhere, Charlton won 3-2 against Bolton, Ipswich beat Leeds 3-0 and Sheffield Wednesday defeated Barnsley 2-1.
