Jack Moylan double helps Cardiff City to first win on day it all comes together

There was a sense that this was coming. Cardiff City had spent the opening weeks of the season dominating possession, creating chances and then finding increasingly inventive ways of not winning football matches.

Today, finally, it all came together.

Jack Moylan struck twice as Cardiff City secured their first Championship victory of the season with a 3-1 win over Charlton Athletic at Cardiff City Stadium, bringing an emphatic end to their seven-game wait for three points.

Brian Barry-Murphy’s side had been crying out for the sort of clinical edge that had eluded them in recent weeks and they found it almost immediately.

Moylan opened the scoring after just eight minutes, producing another reminder of the attacking quality he possesses since his summer move from Lincoln City. The Irishman had already scored against Sheffield United earlier this season, but this was a far more significant contribution.

Cardiff’s pressure continued and Yousef Salech doubled their advantage midway through the first half, giving the Bluebirds a two-goal cushion and, crucially, taking one of the chances they had been creating with regularity.

Charlton, who arrived in the Welsh capital having gone four games without a win and without scoring in their previous three Championship matches, gave themselves hope when Tyreece Campbell pulled one back before the interval.

For once, though, there was no late collapse.

Instead, Cardiff went back on the front foot after the break and Moylan produced the moment of the afternoon just after the hour mark.

The midfielder cut inside before unleashing a superb right-footed strike into the roof of the net, leaving Arthur Okonkwo with no chance and restoring Cardiff’s two-goal advantage. Sky Sports described it as a brilliant strike as Moylan completed his double.

From there, Cardiff managed the game and saw out the victory they had been craving.

It was a result that mattered for more than just the three points. After defeats to QPR, Portsmouth and Bolton had left Barry-Murphy’s side under increasing pressure, Cardiff finally had something tangible to show for the encouraging passages of play that had characterised much of their start to life back in the Championship.

They had scored seven goals across their opening seven league games. Against Charlton, they scored three in one afternoon.

Moylan was the difference-maker, but this was ultimately a collective response from a Cardiff side who had spent the opening month of the season being told they needed to turn performances into results.

This time, they did exactly that.