Cardiff City produced a remarkable late comeback to snatch a 1-1 draw against Wrexham in a dramatic Championship opener at Cardiff City Stadium. Rubin Colwill scored a 98th-minute free-kick to cancel out Kieffer Moore's early goal.
Wrexham's Dream Start
Wrexham made the perfect start after just three minutes. Danny Imray hooked a ball over the Cardiff defence after the Bluebirds failed to clear, with Gabriel Osho playing Moore onside. The former Cardiff striker kept his composure to finish from a tight angle and silence the home crowd.
The visitors continued to look dangerous, with Nathan Trott forced into action to tip a Callum Doyle header over the bar before Moore came within inches of a second when he headed Lewis O'Brien's corner onto the top of the crossbar.
Cardiff's Improvement
Cardiff eventually grew into the contest, with Jack Moylan increasingly influential on his league debut. The summer signing should have levelled when Ollie Tanner's excellent work created a chance near the penalty spot, but Moylan leaned back and fired over.
The Bluebirds improved after half-time but Wrexham remained a threat. Doyle struck the post with a fierce effort while Trott also saved from him early in the second half.
Late Drama and Equaliser
Barry-Murphy turned to his bench, introducing Rubin Colwill, Joel Colwill, Isaak Davies, Callum Robinson and Ronan Kpakio as Cardiff searched desperately for an equaliser. Wrexham appeared to have held firm when six minutes of added time were announced. Sam Smith lifted an effort over, while Davies headed another opportunity wide.
In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Kpakio sent a ball towards the back post and Dom Hyam's recovering header crashed against the crossbar. Moments later, Joel Colwill was brought down just outside the box, with the home crowd initially believing they had been awarded a penalty.
With the clock showing 90+8, Rubin Colwill stepped up and curled the resulting free-kick into the top corner, sending the Cardiff City Stadium into delirium. The late leveller completed an extraordinary turnaround and ensured Cardiff avoided defeat on their return to the Championship, while Wrexham were left devastated after being seconds away from claiming a famous victory.
