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Cardiff beat Stoke on penalties to edge epic cup tie

Rubin Colwill celebrates scoring a goal
Rubin Colwill took his season tally to five goals with his double at Stoke [Rex Features]

Cardiff City overcame fellow Championship strugglers Stoke City on penalties in an exhilarating FA Cup tie to reach the fifth round.

Cardiff made a flying start with two goals in the opening 19 minutes as Rubin Colwill fired them ahead before Yousef Salech exploited hesitant Stoke defending to poke in.

Lewis Koumas struck with a firm low finish shortly before half-time to pull a goal back for the hosts, and the Wales forward scored again a minute after the restart to equalise.

Stoke then led through Lewis Baker's penalty, conceded by Bluebirds substitute Jasper Daland who managed to injure himself in fouling Emre Tezgel.

But the Welsh side were not done. Colwill scored his second with a low strike from the edge of the penalty area which seemed to take a touch on its way in.

After both sides missed chances in extra time, Cardiff goalkeeper Ethan Horvath made what proved to be the decisive save in the penalty shootout from Michael Rose and Colwill converted his spot-kick to send Omer Riza's team through.

Cardiff can now look forward to a first fifth-round FA Cup tie in 11 years – with the draw to come on Monday – while Stoke will focus solely on avoiding relegation to League One.

With just one point separating the teams in the battle for Championship survival, 18th-place Stoke and Cardiff in 19th made 16 changes between them for this cup tie.

Despite Koumas having an early headed goal disallowed for offside, Cardiff controlled the early exchanges after handing first starts to new signings Salech and Sivert Mannsverk and welcoming captain Aaron Ramsey back from injury for his first club appearance since August.

Colwill put the visitors in front in the eighth minute as he evaded a couple of Stoke defenders before finding the bottom corner with a left-footed strike.

Salech headed wide soon afterwards but swiftly made amends, latching on to Joel Bagan's hopeful long ball and getting between Stoke centre-back Ben Gibson and goalkeeper Jack Bonham to lift the ball into the net.

The home side finished the first half strongly with Koumas latching on to Wouter Burger's excellent through ball to finish confidently.

Burger also had a hand in the Wales international's second goal as his clever dummy from a throw-in allowed Koumas to cut inside on to his right foot and score from close range.

If Cardiff's defending was a little passive there, it was shambolic for Stoke's penalty. Daland failed to control a simple pass and, as the ball looped up, he was beaten to it by Tezgel, who he kicked to the ground in an attempt to clear.

Baker converted his penalty and the Bet365 Stadium, quiet for much of the game, erupted.

Just as Cardiff looked to be floored, they hauled themselves off the canvass as Colwill guided a right-footed effort into the bottom corner with the help of a deflection.

Joe Ralls and Will Fish had chances to put the visitors back in front but were denied by Bonham, while both sides missed chances in extra time.

In the shootout, Salech and Tatsuki Seko hit the woodwork for each side before Horvath's save from Rose allowed Colwill to secure victory by powering his penalty down the middle.