Wrexham vs Cardiff City talking points: Happy phone calls and defensive concerns

Before kick-off, Brian Barry-Murphy and Robin Colwell declared their desire for Cardiff to show they can compete with Championship sides.

And they did much more than just compete against their Welsh rivals.

The Bluebirds controlled the majority of the first half and added offensive threat to their dominance.

Even after a brief wobble when Moore equalized for the hosts, the Bluebirds regrouped admirably and created further chances – with Will Fish getting his Cardiff account back up and running in impressive fashion.

Barry Murphy told BBC Sport Wales: “Our players believe we can definitely reach this level, and that is our intention this season.”

He added: “Putting ourselves in a match like this against a team that has been impressive recently was a real test for us because you never know how things will go, so performing the way we did gives us great hope for the future.”

There was talk of ownership of the two clubs before the competition.

But it will be Vincent Tan who has a bright smile on his face rather than Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney after the South overtook the North.

And Barry Murphy admitted Bluebirds owner Tan would be an incredibly happy man after watching his side’s victory over Parkinson’s men.

“We have a very demanding owner who is very insistent that we have more shots, so I hope he will be very happy tonight,” the Irishman said.

When asked if he would have a happier phone call with the 73-year-old next time, Barry Murphy simply replied: “Fingers crossed.”