After more than 21 years without facing one another, Cardiff had to wait a little longer to reacquaint themselves with their Welsh rivals, as Wrexham completely failed to turn up for the first half. The Bluebirds’ victory came as little of a shock, if anything their progress to the quarter‑finals should have been far easier.
Yousef Salech put the League One side into a first-half lead but Cardiff missed numerous chances to finish off the match before it began in earnest. Wrexham joined the tie in the second half; substitute Kieffer Moore equalised but it was Will Fish who settled the match for the team from the capital.
There was an indication that priorities for the two clubs lay elsewhere as the managers named 12 collective changes from their league fixtures at the weekend. Wrexham are focused on staying in the Championship and Cardiff would like to join them there.
The visitors are near the top of League One and, despite the alterations, looked more composed in the early stages. Their every pass was booed by the home support but they were composed in possession, without offering an obvious threat until the 10th minute when red shirts were required to block two shots in quick succession.
Wrexham were rusty and disjointed, doing their best to feel their way into the match while being pushed back into their own defensive third for lengthy periods. Their spending means there is quality in this side and they almost took the lead on the counterattack but Nathan Broadhead miscued his finish when in plenty of space in front of goal. It would not have been deserved.
The opener came at the other end within a minute and it was certainly merited. It was too easy for Cardiff as Rubin Colwill had options on the edge of the penalty area, before deciding to pass to Omari Kellyman in space inside the box. The winger’s shot was superbly saved by third-choice goalkeeper Callum Burton but Salech was afforded all the time he wanted to tap in the rebound. The once lively atmosphere was limited to one small section of the ground, while the Wrexham supporters suffered and yawned.
Burton produced a stunning save to keep out a thunderous Cian Ashford shot and Rubin Colwill rattled the bar with a free-kick. Placid Wrexham were not in the contest and lacked the ideas or desire to change the dynamic. The solitary positive for the home side being they were somehow only one goal behind at the break.
Phil Parkinson did the bare minimum by making a triple substitution at the start of the second half. It provided a cold bucket of water to the face of the team and fans to wake them from their slumber. Within seven minutes Ryan Longman slung in a dangerous cross and former Cardiff striker Moore rose highest, reigniting the atmosphere in the crowd noise in the process.
Finally there was an intensity to Wrexham’s play and it was Cardiff who were on the back foot. Ronan Kpakio was feeling the pressure, missing a simple chance to intercept a pass, allowing Longman to gain control and start the long run for goal, only to be pulled back by the right-back on the halfway line. The majority wanted a red but yellow was the correct decision thanks to a covering defender.
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With Cardiff at risk of letting the game slip away, Brian Barry-Murphy sent on Alex Robertson and David Turnbull in an attempt to regain control in midfield.
It refocused Bluebird minds on the task in hand. Joel Bagan swung a cross over everyone in the box from the left, except Fish waiting at the back post. The connection was perfect, proving too powerful for Burton. The goalkeeper should have done better considering the angle but the defence will also wonder how they failed to clear the danger.
The rivalry was not as fierce as many anticipated but with 20 minutes remaining, it finally felt like a cup tie with more than a place in the next round at stake. Wrexham were dangerous from set pieces and crosses especially but were unable to find a clinical finish.
