Cardiff and RExham drew 1-1 in the opening round of the Championship season at Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday evening. K. Moore put the hosts ahead early, but RExham found an equaliser in stoppage time through R. Colwill. The result leaves both sides with one point after the first matchday.
Moore gave Cardiff the lead in the third minute, and it was him who collected a yellow card thirty minutes in — the same man who opened the scoring. RExham were pegged back early but stayed in the game. Hyam went off the bench with a booking at fifty-four, and by then both sides had settled into their rhythm.
Substitutions came thick and fast after the break. Cardiff brought on O. Tanner at sixty-two, C. Willock at sixty-three, and O. Rathbone at sixty-seven. K. Moore and N. Broadhead were paired off together at seventy-two, while M. James and D. Imray came on for Cardiff at seventy-five. A. Robertson, C. Scanlon and C. Ashford completed the reshuffle at the eighty-minute mark.
Colwill's late goal meant RExham did not leave empty-handed. The striker struck in the eighth minute of added time, and B. Barry-Murphy picked up a yellow card shortly after. It was a moment that shifted the mood — the stadium fell silent before the away side celebrated.
Cardiff had sixty-seven per cent possession and created just one big chance, while RExham registered two. The hosts managed three shots on target against six off target, whereas the visitors hit the mark eight times from eight attempts. Cardiff's expected goals stood at 0.9, RExham's at 1.43.
Cardiff sit nineteenth with three points from four games, one defeat and three draws. RExham are eleventh with five points, one win, two draws and one loss. The gap between them remains two points, and neither side has yet found a winning formula in this campaign.