Cardiff City remained at the summit of League One with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Huddersfield Town at the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Yousef Salech's brace, coupled with a stunning finish from substitute Isaak Davies, proved decisive as Brian Barry-Murphy's side extended their run of form to three consecutive league wins. Despite a spirited second-half comeback from the visitors, who drew level before grabbing a late consolation, Cardiff's clinical finishing and control of possession secured all three points to maintain their one-point advantage over Bradford City.
Early Dominance
Cardiff got off to a blistering start, and it took just six minutes for them to break the deadlock. A slick counter-attacking move saw Chris Willock link up with left-back Joel Bagan on the flank. Bagan's pinpoint cross found Yousef Salech arriving at the back post, and the Danish forward made no mistake with a well-placed header to open the scoring. The goal perfectly showcased Cardiff's attacking intent and positivity from the opening whistle, with Salech and co pressing aggressively out of possession and looking dangerous in transition.
The Bluebirds controlled large swathes of the first half, dictating tempo and forcing Huddersfield into a reactive approach. Barry-Murphy's side, buoyed by their 3-0 demolition of Mansfield Town the previous weekend, continued to create opportunities. Cian Ashford tested Lee Nicholls from distance, while Chris Willock unleashed a powerful effort that the Huddersfield goalkeeper dealt with comfortably. Even Salech himself went close when his header from another Bagan cross sailed just over the bar.
Huddersfield, despite being second best for much of the opening period, showed glimpses of their own attacking threat. Bojan Radulović had the visitors' best chance of the half when he met a corner delivery from Marcus Harness, but his volley drifted wide of the target. Ben Wiles also saw a low effort deflected clear as the Terriers began to settle into the contest. By the time the whistle went for half-time, Cardiff's superiority had been clear, though they would have wanted to extend their lead further given the number of openings they created.
The opener! 💙#CityAsOne pic.twitter.com/23nOapvrHM
— Cardiff City FC (@CardiffCityFC) December 7, 2025
Equaliser Shifts Momentum
The second half began with Huddersfield emerging with renewed vigour. Just six minutes after the restart, Lee Grant's side drew level in dramatic fashion. Marcus Harness' corner from the right was played across the ground to the edge of the penalty area, where Leo Castledine met it with a powerful first-time strike. The ball took a fortunate deflection off Omari Kellyman on its way in, but there was no doubt about Castledine's quality on the strike. Suddenly, the momentum had shifted, and Cardiff's comfortable position was under threat.
The equaliser served as a wake-up call for Barry-Murphy, who responded immediately with three substitutions on the hour mark. Alex Robertson replaced David Turnbull in the middle of the park, Joel Colwill for Kellyman, whilst Isaak Davies came on for Chris Willock out wide.
Salech's Brilliance and Davies' Late Heroics
Just two minutes after the triple substitution, Cardiff restored their lead. Ryan Wintle's perfectly weighted pass slipped Cian Ashford down the right flank and whipped in a brilliant cross. Yousef Salech, positioned at the far post, peeled from his marker in Joe Low and powered home for his second of the afternoon. The goal took the Danish striker to nine League One goals for the season, placing him at the top of the division's scoring charts.
With Cardiff back in front, they began to seize control once more. Ashford continued to pose problems for the Huddersfield defence, and the hosts created further openings as they pushed to put the game beyond doubt. The pressure mounted on Grant's side, and it felt only a matter of time before Cardiff would strike again.
⚽️⚽️ Two goals and 17 #FantasyEFL POINTS for @CardiffCityFC's Yousef Salech today! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/gq1f3IvPrD
— Fantasy EFL (@FEFLOfficial) December 6, 2025
That moment came with four minutes remaining when Isaak Davies produced a moment of individual brilliance. After receiving the ball from a Salech flick on just outside of the box, Davies cut inside and curled a sumptuous right-footed strike into the top corner. The goal looked to have settled the contest, with Cardiff now 3-1 up and deservedly so.
Sealing the points in style! 💪#SkyBetLeagueOne | @CardiffCityFC pic.twitter.com/qMmyQ15jtx
— Sky Bet League One (@SkyBetLeagueOne) December 6, 2025
Late Drama Fails to Unsettle Cardiff
However, Huddersfield had other ideas and refused to surrender without a fight. In the 89th minute, substitute Joe Taylor capitalised on a chaotic scramble in the Cardiff penalty area to prod home from close range and set up a nervy finale. The goal breathed new life into the visitors. Despite their attempts to find another equaliser in injury time, Huddersfield could not find a way through Cardiff's astute defence, and the Bluebirds held firm to make sure all three points were kept in the Welsh capital.
👏💙#CityAsOne pic.twitter.com/LC3Z7pen72
— Cardiff City FC (@CardiffCityFC) December 7, 2025
Up Next
The Bluebirds' next test comes at Stevenage on Tuesday evening, which promises to be a mouth-watering top-of-the-table clash. This game represents a great opportunity to maintain the positive momentum surrounding the Bluebirds currently, and if Cardiff can navigate the congested festive period without too many casualties, they will be giving themselves an excellent platform to mount a sustained promotion push in the second half of the season.
