Chasetown's FA Cup dream came to an end as Cardiff fought back from a goal down to book their place in the fourth round with a 3-1 away win.A major giantkilling act had looked a possibility after 17 minutes when Kevin McNaughton bundled Ben Steane's cross into his own net to put the minnows ahead.
The shell-shocked Bluebirds took time to recover but levelled in added time at the end of the first half through Peter Whittingham before second-half strikes from Aaron Ramsey and Paul Parry spared City's blushes at the Scholars Ground.
The British Gas Business Division One Midlands side were greeted to a rousing reception by a crowd of 2,420 bedecked in blue and white, and they all seemed determined to enjoy their side's moment in the spotlight regardless of the result - even director Frank Carson put in a guest appearance.
Chasetown's second-round hero Danny Smith was forced to settle for a place on the bench, while Michael Oakes, Steve MacLean and 17-year-old Ramsey, making his first Bluebirds start, came in. Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink was named among the substitutes.
Both sides arrived in excellent form with a recently rejuvenated City winning five of their last seven games, while the Scholars were undefeated since shocking Port Vale in the second round.
It was they who began the brighter, two dangerous inswinging corners from Mark Branch testing the City defence before Kyle Perry headed a free-kick straight at Oakes.
Six divisions may have separated the sides but Cardiff still struggled to find a way past their opponents' three towering centre-backs despite dominating possession.
Chasetown stopper Lee Evans got down comfortably to deny Gavin Rae and McNaughton selfishly skewed a shot over from wide on the right with team-mates waiting in the centre. Soon after the unthinkable happened, Steane racing onto Nick Hawkins' superbly measured long ball down the right before McNaughton clumsily converted his centre, prompting hysterics from the crowd after they were momentarily stunned into silence.
The visitors initially struggled to recover from the shock, Whittingham woefully blasting a free-kick over from a dangerous position before a shot from MacLean floated wide of the post after the striker had turned well.
But eventually the pressure told as Ramsey and MacLean combined well to find Whittingham, whose curling shot into the left corner proved too good for Evans.
Chasetown, the lowest-ranked side to ever reach this stage of the competition, continued to make life difficult for the Coca-Cola Championship side and it was not until the 60th minute they had a second.
Tony Capaldi stood up a ball to the back post which MacLean headed back across goal and Ramsey shrugged off the challenge of his marker to head into the left corner.
The non-league side bravely continued to give it their all and another teasing set-piece from Branch to the far post put the City rearguard in trouble, only for the referee's assistant to flag.
McNaughton cut inside well but fired straight at Oakes and Ramsey showed quick feet before finding Rae out wide, whose cross somehow evaded the onrushing MacLean.
The pressure eventually told, however, as Parry ensured there was to be no cup upset with a 73rd-minute strike, racing on to Joe Ledley's ball down the left channel before firing past Evans, who should have done better.
Smith had a chance to add another cup goal late on but Oakes was alert to the danger as City closed out a hard-fought victory.
Nevertheless the day belonged to Chasetown, whose players went on a lap of honour at the end of the game.
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