Cardiff City 1-0 Exeter City: Alex Robertson strike earns Bluebirds rare Boxing Day win

Cardiff City banished a wretched Boxing Day hoodoo and maintained their grip on the League One title race with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Exeter City at Cardiff City Stadium.

Alex Robertson’s sublime second-half finish proved decisive on an afternoon when patience was tested, but the reward was significant. The win sees Cardiff remain three points clear at the top of the table and marked a rare festive success for a club whose Boxing Day record had long been a source of frustration.

In front of a crowd of more than 22,000, the Bluebirds dominated possession and territory for long spells but initially struggled to turn control into clear-cut chances against an organised Exeter side. Brian Barry-Murphy’s men had gone into the contest with several injury and illness doubts, yet still imposed themselves from the off, probing through Omari Kellyman and Isaak Davies.

Kellyman, operating between the lines, was a constant threat in the opening stages, drawing fouls and twice testing Exeter goalkeeper Joe Whitworth from range. Cardiff’s first genuine opening arrived in the 19th minute when Davies robbed Pierce Sweeney inside the box and fired a low effort that Whitworth did well to block with his leg.

Despite the pressure, Exeter carried a threat on the break and forced City to remain alert. Jack Aitchison lashed a long-range effort that Matt Turner pushed clear, while Cardiff’s defence was required to scramble on several occasions as half-chances dropped inside the box. At the other end, Yousef Salech had the ball in the net on the stroke of half-time, only for referee Tom Reeves to penalise the striker for a push in the build-up.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with Cardiff turning the screw and Exeter increasingly