Cardiff 0 Albion 2

Albion are off on another Carabao Cup run – after an impressive show of strength in depth last night.

Jakub Moder and Andi Zeqiri were on target early in either half to secure this second-round win in South Wales.

It was a fine way to mark the tenth anniversary of a night here which announced them in the Championship.

The one obvious downside was an injury to Enock Mwepu, whose superb pass had sent Moder through for the breakthrough.

Albion handed Moises Caicedo a chance to impress while Zeqiri led the attack in an all-changed XI.

Moder and Enock Mwepu added experience to a youthful side and there was also welcome playing time for Steven Alzate and Taylor Richards.

Under-23s centre-backs Haydon Roberts and Antef Tsoungui both started and there were two goalkeepers among the Seagulls’ six subs.

Albion had Steve Alzate and Caicedo as a midfield duo ahead of the centre-backs.

A poor pass right at the start by the former led to a low cross which goalkeeper and skipper Jason Steele dived to gather.

Caicedo showed some composure when he cut out a similar cross and took the ball away from danger.

But the Seagulls settled and went ahead with a fine goal on nine minutes.

Mwepu, playing on the right of defence, was allowed an awful lot of time to pick a pass and curled a superb delivery between a couple of defenders to pick out Moder’s run from deep and to the left of centre.

Moder had time to think about his finish as he ran clear - and he kept his cool to tuck his shot past Alex Smithies.

Albion might have added to the lead as they found it fairly easy to play their way through.

Moder was in again but tried to tee up Zeqiri and the pass was cut out.

Then Roberts slid a pass into the path of Zeqiri, who flashed a shot across goal when well-placed.

More good play by Mwepu, who was found by a fabulous pass from Steele, led to Taylor Richards firing off target from just inside the box.

Albion continued to look tidy, compact and confident – and sporadically enterprising.

Roberts was very comfortable on the ball and the spring-heeled left-back Michal Karbownik had the beating of defenders in tight spaces – but not the end product.

Cardiff’s one moment of minimal threat came as Ryan Wintle headed about four yards wide as he was first to Will Vaulks’ cross right on half-time.

But Albion’s small but noisy contingent of fans, looking over Steele’s right shoulder in the first half, had been given plenty to sing about.

Steele held on to a header into the goalmouth as Cardiff showed more life at the start of the second half.

It looked like the young defence would be in for more of a test now as home fans behind that goal found their voices.

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Referee Bell had to step in when Richards and Curtis Nelson lost tempers with each other.

A deep cross had Albion scrambling but Perry NG’s volley hit Wintle and bounced wide.

But they took control again, got the ball down and extended their lead on 55 minutes.

The second goal might have come when Moder forced a sharp a save from Smithies at his near post after some lovely footwork by Richards. But it was not delayed for long.

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The move was started by more skill from Richards and then a strong run and well-timed pass under pressure by Caicedo to find Zeqiri, who shot low past Smithies.

Cardiff really should have replied almost immediately.

Murphy’s cross picked out James Collins in front of goal but his downward header reared up off the turf and flew over via a flick off the bar with Steele beaten.

It could have been game over when Mwepu’s dangerous pass was not cut out but Marc Leonard’s shot was blocked by the keeper.

That was Leonard’s final action as he and Richards made way for Odel Offiah and Andy Moran.

A double Cardiff switch at the same stoppage saw the introduction of star striker Kieffer Moore.

Their towering defender Aden Flint might have halved arrears but his header at the far post from a corner was straight at Steele, who blocked.

Nelson was the third Cardiff player booked and his challenge on Mwepu also led to the midfielder being carried off.

Steele secured the clean sheet with a reflex save from NG.

Cardiff: Smithies; Morrison (Denham 34), Flint, Nelson; Ng, Bowen, D’Almeida, Vaulks, Wintle; Murphy (Collwill 67), Collins (Moor 67). Subs: Phillips, Pack, Evans, Harris.

Yellow card: Vaulks (56, foul), Wintle (73, foul), Nelson (79, foul) Albion: Steele; Karbownik, Tsoungui, Roberts, Alzate; Moder, Caicedo, Leonard (Moran 68), Mwepu (Ferguson 81), Richards (Offiah 68); Zeqiri. Subs: Walton, McGill, Furlong.

Goals: Moder 9, Zeqiri 55.