Reading 1-3 Cardiff: Bluebirds clinch promotion back to the Championship
Cardiff have won promotion back to the Championship after beating Reading 3-1; Exeter's 96th-minute equaliser against Stockport County, scored by goalkeeper Jack Bycroft, means the Bluebirds can no longer be caught in the automatic promotion race
Saturday 18 April 2026 17:54, UK
Cardiff secured promotion back to the Championship with a 3-1 win over Reading.
An extraordinary 96th-minute equaliser from Exeter goalkeeper Jack Bycroft against Stockport meant all Cardiff's promotion rivals failed to win, enabling the Welsh side to clinch an immediate return to the second tier following their relegation last term.
"It means the world," head coach Brian Barry-Murphy told Sky Sports News.
"I've been blessed to work with a group of players who have incredible ambition. At times they played football from the Gods so I'm really grateful.
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"Because of what the players have done and how well they've played, we tend to forget where we've come from.
"It's a very special club. I believed these players could do it and I think the best thing is that we've only seen the start of it."
Skipper Rubin Colwill gave City a 1-0 half-time lead, courtesy of a back-post header in the 40th minute, and Omari Kellyman doubled their advantage 10 minutes into the second half.
Daniel Kyerewaa cut the deficit in the 73rd minute but defender Perry Ng sealed the win four minutes from the end.
And the best was yet to come as Exeter's dramatic equaliser confirmed their promotion at the first time of asking following last season's relegation to League One.
Reading defender Jeriel Dorsett scooped over from close range and winger Kyerewaa drove narrowly wide as the Royals started well.
But Colwill broke the deadlock by sending a well-directed header past home goalkeeper Joel Pereira, from Ryan Wintle's cross
The Bluebirds added a second when Kellyman broke the offside trap and calmly slotted home his ninth goal of the campaign.
The hosts reduced the deficit when Kyerewaa netted on the follow-up after Cardiff keeper Nathan Trott could only parry Lewis Wing's powerful free-kick.
But Ng's superb angled effort from 20 yards settled the issue as Cardiff's 2,935 fans celebrated wildly.
