Burton Albion slumped to a 5-1 defeat to Cardiff City at the Pirelli Stadium on Saturday.
The Brewers' final pre-season game, following the cancellation of Tuesday night's planned clash with Matlock Town, gave Nigel Clough more to ponder ahead of Saturday's League One opener against Rochdale (3pm).
Liam Boyce opened the scoring from the penalty spot but the Bluebirds, managed by ex-Albion player and manager Neil Warnock, showed why they finished second in the Championship last campaign.
Goals from Kenneth Zohore, a Jake Buxton own goal, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Bobby Reid and Calum Paterson sealed a comfortable win for City.
Clough's squad was down to the bare bones, with seven players out injured for the visit of Cardiff.
New signings David Templeton and Scott Fraser missed out with hamstring and calf complaints respectively, with John Brayford, Reece Hutchinson (both hamstring) and Marvin Sordell (calf) also absent.
Ben Fox couldn't recover from a dead leg in time to make the starting XI and Will Miller is still progressing in his recovery from the long-term knee injury sustained last season - although he is making good progress in his bid to be fit for Saturday's League One opener against Rochdale.
Stephen Bywater started in goal, with Lucas Akins and Damien McCrory either side of Ben Turner and Jake Buxton as the Brewers lined up in a 4-3-3 formation.
Kyle McFadzean anchored the midfield with former Dale duo Jamie Allen and Matty Lund alongside him.
Liam Boyce was the lone striker with Marcus Harness and Joe Sbarra on the flanks.
Burton burst out the blocks and were deservedly ahead after 12 minutes.
Liam Boyce was quick to pounce on a loose ball in the penalty area, with Joe Ralls connecting with the forward in a hashed attempt to clear the ball.
The ex-Ross County man picked himself up and coolly slotted home to put Albion deservedly in front.
Damien McCrory nearly doubled the Brewers' lead just one minute later, when he curled a spectacular effort on goal. He was unlucky to see his right-footed shot from distance crack Smithies' left-hand post and go behind for a goal-kick.
The Brewers dominated the opening quarter-of-an-hour, but Cardiff possess the quality to turn it on at the flick of a switch. However, the catalyst for their comeback was anything but.
Jake Buxton, who had dealt with Zohore and co well in the early stages, was to be an unlikely source of an equaliser for Cardiff.
He turned Junior Hoilett's free-kick from the left past Bywater under pressure from Sol Bamba after 32 minutes.
It took just seven minutes for the Brewers to find themselves 2-1 down.
Zohore, who netted the winner just under a year ago in the Bluebirds' last-gasp defeat of Burton on the opening day of the 2017/18 season, was to be their nemesis once more.
He was slipped in-behind from Joe Ralls, and made no mistake, slotting home having shrugged off Turner's challenge.
If either of Cardiff's first two goals couldn't be prevented, the same couldn't be said for Mendez-Laing's strike.
Bywater was reduced to the role of spectator as the 26-year-old curled a spectacular effort into the top right-hand corner of Burton's net from around 30 yards out.
Albion went into half-time 3-1 down, and perhaps undeservedly so. City came out from the Pirelli tunnel hungry for more goals, and they duly followed.
Clough could call upon just four outfield substitutions, with Warnock able to change eight should he please.
That left the Brewers tasked with containing City without an abundance of fresh legs to call upon.
And it took just 11 minutes for City to get a fourth, with Bobby Reid shrugging off the challenge from former Bluebird Turner, and pouncing on a long punt forward by Neil Etheridge.
Reid showed why he cost around £10million from Bristol City, slotting home with ease.
On came those Cardiff replacements, with five players coming on including Calum Paterson, who rounded off the scoring with a fine low strike from 20 yards leaving Bywater helpless once again.
Burton picked up toward the final 20 minutes, with Elliot Hodge replacing Matty Lund - who has likely nailed down his starting place against his old club next weekend.
They were unable to find a way past a resolute Cardiff defence once more, but there were plenty of positives to take ahead of the on the dawn of another season for Nigel Clough and his charges.
