Cardiff City has secured a return to the Championship with a decisive 3-1 win over Reading, capitalizing on an extraordinary 96th-minute equalizer from Exeter's goalkeeper against Stockport that prevented their promotion rivals from winning. Head coach Brian Barry-Murphy expressed his joy, stating, 'It means everything to us.' He praised his players, saying, 'I've been fortunate to work with a group of players who have incredible ambition and have played exceptional football at times.' The team's captain, Rubin Colwill, scored the opening goal with a back-post header in the 40th minute, and Omari Kellyman doubled their lead 10 minutes into the second half. Although Daniel Kyerewaa reduced the deficit in the 73rd minute, defender Perry Ng sealed the win with a superb angled effort from 20 yards, four minutes from the end. The victory was made even sweeter by Exeter's dramatic equalizer, which confirmed Cardiff's promotion at the first attempt following their relegation to League One last season.
Reading started strongly, with Jeriel Dorsett and Kyerewaa coming close, but Colwill broke the deadlock with a well-directed header. Kellyman then added a second goal by breaking the offside trap and calmly slotting home.
The hosts reduced the deficit when Kyerewaa netted after Cardiff keeper Nathan Trott parried Lewis Wing's powerful free-kick. However, Ng's superb effort settled the issue, sending Cardiff's 2,935 fans into wild celebrations.