10.25pm GMT Will Unwin’s report has landed … and his hard work has been rewarded with a splendid headline. Thanks for reading this MBM. Related: Will Fish chips in with vital goal for Cardiff after Wrexham fail to fire in derby 10.22pm GMT Cardiff’s Brian Barry-Murphy speaks to ITV. “The character of the team [pleased me most] … the way we responded to a difficult setback in the second half … the personality that we showed through the course of the game, but even more so then … it was hugely satisfying for us … the team is improving all the time … strong glimpses of what we can achieve … it’s going to take a lot of work to get where we want to go … tonight was a very good and important stepping stone for us … I was so desperate for the players to get the reward I felt they deserved … that’s probably why I was more agitated than usual! … for [our fans] to travel at this distance and at this expense on a Tuesday night is an incredible contribution so to reward them with a victory is hugely satisfying for us.” 10.18pm GMT A disappointed Phil Parkinson gives his admirably honest verdict when asked by ITV whether the best team won. “Yeah I’d agree with that … first half, we were passive … we didn’t press with enough aggression … second half, we did better and got back in the game … just frustrated to concede the goal the way we did, a tight angle from a set play … I haven’t seen [the free kick that led to the winner] back so I’m not gonna comment on that … the first half we were off it … not enough intensity … they pressed us and forced us into mistakes … the second half a lot better … I fancied us to go on and win the game but that moment decided the game … it was just disappointing … you have to give credit to Cardiff … they came out aggressively … pressed high as a team … we didn’t deal with it as well as we’d have liked … it shows that if you’re not right at the races, you can get punished in football.” 10.14pm GMT While we wait for some managerial reaction from the Raceground, here’s Aaron Bower’s report on Brentford steamrollering Grimsby … Related: Collins caps five-star Brentford’s Carabao Cup cruise against Grimsby … and Jacob Steinberg on Fulham squeaking past Wycombe Wanderers. Related: Lecomte’s shootout saves spare Fulham blushes against Wycombe in Carabao Cup 10.08pm GMT The match-winner Will Fish, who scored his first goal for Cardiff tonight, speaks to ITV. “When I saw the ball come over, my eyes lit up … to get the winner means the world … very happy … we knew it’d be a tough game … the way the boys stuck together … we always looked fairly secure … we can take massive confidence into the season coming up … we knew the magnitude of this game … what Wrexham have done in recent years … massive credit to the boys and all the staff … we worked hard for this one.” 10.04pm GMT Wrexham were vastly improved in the second half. Kieffer Moore introduced a huge threat, caused bother, equalised, caused more bother, missed chances. But Cardiff were so superior in the first period, it’s hard to argue that they don’t deserve their victory on balance, even if the final possession stat was exactly 50-50 and the xG wasn’t quite as lopsided as one might imagine: 1.27-1.88. Thing is, the Bluebirds could very easily have been out of sight by the break, and only a woodwork-bothering mix of profligacy and bad luck kept their score down. Omari Kellyman was particularly impressive during that first half; Cardiff would have surely won easier had he not gone off. They go onto the quarters, while Wrexham must take solace from their second-half performance, and the fact they’re still one division above their Welsh rivals. 9.59pm GMT In the meantime, Fulham have beaten Wycombe Wanderers 5-4 on penalties, and join both Cardiff and their west-London pals Brentford in the quarter-finals. Here are tonight’s results … Grimsby Town 0-5 Brentford Wrexham 1-2 Cardiff City Wycombe Wanderers 1-1 Fulham (4-5 pens) … and here’s the card for tomorrow night. Some big matches there. Arsenal v Brighton & Hove Albion Liverpool v Crystal Palace Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur Swansea City v Manchester City Woverhampton Wanderers v Chelsea 9.55pm GMT FULL TIME: Wrexham 1-2 Cardiff City Nothing comes of it, and Cardiff advance to the quarter-finals at the expense of their Welsh rivals! 9.55pm GMT 90 min +5: Kabore crosses long from the right. Chambers and Fish confuse each other, the latter nearly slicing into his own net! The ball squirts wide left. One last Hail-Mary corner. 9.54pm GMT 90 min +4: Wrexham can’t get anything going. Time running out for an ending a Hollywood scriptwriter would think twice about. 9.53pm GMT 90 min +3: “There’s only one team in Wales,” trill the Bluebirds support. 9.52pm GMT 90 min +2: Robertson is booked for a hearty clank into Dobson. 9.51pm GMT 90 min +1: Kabore crosses from the right. Moore’s sheer presence on the other flank is enough to win a corner. But the set piece delivery is no use. Cardiff clear their lines. 9.50pm GMT 90 min: There will be five extra minutes. Can Wrexham save themselves and take the tie to penalties? 9.50pm GMT 89 min: Moore and O’Brien contest a couple of headers in the Cardiff box. They win both of them, but the latter is harshly penalised for a mid-air nudge on Ng. O’Brien is incandescent. The referee cuts him some slack and makes do with some calming words. 9.48pm GMT 88 min: Davies takes the ball down the Cardiff right and towards the corner flag, wasting precious seconds. Cardiff firmly in end-game mode now. 9.47pm GMT 87 min: Ashford is replaced by Osho, an extra defensive piece for Cardiff. 9.46pm GMT 86 min: O’Brien sends Windass into acres down the right. Windass crosses low and long for Moore, whose slap-shot from the left-hand edge of the D is blocked. Moore’s had his chances to equalise. 9.43pm GMT 84 min: Moore spins into a little bit of space, 25 yards out, but can’t get any oomph behind his shot, which dribbles through to Trott. 9.43pm GMT 83 min: Davies has a blooter goalwards from long range. Burton is behind it all the way. The tension at the Racecourse is palpable. 9.42pm GMT 82 min: Cardiff make another change, replacing Bagan with Ng. 9.42pm GMT 81 min: It’s all a bit scrappy now, as both teams approach the business end of this all-Welsh affair. The first meeting between these sides in 21 years; is it really any wonder? 9.39pm GMT 79 min: The game between Wycombe Wanderers and Fulham has gone to penalties after finishing 1-1. 9.38pm GMT 78 min: … and then Hardie comes again, dribbling into the box down the left, but unable to shake off Fish in order to make room for a shot. Still, a lively introduction by the striker who helped Plymouth beat Liverpool in last season’s FA Cup. 9.37pm GMT 77 min: O’Brien is brought down on the left. Before the free kick is taken, Wrexham send on Kabore and Hardie for Barnett and Coady … and Hardie’s very first act is to meet the free kick and flash a header straight at Trott. 9.36pm GMT 76 min: It’s finished at Blundell Park. Brentford have beaten Grimsby Town 5-0. 9.35pm GMT 75 min: Robertson one-twos his way down the right and wins a Cardiff corner. He’s been lively since coming on. It’ll be their tenth of the evening. Bagan takes long, and from the left-hand corner of the six-yard box, Salech loops a header across Burton and into the right-hand side of the net. But the whistle had long gone for some unnecessary pushing and shoving in the middle. 9.33pm GMT 73 min: Wrexham try to respond immediately, Longman advancing down the left and cutting back for Moore, whose first-time shot is deflected wide. Then from the resulting corner, the ball comes in from the left, and Moore slaps a header wide right when everyone expected the net to bulge! Good cup-tie this now! 9.31pm GMT GOAL! Wrexham 1-2 Cardiff City (Fish 71) Barnett comes through the back of Chambers out on the left. From the resulting free kick, Bagan is found in space out on the wing. He crosses long and the ball drops to Fish, on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box. Fish meets the ball by volleying low and hard into the near corner. Cardiff back in front! Updated at 9.41pm GMT 9.29pm GMT 69 min: Davies wins Cardiff another corner, this time down the right. Nothing comes of this one, either, but the away side are beginning to reestablish their earlier dominance. 9.28pm GMT 68 min: Robertson has a dig from distance. Deflected. Wide. The corner leads to nothing. 9.28pm GMT 66 min: Cardiff make a double change, sending on Robertson and Turnbull in place of Wintle and Joel Colwill. “I mean, a handful of Welsh speakers would find it funny, but I don’t for one second think it’s useable, don’t worry! Just sent it cos it made me chuckle.” Matt Dony there, completely underestimating my [flicks through Great Welsh Songbook] impulse to become reactionary. Updated at 9.29pm GMT 9.26pm GMT 64 min: The Colwill brothers combine, left to right and back into the centre, hoping to tee up Salech, six yards out. Coady nudges the striker in the back to put him off. Not enough for a penalty, though Salech isn’t happy about it. “Wrth gwrs, mae Alan Pugh yn iawn,” begins Matt Dony. “Dylai hyn fod yn Gymraeg. Ond fe wnaeth ein gormeswyr Seisnig wneud hynny’n anodd iawn amser maith yn ôl. WelshNot alive and well.” 9.22pm GMT 62 min: Wrexham have enjoyed 77 percent of possession since the equaliser went in. Rubin Colwill tries to turn the momentum back in favour of Cardiff with a whack from distance, but while well hit, it’s straight at Burton. 9.19pm GMT 60 min: Brentford are giving poor old Grimsby a proper working-over. Nathan Collins makes it 0-5 on 75 minutes. 9.19pm GMT 59 min: Joel Colwill and Moore tussle and fall to the ground. Moore has tweaked his shoulder upon landing. Think an ersatz version of Sergio Ramos versus Mohamed Salah in the 2018 Champions League final, and there you have it. Well, up to a point: Colwill’s challenge seemed innocent, while after some treatment, Moore looks fine to continue. 9.17pm GMT 57 min: … who goes into the book. Wrexham want a red card, but distance from goal plus covering defender plus another covering defender equals yellow. But Kpakio will now miss the quarter-final should Cardiff get there. 9.16pm GMT 56 min: Cardiff respond through Ashford, who is sent into the Wrexham box down the inside-left channel by Rubin Colwill. Ashford aims for the bottom left. Burton parries around the post for a corner, from which Wrexham break upfield. Longman threatens to break clear down the right, and is cynically brought down by Kpakio … 9.15pm GMT 55 min: Wrexham tails are suddenly back up. Longman dances in from the left and curls a low drive across Trott and towards the bottom-right corner. Not sure the keeper was getting there, had it been on target, but it flies wide so it’s all moot. 9.14pm GMT 54 min: Cardiff will wonder how on earth they’ve been pegged back. But here we are! Cup football, ladies and gentlemen. Bagan, perhaps irritated, slides through the back of Dobson and rightfully goes into the book. 9.13pm GMT GOAL! Wrexham 1-1 Cardiff City (Moore 52) … so having said that, Wrexham draw level! Longman crosses from the left. The ball glances off the top of Fish’s head, and loops into the six-yard box. Moore, rushing in, is always going to be the boss of Chambers, and easily wins an aerial duel to power a header home from close range! The Racecourse erupts! Updated at 9.30pm GMT 9.11pm GMT 50 min: Salech tees up Wintle, 25 yards out. Wintle races onto the ball and sends a rising screamer high and wide of the top-right corner. Cardiff continue to look the more dangerous, despite Wrexham upping their own intensity. 9.09pm GMT 49 min: Wrexham are signally more snappy in the tackle, and vigorous in the press, during these early second-half exchanges. A fair shout that Phil Parkinson set the old hairdryer to The What-For during the break. 9.07pm GMT 47 min: Windass is immediately into the thick of the action, floating a long shot towards the top-left corner that on the one hand is easy pickings for Trott, but on the other, Wrexham’s first shot on target. 9.06pm GMT Cardiff get the second half started. Wrexham have made three changes, sending on mascot Wrex the Dragon Moore, Windass and James for Rathbone, Broadhead and Smith. Cardiff have replaced the impressive Kellyman with Davies. 9.02pm GMT Some more on-the-scene / almost too on-the-nose reporting from our man Will Unwin at the Racecourse. “I am not saying things are going badly for Wrexham but the mascot is currently doing a vigorous warm-up.” 9.01pm GMT It might already be all over at Grimsby, but the scoring never stops. Fábio Carvalho, who already has an assist to his name for the Reiss Nelson goal, slots a 54th-minute penalty to make it Grimsby 0-4 Brentford. 8.55pm GMT It might be half-time in Wrexham, but the football never stops. Fulham have drawn level at Wycombe, Josh King scoring after three minutes of the second half. It’s still 3-0 to Brentford at Grimsby. 8.48pm GMT HALF TIME: Wrexham 0-1 Cardiff City … and that being the case, Wrexham are booed off by a small but vocal section of their support. It’s not stretching a point to say that Cardiff could be three, four, even five goals in the lead. As it stands, though, we’ve still got ourselves a live cup-tie. 8.47pm GMT 45 min +1: Smith advances down the inside-right channel, takes a touch infield, then swivels and whistles a low drive inches wide of the bottom-right corner. Trott was rooted to the spot and, had that been on target, not getting there. By some distance Wrexham’s best moment of the game. A 1-1 half-time scoreline would have been a total absurdity, mind you. 8.46pm GMT 45 min: Wrexham have two first-half minutes to survive before launching Mission Regroup/Reorganise. 8.45pm GMT 44 min: O’Brien crosses from the left in the hope of finding Smith at the far stick, but the striker’s swarmed by blue shirts. Then Salech accidentally stands on O’Brien’s foot. That’ll have hurt. Not a banner moment for poor O’Brien. 8.43pm GMT 42 min: Wrexham enjoy a rare period of sustained possession in Cardiff territory … but go nowhere in particular. The away defence holding its shape. On which subject, here’s Charles Antaki: “A bit of surprise for Arsenal fans to see Calum Chambers in action, but pleased that he’s prospering. He always looked a bit gawky and unformed while at the club, and now, manly beard added, seems to have settled into maturity. But it does make one realise how far the club has come – compare the current defensive lineup with Cech, Chambers, Holding, Carl Jenkinson and Sead Kolasinac. Anyway - good luck to him.” 8.41pm GMT 40 min: A bit of space for Rathbone down the inside-left channel. But he’s got very few passing options, and can’t decide whether or not to shoot. He eventually lays off to a blue shirt. Cue more groans from the red-clad faithful. 8.39pm GMT 38 min: Ashford crosses from the left. Kpakio should slam a header home, unmarked as he is, six yards out, but the young man mistimes his header, which flies straight down and back up into the grateful arms of Burton. Some more booing, louder this time, from the Wrexham faithful. Their team haven’t turned up yet. 8.38pm GMT 37 min: Ashford’s corner is punched away with conviction by Burton. Wrexham desperately need to hear the half-time whistle and regroup. 8.36pm GMT 36 min: Kellyman has a curl towards the bottom left from distance. It’s deflected out for a corner, from which nothing comes. Cardiff come again, Fish throwing a line in from the right for Joel Colwill, whose attempted header from six yards out is deflected out for another corner on the left. This is relentless. 8.35pm GMT 34 min: It doesn’t look as though Brentford are going to grow complacent, as per Kári Tulinius (16 min). They’ve scored a third at Grimsby, through Reiss Nelson on 43 minutes. The Bees have scored three this season against Manchester United, Liverpool, and now the giant-killing Mariners. Is there no stopping them? 8.32pm GMT 32 min: Wintle drifts in from the Cardiff left and looks for the bottom right with a speculative curler. Always wide. 8.31pm GMT 31 min: Wrexham need something. Anything. Longman cuts in from the left, finds a rare pocket of space near the Cardiff box, and has a dig from distance. High and wide, but small acorns and all that. 8.30pm GMT 29 min: So yes, Cardiff are dominant. But it’s not all good news for their coach Brian Barry-Murphy, as John Brennan would like to explain: “As an Irishman it is obligatory to point out that Brian Barry-Murphy’s father is Jimmy Barry-Murphy who won both hurling and (gaelic) football All-Irelands with Cork as well as managing the hurlers to the All-Ireland title in 1999. While Brian had a decent career as a player and is building a good reputation as a manager, unless he wins the Premier League or manages Ireland to the World Cup, he is always likely to be overshadowed by his father.” 8.28pm GMT 27 min: Joel Colwill skins Longman with indecent ease down the right, and is about to enter the box when he’s brazenly shoved in the back by the victim of his skill. Longman has the chutzpah to mime the irritated get-up gesture, and no free kick is awarded, but that’s an absurd non-decision. It should be a free kick in a very dangerous position. Cardiff are completely, totally, utterly on top. 8.26pm GMT 26 min: Cardiff could, arguably should, already be out of sight. They’ve been as impressive as Wrexham have been all over the shop. 8.25pm GMT 24 min: Rubin Colwill hovers around 25 yards from the Wrexham goal and is clumsily tripped by a panicking Rathbone. A free kick just to the right of the D. Colwill takes it himself … and batters the right-hand junction of bar and post with a vicious dipper. Had that been a few centimetres lower, it was nestling in the top corner. Burton wasn’t getting anywhere near it. Updated at 8.30pm GMT 8.23pm GMT 22 min: A cross comes into the Cardiff box from Broadhead on the left. Smith eyebrows a weak header wide right. Probably the nearest Wrexham have come to troubling Trott in the Cardiff goal, because we can’t count Broadhead’s earlier snatch-sliced effort from eight yards, we just can’t. 8.22pm GMT 20 min: The corner leads to nothing, and Wrexham have the opportunity for a much-needed breather. A few boos from the home fans, who aren’t 100 percent happy with their team’s placid-casual approach so far. 8.20pm GMT 19 min: One corner leads to another, and Wrexham can’t get out. Cardiff are pulling them all over the shop, probing this way and that. Ashford advances down the left and from a tight angle hammers a rising shot towards the top left. It’s heading in, and Burton is forced to fingertip onto the junction of post and bar and out for yet another corner. 8.18pm GMT 18 min: Salech tries to turn provider, slipping a pass down the inside-right channel for the busy Kelleyman, who opens his body and attempts to steer across the keeper. Burton stands strong to parry out for a corner. 8.17pm GMT 16 min: Another goal elsewhere to report. Brentford are now two up at Grimsby, Keane Lewis-Potter scoring their second after 26 minutes. Kári Tulinius has been watching it: “Grimsby have been much the better side so far, but they lost the ball playing out from the back, allowed Matthias Jensen the time to measure his aim and he rifled the ball into the corner. Then they let Reiss Nelson run up through the penalty box and cross to Lewis-Potter who had a free header at goal. The Mariners will hope Brentford grow complacent.” 8.15pm GMT 14 min: Cardiff deserve their lead, having already enjoyed 67 percent of possession and taken six attempts at goal. And yet Broadhead will surely be thinking about the chance he snatched at just before the opener. That’s quietened the Racecourse a little bit. 8.14pm GMT GOAL! Wrexham 0-1 Cardiff City (Salech 12) … and how Cardiff make Broadhead pay for his miss! They snaffle possession up the other end. Kellyman enters the box and threads a diagonal shot towards the bottom left. Burton saves, but can only parry to the left-hand corner of the six-yard box, and Salech is on point to whip the loose ball home. Updated at 8.31pm GMT 8.13pm GMT 11 min: Broadhead is sent scampering into space down the left. He cuts back for O’Brien, who slices his shot … and releases Broadhead into space in the box! Broadhead takes a panicked slash at the ball and sends his shot way wide left. He should have worked the keeper. 8.11pm GMT 11 min: Rubin Colwill spins into space down the middle of the park and feeds Kellyman into the Wrexham box down the right. Kellyman can’t get a shot away, but the loose ball falls back to Rubin Colwill, who shoots from the edge of the D. Blocked. Coady the home hero there. 8.10pm GMT 10 min: Another goal to report elsewhere. Grimsby, the first-ever fourth-tier conquerors of Manchester United in a cup competition, have fallen behind against Brentford to Mathias Jensen’s 22nd-minute effort. 8.08pm GMT 8 min: Wrexham finally get their foot on the ball, Longman and O’Brien combining well down the left to win a throw in deep territory. But they opt against flinging into the mixer, in the currently trendy Arsenal-Brentford style, and soon enough the ball’s back at the feet of Burton in their goal. 8.06pm GMT 6 min: Kpakio dribbles down the right touchline but runs out of room and pitch. Cardiff come again, Bagan swinging in from the left, but the cross is too strong. Wrexham have hardly touched the ball. 8.05pm GMT 4 min: Cardiff are taking the game to their hosts in these early exchanges. They’re pressing them back into the final third, albeit yet to find a defence-splitting pass. 8.03pm GMT 2 min: Cardiff are on the front foot immediately. Kellyman drifts in from the right and hits a cross-cum-shot that clacks into Dobson. There’s a not-particularly- throaty appeal for a penalty, but there’s no handball, and we play on. 8.02pm GMT 1 min: There’s already a shock on the cards. Cauley Woodrow has given Wycombe of League One an early lead over Premier League Fulham with a fourth-minute goal. 8.00pm GMT Wrexham get the ball rolling. Y Cae Ras is bouncing! 7.59pm GMT The teams are out! Wrexham in red, Cardiff in blue, a wonderful atmosphere at an expectant Racecourse. Not that everyone’s in a good mood right now. “Great to see Welsh club football live on terrestrial TV but why is Wrecsam yn erbyn Caerdydd being broadcast in a foreign language?” wonders Alun Pugh, mistaking this MBM for the complaints department of HTV Cymru. We’ll be off in a minute! … and now, Three Little Words with Ray Alan. All the up-to-date TV references tonight. 7.49pm GMT Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson – who led fourth-tier Bradford City to the final of this competition in 2013 – talks to ITV. “It’s a great night for us … and for Cardiff as well … we haven’t met for 20-plus years … the chance to progress to the quarter-finals of one of the major cups … there’s a lot at stake tonight … we’ve got good options at the top of the pitch … it’s important to manage the squad … freshness … a strong bench to come on if its needed … I’ve always loved cup football … the memories that can be created … supporters remember the great cup nights … our aim is to make one of those tonight.” 7.45pm GMT Cardiff boss Brian Barry-Murphy speaks to ITV. “It’s a really exciting night for us all … you could sense the atmosphere on our coach coming to the game … as exciting for the players as it is for the supporters … we feel well prepared … we are going to try to go through … win the game and progress … most of the players and myself have never been near the last eight of this competition so that’s a huge incentive … we want to play the way we’ve been playing this season … have a real go and see if we’re good enough … we’re a very young team … we try to attack … with that comes a risk that we can concede goals but more often than not our players have shown incredible growth and maturity and met every challenge we’ve faced … we’re very confident we can play well.” 7.42pm GMT There are two other League Cup fixtures being played tonight. Grimsby Town v Brentford Wycombe Wanderers v Fulham Both kick off at 7.45pm GMT. No cast-iron guarantees, but I’ll try to keep you in the loop about those. A reminder that there’s no extra time in this competition until the semi-final stage, so if the scores are level after the end of the game, it’ll be straight to penalties. 7.25pm GMT Will Unwin is our man at the Racecourse Ground tonight. He’s already set the scene thus … Related: Wrexham’s Nathan Broadhead: ‘Cardiff fans I know are telling me not to score – hopefully I do’ … and now he adds another splash of colour with this marvellous on-the-scene BREAKING FIASCO. An overzealous steward did not allow the man from the Football League carrying the Carabao Cup into the stadium because he did not have the correct accreditation. He did, however, have a massive trophy with him. 7.19pm GMT Both teams ring the changes after their weekend exertions in the league. Wrexham retain just four starters from their 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough: Max Cleworth, Ryan Longman, George Thomason and George Dobson. Conor Coady returns to the defence. Cardiff keep six of the lads who started their 1-0 defeat at Bolton. Nathan Trott, Will Fish, Joel Bagan, Rubin Colwill, Omari Kellyman and Yousef Salech hold onto their places. Their captain Calum Chambers is back. Twelve changes between them, with a place in the quarter-finals of the League Cup up for grabs. It’s live on terrestrial television as well. Arguably the biggest one-for-the-cognoscenti transmission in a prime-time ITV slot since this … … which to be fair was absolutely magnificent, but the point stands. Updated at 7.29pm GMT 7.15pm GMT The teams Wrexham: Burton, Cleworth, Coady, Thomason, Barnett, Dobson, Rathbone, O’Brien, Longman, Broadhead, Smith.Subs: Okonkwo, Hyam, Scarr, McClean, Sheaf, Matty James, Windass, Alexander Moore, Hardie. Cardiff City: Trott, Kpakio, Chambers, Fish, Bagan, Joel Colwill, Wintle, Rubin Colwill, Kellyman, Ashford, Salech.Subs: Turner, Ng, Osho, Lawlor, Mafico, Robertson, Turnbull, Nyakuhwa, Davies. Referee: Gavin Ward (Surrey). 7.00pm GMT Preamble Cardiff City reached the final of this competition just 13 years ago. They came mighty close to winning their first major trophy since 1927 as well, their opponents Liverpool missing their first two penalties of a shootout, but it wasn’t to be for the Bluebirds. Still, it could have been worse: while Cardiff were battling on the big stage for glamorous bits of silverware, that same season, 2011-12, saw Wrexham fail to extricate themselves from the Conference National for the fourth season in a row. How times change. Wrexham required another 11 seasons, and a large sprinkle of Hollywood stardust, to regain their Football League status, but having done so, look at them now. They’re currently mid-table in the Championship, ten places and one division above Cardiff, who got themselves relegated last season while Wrexham were heading the other way. So it’s a big status switcheroo, and tonight it’s the Dragons who get the bookies’ nod over their Welsh rivals. Times change all right. Having said all that, there’s unlikely to be too much in it. Neither team are in the greatest form right now. Wrexham have only lost one of their last six matches, but they’ve only won one too; Cardiff, after a blistering start to their promotion campaign, have lost three of their last five. And yet the feelgood vibes are still strong at both clubs. Throw in the fact these two haven’t met since a Welsh Cup semi-final in 2004 and last met in the league in March 2002 – Wrexham won the cup game, Cardiff the one in the league – and this is poised beautifully. Kick-off is at 8pm GMT. It’s on!
Wrexham 1-2 Cardiff City: Carabao Cup – as it happened
<strong>Minute-by-minute report:</strong> Will Fish reeled Wrexham in as Cardiff deservedly beat their Welsh rivals to reach the quarter-finals. Scott Murray was watching
