Cardiff 1 – 0 Birm’ham

Jaden Philogene’s first half strike was enough to earn Cardiff a 1-0 win over Birmingham on Saturday lunchtime.

The 20-year-old Aston Villa loanee hit the winner after just 17 minutes at the Cardiff City Stadium, connecting with a Callum O’Dowda square ball to tap in his first goal for the club from close range.

Cardiff were the better side before the break and should have put the game beyond doubt, but after a penalty shout for either side in the second half, John Eustace’s side could not muster enough in the final third to draw level.

The Bluebirds move up to third in the embryonic Championship table ahead of the remainder of Saturday’s action, with Birmingham two points behind in seventh.

How Cardiff prospered in the South Wales sunshine

With both teams having been dumped out of the Carabao Cup first round in midweek, they were keen to get back to winning ways in the league – and Cardiff set about doing so straight away.

Ryan Wintle sent a low shot skidding past the left-hand post and John Ruddy denied both Romaine Sawyers and Max Watters with a marvellous double save, before Philogene tapped the Bluebirds ahead after seizing on a teasing ball across the box from O’Dowda.

The hosts continued to dominate in the wide areas and should certainly have added further goals before the break. Watters drove in on goal and drew a save from Ruddy when it looked simpler to dink the ball over him, while Dion Sanderson beat him to an O’Dowda cross and cleared.

Within 10 minutes of the second half, Ruddy had made another smart save to deny O’Dowda, with Birmingham’s appeals for a penalty waved away by referee Darren Bond when Scott Hogan went down in the box under pressure from Cedric Kipre.

Nonetheless, the Blues’ influence grew as the game progressed but they should have gone two behind when new signing Kion Etete somehow planted a header wide from six yards out, after Mark Harris had toiled on the left to find space for a cross.

Late on, Cardiff had appeals for a spot-kick of their own turned down when the lively O’Dowda was sent to ground on the edge of the 18-yard box. In the end, though, a solitary goal settled the game.

Man of the match – Callum O’Dowda

What’s next?

Birmingham travel to Vicarage Road to take on Watford at 7.45pm on Tuesday August 16, while Cardiff return to action the following night at 8pm, when they take on West Brom at The Hawthorns.