Aaron Wildig attempts to tackle Chelsea's Frank Lampard

By Peter Shuttleworth BBC Sport at Stamford Bridge

If Cardiff City's dream FA Cup trip to Stamford Bridge turned into something of a nightmare, their 4-1 humbling at Chelsea may ultimately be more beneficial to Dave Jones' side in their quest to graduate from the Championship.

The Bluebirds were taught a Premier League lesson at Stamford Bridge by Chelsea, who coasted into the quarter-finals.

The Welsh club were out-thought, outplayed and outclassed by the FA Cup holders.

Yet the footballing education gained by watching one of the masters of European football at work first-hand, however brutal, is a learning curve that could be the silver lining to Cardiff's Cup elimination.

Chelsea barely moving out of second gear, as Didier Drogba's striking masterclass showed City's Premier League wannabes what a player needs to excel at the very highest level.

Drogba's work-rate and desire, eye for a pass, link-up play, harassment of defenders, ability to keep the ball, physical brute strength, clinical finishing and even last-ditch defending makes him the footballers' yardstick.

But in Jay Bothroyd, Cardiff boast the Championship equivalent - the poor man's version, if you like - that has finally found a home at the Cardiff City Stadium in a nomadic career.

The 27-year-old agreed to have a pain-killing injection to help him grimace through the pain of ankle-ligament damage.

The effort proved worth the sacrifice, as Bothroyd showed Stamford Bridge that his mercurial expertise would cause even top-class international defenders a problem.

Bothroyd, who so often gives the false impression of a lethargic approach to the gam, ran Chelsea centre-backs Alex and Riccardo Carvalho ragged and led the Cardiff front-line with energy.

That display should give him belief that, although he is getting no younger, there may indeed be a Premier League striker in his 6ft 3in frame somewhere.

Stoke City are tracking the Cardiff striker - as are other top-flight suitors apparently - and while he must add regular goals to his armoury, Bothroyd's link-up play could only be surpassed on Saturday by a Drog having his day.

It was young Aaron Wildig who arguably had the most daunting task at high noon.

As if the Bluebirds teenager did not have enough to worry about dealing with arguably the best midfield in the Premier League, he had to shoulder the burden of covering for half-fit midfield partner Gavin Rae.

Rae seemed as if he was carrying a ton of cement around the Stamford Bridge pitch, such was his limited movement due to a hamstring injury.

606: DEBATE Excellent effort from the lads today, but in the end Chelsea just had too much Cwmann704

But Wildig, a 17-year-old starting just his fourth professional game, matured in front of our very eyes as he tried to get a grip on Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack and John Obi Mikel.

Wildig may not have enjoyed shadowing two of the world's finest midfielders, but the personal midfield tutoring from Ballack and Lampard is worth a thousand training sessions.

Wildig will now be aware of how and where he needs to improve to be a top-level player as Lampard and Ballack pulled the strings, dictated the play and showed the Cardiff academy graduate what he should aspire to be.

"He looks a kid but he didn't play like one," said Cardiff boss Dave Jones of Wildig.

"He was struggling at the end and was caught ball-watching for their second goal but it is a learning process. Players need to go through things like that.

"But you see the three midfielders he was up against, he has done brilliant and done himself proud."

Kevin McNaughton, Cardiff's 'Mr Dependable", also did his reputation no harm at all with a sterling performance at right-back.

His concentration and defensive reliability was an example that his central defensive colleagues failed to follow.

Sure Drogba was virtually untouchable but Anthony Gerrard and Gabor Gyepes going AWOL in the second minute was, as Jones acknowledges, "a bit of Sunday League from us" and the writing was on the wall from then on.

Cardiff battled valiantly and even rattled the Premier League leaders and holders with a goal of their own, through former Newcastle and Sunderland striker Michael Chopra.

But Chelsea were playing within themselves and a quick shift up a gear was always going to be the difference.

Chelsea are not just one of the best in the country they are one of the best in Europe, yet Cardiff will not have to face the might of a such a ruthlessly efficient team as they bid for a Championship play-off place.

So should Jones' team perform similarly in the league - and tighten up their leaky defence - remaining in the top six should be a foregone conclusion.

Days out against Premier League giants were once few and far between for Cardiff City, but in Jones' reign the Welsh club have been drawn against Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Arsenal twice and now Chelsea.

Cardiff have had their top-flight taste buds tantalised, their appetite whetted and sitting fifth in the Championship they are so near.

But remembering last season's play-off heartache, Jones knows it is still so far.

So blue may have been the colour for Cardiff City at Stamford Bridge, but Jones hopes that Premier League football may be the long-term gain.

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