Cardiff City 1-0 Wigan Athletic: Chambers stunner wins it as Bluebirds maintain lead at top

Cardiff City ground out another vital home victory as Calum Chambers’ stunning first-half strike proved enough to see off a stubborn Wigan Athletic side and keep the Bluebirds firmly at the top of League One.

Brian Barry-Murphy’s men dominated possession, ending the game with 82 percent of the ball, at Cardiff City Stadium and were largely camped inside Wigan territory, but needed a moment of genuine quality to break the deadlock.

That arrived midway through the first half when Chambers produced a captain’s contribution, rifling a sublime effort from 25 yards into the top corner to leave Sam Tickle helpless.

From that point on it became a familiar story for Cardiff; plenty of control, waves of pressure and chance after chance, but without the second goal their dominance perhaps deserved. Wigan, disciplined and compact, rarely offered much going forward but remained in the contest right until the final whistle.

Cardiff started on the front foot and were inches away from an early opener when Chambers tested Tickle with a half-volley from distance inside the opening two minutes. Omari Kellyman then twice went close, first with a fierce effort from the edge of the box and later with a volley that again forced the Wigan keeper into action.

Alex Robertson was at the heart of much of Cardiff’s best work, delivering dangerous set-pieces and driving forward from midfield. His corner in the 21st minute caused chaos in the Wigan area, Chambers flicking on before Dylan Lawlor nearly bundled home at the back post, only for Raphael to hack clear off the line.

The breakthrough eventually came in the 24th minute and it was worth the wait. Chambers stepped onto a loose ball 25 yards out and bent a glorious strike beyond Tickle, the ball