Ten-man Cardiff City slip up in promotion race as Wycombe seal win with two late goals

Cardiff City missed a huge opportunity to make ground at the top of League One as the 10-man Bluebirds were beaten 2-0 by Wycombe Wanderers.

With Lincoln managing to slot home a 93rd-minute equaliser against Huddersfield, the door had been left ajar for the Bluebirds to close the gap. Instead, they stumbled, producing a frustrating display that ultimately handed the initiative back to their promotion rivals. Results elsewhere softened the blow slightly, with Bradford City and Bolton Wanderers both drawing, but this still felt like a significant missed chance.

Cardiff will wonder how they were not ahead by half-time after dominating long spells of the opening period. They started brightly, with Ollie Tanner and Rubin Colwill heavily involved, and created the game’s first big opening inside 10 minutes.

Tanner intercepted a loose pass and fed Colwill, who showed superb composure to square for Omari Kellyman just five yards out. It looked a certain goal - but somehow Kellyman turned the ball wide, a miss that would come to define the evening.

Colwill, in particular, was at the heart of everything good about Cardiff’s play. The forward glided past defenders with ease and forced a sharp save from Will Norris after a sublime touch set up a powerful low drive. Cian Ashford, too, was lively, twice driving at defenders and winning corners as Cardiff ramped up the pressure.

Joel Bagan delivered a number of dangerous crosses, while Ryan Wintle tried his luck from distance as the hosts pushed for a breakthrough. But despite their dominance, Cardiff could not find the finishing touch.

The contest then took a dramatic turn just before the break when Cardiff were reduced to 10 men. Gabriel Osho was shown a straight red card for a high,