Cardiff City Edge Past Doncaster Rovers in Seven-Goal Thriller

14 December 2025 Championship Football

Last-Gasp Victory Extends Cardiff’s Winning Streak

Joel Bagan’s 99th minute winner secured all three points for the Bluebirds in a thriller at CCS, as Cardiff City dramatically defeated Doncaster Rovers 4-3 on 13 December 2025. Cardiff City head into the weekend in search of a fifth straight victory to strengthen their standing as League One frontrunners, and they achieved exactly that in a pulsating encounter at Cardiff City Stadium.

A Rollercoaster Match Full of Drama

The match began poorly for the hosts when the visitors took the lead in the 15th minute as skipper Owen Bailey was picked out in the area by Luke Molyneux, whose effort took a touch off Ryan Wintle and into the net. However, Cardiff responded well, with the hosts levelled the score after Davies beat Sean Grahan on the left wing and picked out Kellyman in the area, who took a touch and struck beyond Thimothee Lo-Tutala in goal.

The drama continued as the visitors equalised shortly before half-time however, as Charlie Crew found Brandon Hanlan in behind the City defence, who converted into the far corner to make it 2-2. The second half saw even more excitement, with Salech being found by Wintle’s floated ball into the box in behind the Dons’ defence and converted to once again take the lead, before Bagan’s dramatic late intervention sealed the victory.

Significance for Both Sides

The victory was crucial for Cardiff City, who have been dominating League One this season. Cardiff City find themselves four points clear of second and third spots in League One and will aim to build on that lead further with a fifth straight triumph. For Doncaster Rovers, the defeat was another setback as Doncaster Rovers arrive at CCS in 19th place in the Sky Bet League One table, having played 19 league fixtures so far. They’ve won six, drawn four, and lost nine times.

This thrilling encounter showcased the unpredictable nature of football and Cardiff’s resilience to come from behind twice. The result keeps Cardiff firmly at the top of League One as they continue their push for promotion back to the Championship.