Cardiff 1-0 Birmingham: Jaden Philogene goal gives Bluebirds win in Championship
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Birmingham have now won none of their last 10 away league games against Cardiff, last winning there back in 2008
Cardiff City extended their unbeaten run over Birmingham to eight matches as they deservedly took three points in a one-sided 1-0 win in the Welsh capital.
Cardiff led after a fast start when Jaden Philogene tapped home from close range on 16 minutes, finishing a sweeping Bluebirds attack.
The hosts should have added to their lead but missed a host of chances.
Birmingham saw a second-half penalty appeal waved away as their miserable recent run in Cardiff continued.
Cardiff fans will be happy with what they saw from their side, who look a more progressive and cohesive team than the one that spent much of last term battling relegation.
Bluebirds manager Steve Morison - who has made 15 summer signings - made two changes from the side beaten at Reading last time out in the Championship, with only Philogene retained from the Cardiff team thrashed in midweek by Portsmouth in the EFL Cup.
Cardiff impressed in their opening day home win over Norwich City and threatened to take a quick lead when the ball fell kindly to Ryan Wintle after only three minutes, but he dragged his shot wide.
That move came after good play by Mahlon Romeo and Callum O'Dowda, and the two combined again on seven minutes as Cardiff were left wondering how they did not score as John Ruddy made a fine double save to deny Romaine Sawyers' initial effort and Max Watters' close-range follow-up.
Cardiff continued to cause huge problems for Birmingham down the right flank and, from another smart move, O'Dowda went clear of the Blues' defence and squared for on-loan Aston Villa player Philogene, who was left with a tap-in as Cardiff turned defence into attack in an instant.
It took the visitors 30 minutes to even threaten Cardiff's goal, and when they did they should have drawn level as Scott Hogan raced clear, but defender Jamilu Collins produced a superb tackle to deny him.
The hosts also missed a brilliant chance before half-time with Watters sent clear by the lively O'Dowda, but Ruddy spread himself and was able to divert the ball around the post, with Birmingham lucky to only trail 1-0 at the break.
There was no obvious change to the pattern of play with Cardiff seeing two O'Dowda efforts on goal blocked within five minutes of the restart.
The visitors thought they had found a route back into the game when Hogan tumbled in the penalty area and screamed for a penalty on 51 minutes, but referee Darren Bond instead pointed for a goal-kick and booked Hogan for simulation.
The visitors improved after their penalty appeal and were encouraged by Cardiff's failure to score a second goal while they were dominating the contest.
Cardiff might have gone clear with a counter-attack that saw substitutes Rubin Colwill and Mark Harris combine, but Etete headed wide with the goal gaping, before O'Dowda saw a credible penalty appeal waved away.
However, the hosts deservedly held on with substitute Sheyi Ojo curling just wide as Cardiff finished the contest in control.
Cardiff City boss Steve Morison told BBC Sport Wales:
"We were excellent, first half tremendous, we should have scored at the start of the second half and then we went a bit flat.
"They got half a foothold in the game, but the changes (substitutions) worked in our favour.
"We should have had a couple more [goals] but we won.
"One of the key aspects is to limit other teams and we limited Birmingham to a very low chance of scoring.
"I'm pleased as punch sitting here, if we had a draw I'd be fuming right now."
Birmingham City boss John Eustace told BBC Sport Wales:
"I am disappointed with how we started the game, we were much better from half an hour onwards.
"I was really pleased with the reaction at half-time, we were much more competitive and much more like ourselves.
"I thought we should have had a penalty, but so should Cardiff probably, so it balanced out.
"There are no excuses. We weren't at the races for the first half an hour… and that has cost us."