00:00After more than 21 years without a competitive meeting, Cardiff City finally reacquainted
00:07themselves with their Welsh rivals, Wrexham, and came away with a hard-fought 2-1 victory
00:14in the Carabao Cup.
00:16The first half was almost a one-sided affair as Wrexham failed to impose themselves and
00:21Cardiff dominated proceedings from the outset.
00:25Yusuf Salek opened the scoring in the 13th minute, tapping in the rebound after Omari
00:30Kellerman's initial effort was superbly saved by Wrexham's goalkeeper Callum Burton.
00:36The Bluebirds created multiple chances in the opening 20 minutes, testing Burton and rattling
00:41the bar via Reuben Colville.
00:43The home side looked disjointed and unable to string passes together.
00:49The second half brought a spark for Wrexham.
00:51Phil Parkinson's triple substitution changed the dynamic and within minutes, Ryan Longman's
00:56cross found Kiefer Moore, who powered home an equaliser, reigniting both the crowd and
01:03the contest.
01:05For a brief period, Wrexham showed intensity and urgency, pressuring Cardiff and creating
01:10moments that suggested the tie might yet swing in their favour.
01:14However, the comeback proved short-lived while Will Fish rose at the back post to connect
01:19with a Joel Bagan cross, following home the decisive goal and restoring Cardiff's advantage.
01:26Despite some late pressure, Wrexham were unable to find a second equaliser, leaving them to
01:30reflect on a performance that failed to meet expectations.
01:34For Cardiff, the result is a confidence boost and a step closer to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals,
01:41affirming their attacking intent and team cohesion.
01:44Head coach Brian Barry Murphy praised his side's character and composure, noting that their
01:49strategy from the first minute set the tone for the game and deservedly led to victory.
01:55Wrexham, meanwhile, will rue their lethargy in the first half.
02:00Parkinson admitted the team did not press with enough intensity early on.
02:04In short, Cardiff leave the derby with momentum and pride, while Wrexham are left to analyse
02:09mistakes and rebuild resilience for the remainder of the season.
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