cardiff city vs afc wimbledon — Bluebirds extend unbeaten run with 4-1 victory
Cardiff City produced a commanding display to beat AFC Wimbledon 4-1 and maintain a four-point lead at the top of League One. The win, secured on 17 February 2026, saw the leaders stretch their unbeaten run to 12 matches and underline their credentials for automatic promotion.
Match summary: fast start, decisive second half
Cardiff made the brighter start and were rewarded in the 22nd minute when Joe Colwill met a low corner from Alex Robertson with a first-time, rising strike that arrowed inside the near post. Wimbledon responded late in the first half when substitute Matty Stevens nodded in unmarked from a Steve Seddon free-kick in stoppage time to make it 1-1 at the break.
The visitors’ equaliser was brief. Within 16 minutes of the restart Cardiff seized control, scoring twice in three minutes. Perry Ng powered a header from an Ollie Tanner corner beyond the goalkeeper, then turned provider when he slid a pass for Tanner to turn smartly and finish for 3-1. Omari Kellyman capped the scoring in the 87th minute, finishing confidently after a pass from substitute Callum Robinson.
Other than a late header from Seddon that struck the post, Wimbledon offered little threat as the Bluebirds dominated possession and chance creation. The victory was Cardiff’s eighth during the 12-game unbeaten streak.
Wider implications: the table and squad momentum
The result keeps Cardiff four points clear at the summit of League One and stretches the gap to the play-off places to double digits. With Lincoln City picking up a win elsewhere and Bolton Wanderers dropping points, the chasing pack has work to do to close the leaders down; Bolton now sit 12 points behind Cardiff.
Ollie Tanner’s influence is notable—he has eight assists and one goal in his last seven outings—providing a creative spark that has become central to Cardiff’s momentum. The manager highlighted the fierce competition for places within the squad, a depth that has proven decisive across a busy campaign.
Wimbledon’s brief mini-resurgence ended with this reverse, dropping the visitors to 16th in the table. They offered glimpses of threat but were undone by defensive lapses and a lack of control in midfield during the second half.
What to watch next
Cardiff head into their next fixtures with confidence and a squad rich in options, particularly from the bench where Callum Robinson and others have begun to make game-changing contributions. Maintaining consistency will be crucial as other promotion contenders seek to erode the gap.
For Wimbledon, defensive cohesion and sharper transition play will be priorities if they are to climb away from midtable. The team must translate the occasional flashes of quality into points to avoid being drawn into a longer slog through the league.
Match update timestamp: Updated 17th February 2026 at 5: 02 PM ET.
