Defensive woes and happy Tan - Wrexham v Cardiff talking points

Wrexham's EFL Cup dream was ended as Cardiff City claimed the Welsh bragging rights to progress into the quarter-finals of this season's competition.

Goals from Yousef Salech and Will Fish either side of Kieffer Moore's header proved enough for the League One side, who now eagerly await the outcome of Wednesday night's last eight draw.

Here are the key talking points to emerge from the cup contest at Stok Cae Ras.

When it comes to possession, Cardiff have been the most dominant team in League One so far this season.

And they wasted no time in continuing that trend as they pegged Wrexham deep in their own half from the word go in north Wales.

Only three days earlier, the Bluebirds had ended their contest with Bolton Wanderers having had 62% of the ball - and yet, they failed to register a single shot on target against the Trotters.

But they carried a constant threat throughout the first-half this time around.

In truth, they should have been far more comfortable going into the break, but having been so blunt against Bolton, Cardiff's vast improvement in attack at Wrexham will prove hugely encouraging for Barry-Murphy.

Callum Burton may have done better for Will Fish's winner, but take nothing away from the 22-year-old whose contact on the ball from Joel Bagan's delivery was magnificent.

Cardiff ended the game with nine shots on target and 27 touches in the opposition box - more than double the amount they managed at Bolton (13).

He may have ended up on the losing side, but Kieffer Moore once again showed why he is so pivotal to Phil Parkinson.

Having headed against the crossbar from close range in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough, substitute Moore made no mistake this time around as he got Wrexham back into the game seven minutes after coming off the bench.

The 33-year-old could well have added to his tally had he have been able to guide Ryan Longman's cutback goalwards.

His touches drew jeers from the Cardiff faithful who revelled in taunting the towering frontman - who scored 25 goals in 66 appearances in a two-year spell with the Bluebirds - after the full-time whistle was blown.

But his impact again showed why Parkinson was so eager to recruit the striker from Sheffield United in the summer.

"We got back in the game with a great header from Kieffer," said Parkinson.

"I'm really pleased to see him up and running again with a goal. He's been good for us since he's been here, but he needed to get going again with another goal, so that's a positive of the night."

Before kick-off, Brian Barry-Murphy and Rubin Colwill stated their desire for Cardiff to show they can compete with Championship teams.

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

The Bluebirds dominated the majority of the opening half and added attacking threat to their control.

Even after a brief wobble when Moore equalised for the hosts, the Bluebirds regrouped admirably and created further chances - with Will Fish doing the business to get his Cardiff account up and running in fine fashion.

"Our players believe we can get to that level for sure, and that's our intention this season," Barry-Murphy told BBC Sport Wales.

"To put ourselves in a game like this against a team who have been so impressive recently was a real test for us because you never know how it's going to go, so to perform in the manner that we did gives us great hope for the future."

There was some talk of the ownership of the two clubs ahead of the contest.

But it will be Vincent Tan who has a beaming smile on his face rather than Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney after south trumped north.

And Barry-Murphy admitted Bluebirds owner Tan will be an incredibly happy man after watching his side's triumph over Parkinson's men.

"We've got a very demanding owner who is very insistent that we have more shots, so hopefully he'll be very pleased tonight," said the Irishman.

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

As has been the case several times this season, Rubin Colwill was the beating heart of Cardiff's best attacking play.

Having played a crucial role in his side's opener, Colwill Sr was desperately unlucky not to ripple the net himself from a free-kick.

But it was a stunning display from the 23-year-old who ended the contest with six key passes - more than any other player on the pitch.

His efforts earned him the player of the match award and will no doubt have caught the eye of onlooking Wales boss Craig Bellamy.

"Our press was fantastic from back to front. With the ball, we know what we can do," Rubin Colwill told Sky Sports.

"I've never really had a proper cup run since I've been here. It's amazing."

Wrexham's week gets no easier as they return to action against Championship leaders Coventry City on Friday night (20:00 GMT).

Their defensive concerns will be music to the ears of the likes of Sky Blues stars Haji Wright and Brandon Thomas-Asante.

Callum Doyle will serve the final game of his three-match suspension when Frank Lampard bring his table toppers to Stok Cae Ras.

Parkinson will also be unable to call upon Lewis Brunt, who has undergone surgery on a thigh injury, ruling him out of action for around 12 weeks.

The issues saw midfielder George Thomason slot in at left centre-back against Cardiff while summer signing Conor Coady returned in the middle of the back three for his first appearance in six weeks.

Parkinson and his coaching staff will have little time to debrief their disappointing Cardiff showing, but sorting their backline could provide a real headache this week.