Isaak Davies scored his first goal at Cardiff City Stadium since January 2022 to earn the relegation-threatened Bluebirds precious point from a 1-1 home draw with Sheffield Wednesday.
After spending last season on loan at Belgian aside Kortrijk he has returned after a lengthy injury break to make an impact and his first-half strike gave his side the lead and ultimately earned them the point that moved them two points clear of the relegation zone.
Wednesday boss Danny Rohl suggested before the game it would take six wins out of the remaining eight games for his side to reach the play-offs and they eventually battled their way back into the contest after the break to leave with a point.
Cardiff boss Omer Riza said his side probably needed 11 points to beat the drop over the final eight games and he picked a side with three wide men behind sole striker Youssef Salech to give his team the best chance to make it back-to-back wins after their triumph last time out at Blackburn.
It was one of those three players, Davies, who made the biggest impression as he tormented the visitors’ defence down the right and eventually came up with the goal that broke the deadlock in the 21st minute.
He had fluffed his lines with another chance 10 minutes earlier when he was free in front of goal, but he finished off a sweeping move in style as he cut in from the right edge of box before firing with his left foot into the bottom corner.
Cardiff totally dominated the opening 45 minutes with Wednesday failing to get off a shot and playing the whole half on the back foot. It was little wonder then that Rohl made three changes during the interval, hooking Rio Hatsuse, Jamal Lowe and Nathaniel Chalobah.
He sent on Marvin Johnson, Shea Charles and Svante Ingelsson in their place and the energy levels, intensity and commitment rose immediately. Having been forced to play second fiddle to the home side, Wednesday went up two gears and levelled just past the hour mark.
A corner from the left was met with a firm header in the middle of the goal by Michael Ihiekwe and Ethan Horvath had no chance of stopping it. That inspired both teams to keep pressing forward for a winner.
Charles was forced into a diving effort to push a Davies shot clear in the 70th minute and then Salech headed inches wide soon after.
Anwar El Ghazi had one final forlorn shot just before the end of the three minutes of added time for the home side, and they now face two away trips to QPR and Preston before hosting Stoke in a huge game in the relegation zone.
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