Cardiff beat Swindon Town 3:2 in the Round of 128 of the League Cup on Friday evening. The hosts took control early and held on despite a late scare when Swindon were reduced to ten men. The result keeps Cardiff in the hunt for another cup run.
The game opened with a twist as G. Osho turned the ball into his own net in the ninth minute. Cardiff doubled their advantage when Y. Salech converted a penalty in the 28th minute. By then the visitors were already looking rattled, and Salech added a third just before the break with a fourth-minute strike.
Swindon came out for the second half determined to get back into the contest. Perry Glatzel pulled one back in the 62nd minute after a period of sustained pressure. The hosts responded with changes on the bench, bringing on M. Virtue-Thick and M. Clark in quick succession.
Things came to a head in the final quarter when J. Moylan fired home for Swindon in the 77th minute. The visitors had clawed their way back to within a goal, but J. Debayo's red card in the 90th minute killed any remaining hope of an equaliser. The referee had no choice after the challenge.
Cardiff's dominance was reflected in the numbers. They held 61 per cent possession and created 2.26 expected goals compared to Swindon's 1.13. The visitors managed only one shot on target from five attempts, a shooting accuracy of eight per cent that tells you everything about their struggles in the final third.
The win puts Cardiff closer to the knockout stages while Swindon must now regroup with a game under their belt. The goal difference of one goal separates them from elimination, and the red card means they will have to play the next round with ten men if they are drawn again.