cardiff city vs afc wimbledon: Colwill, Ng and Tanner fire Bluebirds to 4-1 win
Cardiff maintained their four-point lead at the top of League One with a commanding 4-1 home victory over AFC Wimbledon on Feb. 17, 2026 (ET). A composed first-half opener was followed by a flurry of second-half goals that underlined the leaders' control and stretched their unbeaten run to 12 matches.
Dominant display punctuated by quickfire second-half strikes
The match settled into Cardiff's rhythm early as the hosts probed with slick passing and wide play. A precision set-piece routine produced the opener in the 22nd minute when a low corner was dragged to the edge of the box and Colwill met it with a first-time, near-post finish to put the Bluebirds ahead.
Wimbledon replied against the run of play just before half-time when substitute Matty Stevens volleyed home from a free-kick delivery, bringing the visitors level at the interval and offering them a foothold heading into the second half.
Any hope of a comeback was short-lived. Within 16 minutes after the restart Cardiff struck twice in three minutes. A well-delivered corner from Ollie Tanner found Perry Ng, who powered a header beyond the goalkeeper to restore the lead. Moments later Ng combined with Tanner again, this time returning a pass that gave Tanner the space to turn inside the area and finish with composure to make it 3-1.
The closing stages brought a fourth goal as substitute Callum Robinson set up Omari Kellyman, who calmly rolled his shot into the bottom corner to seal a comprehensive win. Wimbledon had a late chance when a header struck the post, but Cardiff's superiority was the story throughout the second half.
Wider impact: table, form and squad depth
The victory extends Cardiff's unbeaten run to 12 league games, eight of which have been wins, and preserves a four-point cushion at the summit. With second-placed Lincoln City winning their fixture, the leaders could not afford to slip up; their result ensures the gap to the chasing pack remains healthy, while third-place Bolton Wanderers are now 12 points adrift following a draw elsewhere.
Manager rotation played a part in the turnaround from an earlier cup defeat to Wimbledon this season: Cardiff fielded a significantly different lineup for this league meeting and produced a performance that bore little resemblance to their prior reverse. The depth of the squad was on display, with substitutes influencing the scoreline and starters blending experience and youthful energy across the pitch.
Improved set-piece execution and wide deliveries have emerged as recurring strengths for the leaders. Tanner's creative influence — evidenced by both an assist and a goal — continues a purple patch of form that has seen him directly involved in multiple goals across recent games.
What it means next
The result consolidates Cardiff's status as the team to catch in League One, but a busy schedule and the demands of a promotion chase will test their consistency. Wimbledon, whose mini-resurgence ended with this defeat, slip down the table and must regroup to halt a slide if they are to climb away from mid-table obscurity.
For Cardiff, the message from this fixture is clear: a blend of tactical clarity, set-piece threat and competitive squad options gives them the tools to sustain their push. Their unbeaten run to date reflects sustained form rather than flashes of brilliance, and maintaining that level will be central to their championship ambitions as the season progresses.
