Fulham withstood a gutsy fightback from Cardiff to reach the Championship play-off final despite losing the second leg of their semi-final.
Cardiff won 2-1 on the night at Craven Cottage courtesy of goals from Curtis Nelson and Lee Tomlin, as Neeskens Kebano levelled for Fulham moments after Nelson’s headed opener.
But despite a nervy second half following Tomlin’s volley, Fulham’s 2-0 first-leg lead helped them progress 3-2 on aggregate to a Wembley final against Brentford.
It keeps Fulham’s chances of an immediate return to the Premier League alive while Cardiff’s attempts to secure promotion back at the first time of asking are over.
Needing to create history by being the first team to overturn a two-goal first-leg deficit in a second tier semi-final, Cardiff thought they had made the ideal start when centre-back Nelson rose at the back post to head in Joe Ralls’ corner.