Most fans will tell you that their club do not tend to do it the easy way. Well, maybe the Cardiff faithful have a point about their side.

Going into the weekend, the Bluebirds needed a victory over Reading and the help of Exeter City in their fixture with Stockport County to achieve promotion back to the Championship at the first time of asking.

In truth, promotion had been on the cards since the start of the season. Cardiff, under the guidance of Brian Barry-Murphy, have clearly been one of the top two sides in the division all campaign.

But to secure promotion via a 96th minute goal from an Exeter goalkeeper, that’s real drama.

As Cardiff led 3-1 in added time, there seemed to be an acceptance that their return to the Championship was all but confirmed; a formality not yet mathematically official because Stockport were winning at Exeter.

But in the sixth minute of added time in Devon, the relegation-threatened Grecians sent goalkeeper Jack Byford up for a corner and his crashing header at the near post snatched a 3-3 draw for the home side – and sparked even wilder celebrations among Cardiff’s fans at Reading.

“It was one of those things you couldn’t predict,” said Bluebirds head coach Barry-Murphy.

“It’s the beautiful nature of football and it’s a fitting end to what has been a magnificent season for us all.

“It’s been an incredible day to see our supporters and those extraordinary scenes towards the end of the game.”

The celebrations on the pitch and in the stands were joyous, although Barry-Murphy would not be drawn into the specifics of Cardiff’s celebrations.

“I think it’s the best way,” he said. “Saturday night will be unknown.

“I was at a fans’ forum at Aberdare recently and they were pretty clear if we returned there after securing promotion, the response would be incredible, so maybe a stop-off there.”

Cardiff will return home on Wednesday night for a proper night of celebration when they host Port Vale.

While planning for next season will begin soon, for now, Barry-Murphy is keen to heap praise on his players for their achievement.

“It’s great for the players,” said Barry-Murphy. “We haven’t had many players who have experienced this, so for many of our players to have the feeling of performing in the way that we did under such pressure was great for them.

“And it does lead you on to dreaming about next season and what we could achieve.”

Cardiff complete incredible comeback in Welsh Cup final

This weekend was an excellent one for Bluebirds fans, with Cardiff City retaining the Welsh Cup after a remarkable comeback victory over Swansea City, eventually prevailing 5-4 on penalties following a dramatic 3-3 draw at Rodney Parade.

Swansea made the perfect start and took the lead on 14 minutes when Chloe Chivers’ looping effort from wide on the right caught out the Cardiff defence and found the net via the far post.

The Swans carried that momentum into the second half and struck twice in quick succession, Aimee Deacon doubling the advantage before Maisie Miller fired home from distance to make it 3-0 and seemingly put one hand on the trophy.

However, Cardiff responded in sensational fashion. Substitute Fiona Barry sparked the comeback on 65 minutes, lobbing the advancing goalkeeper to reduce the deficit. Just four minutes later, Shannon Evans rose highest to head home from a corner and suddenly the momentum had shifted.

With Swansea struggling to regain control, Cardiff continued to press and found a dramatic equaliser with nine minutes remaining. Under pressure from another corner, Jessica Williams turned the ball into her own net, levelling the contest at 3-3 and setting up a tense finale.

Neither side could find a winner in the closing stages, sending the final straight to a penalty shootout. Both teams showed composure from the spot, but it was Cardiff who held their nerve, converting five of their kicks.

Stacey John missed her penalty for Swansea allowing Megan Bowen to step up and score the decisive spot kick. This sealed a 5-4 shootout victory completing one of the most memorable comebacks in the competition’s history to ensure Cardiff City lifted the trophy once again.

---

If you want to read more pieces from Sportin Wales, why not read to our monthly magazine here or subscribe to the magazine and newsletter at https://sportin.wales/subscribe/.

Our podcast is back for the new season and our co-founder Alex Cuthbert is in charge! You can find all the episodes here or the video versions on our YouTube channel.

You can also keep track of our pieces and videos on our socials at @Sportin_Wales on X or Sportin Wales on Instagram and Facebook.