Cardiff City 0-0 Reading

Kenneth Zohore unleashes a shot as Cardiff strive to break through a stubborn Reading rearguard

Cardiff City secured automatic promotion to the Premier League despite drawing at home to Reading, thanks to Fulham's defeat at Birmingham.

The Bluebirds dominated their tense encounter but were frustrated by the Royals.

However, Fulham's loss - their first of 2018 in the Championship - brought relief and pure euphoria to the Welsh side.

And Reading joined in the celebrations, with the draw sealing their survival.

The real scenes of jubilation, however, belonged to the home side, with Cardiff's fans streaming on to the pitch to mob their players as soon as the final whistle blew.

Manager Neil Warnock had said winning a record eighth promotion would be his "greatest achievement" - and it is no wonder, considering the Bluebirds were second from bottom and in disarray when he was appointed in October 2016.

Despite working with modest means, the veteran manager signed resourcefully to assemble a group of players in whom he instilled a tireless work ethic and bloody-minded will to win.

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The style of play may not always be aesthetically pleasing but, with a robust structure and sheer refusal to relent, this is a Cardiff team whose spirit mirrors that of their manager and supporters.

The Bluebirds started the day second in the Championship table, one point ahead of third-placed Fulham. Cardiff only needed to match Fulham's result at Birmingham to secure promotion.

For Reading, meanwhile, there was still the danger of relegation, which raised the stakes for both sides and fed a cacophonous atmosphere inside a sold-out Cardiff City Stadium bathed in sunshine.

The tension was palpable and, although the hosts sought to keep their fate in their own hands with a strident start to the game, the mutual sense of apprehension meant there were few early scoring opportunities.

However, the anxiety soon eased thanks to events elsewhere.

Reading's fans were the first to celebrate, chanting "We are staying up" after discovering both their chief relegation rivals, Barnsley and Burton, were losing.

And those cheers were soon drowned out when news of Birmingham's opening goal against Fulham was met with an almighty roar from the home supporters.

Wild celebrations

It was something of a reprieve for Cardiff, who were dominating possession and territory but unable to carve open their obdurate opponents.

Junior Hoilett curled one effort narrowly wide and then had an appeal for a penalty rejected after he fell under a challenge from Tiago Ilory.

Again, the home nerves jangled but, again, Birmingham calmed them by doubling their lead against Fulham.

The second half followed the same pattern: Cardiff the aggressors, trying but failing to force their way through; their frustration tempered by the scoreline at St Andrew's.

That was to prove enough, with Che Adams' goal for Birmingham sealing Fulham's 3-1 defeat and sparking pandemonium in the Cardiff City Stadium stands and a premature pitch invasion from some supporters.

They took their seats for the closing moments and when the final whistle eventually went, the wild celebrations could begin in earnest as Cardiff toasted their return to the Premier League for the first time since 2014.