City lined up 4-3-3 - Alexander, Croft, Vidmar, Collins, Barker, Bullock, Langley, Whalley (off for Fish 45), Lee, Campbell, Gordon (off for Fleetwood 105).
The first half saw Wrexham start the brighter of the two sides and didn't let Cardiff see too much of the ball in the opening 20 minutes. Bullock and Gordon both saw chances go begging as Cardiff got into the game, and took the lead when a wonderful long ball from Whalley was chested down by Alan Lee and lobbed over the advancing goalkeeper from 20 yards. City played out the rest of the first half with their goal intact, although Carlos Edwards rattled the crossbar as the home side came close to an equaliser. HT 0-1
The second half was a shocker until the 70th minute when Wrexham finally equalised as CIty lost all sense of direction and any urgency that may have been there in the first half was gone. A long deep free kick was fumbled by Alexander under challenge by 6ft 7 man Dennis Lawrence and was easily tapped in. It looked like the game was there for the winning for the Dragons, but from virtually the only clear chance we had in the second half we regained the lead with less than 10 mins to go. The ball broke to Campbell on the right hand side of the penalty box, and his low right footed volley across the keeper went into the bottom corner. 2-1 to City, and surely we should hold it from there. But no, with just seconds remaining a high cross clipped in from the right saw Chris Armstrong rise highest above the flapping Neil Alexander to head home the equaliser. And to be fair it was nothing more than the North Wales side deserved.
Extra time saw nothing new from City, even when Wrexham were reduced to ten men we persisted with sideways balls through midfield and the odd long straight one down the middle. It was very poor.
The inevitable penalty shoot out saw the first twelve penalties scored to make it 6-6. City's scorers were Campbell, Lee, Collins, Langley, Fleetwood and Croft. Vidmar's casual penalty was saved and Steven Roberts smashed home his via Neil Alexander's glove to win the shootout 7-6.
Cardiff can have no complaints, Wrexham thoroughly deserved their victory. They wanted it more from start to finish and are worthy finalists. Fair play to the 100 or so City fans who made the long trip up there tonight, they certainly made themselves heard to armchair viewers like me on BBC2W and stuck right behind the team from start to finish.
If that had been a league game tonight I would have been furious. Thankfully it's "only" a FAW Premier Cup game otherwise there would have to be serious questions raised over the players' attitudes.
Wrexham now go on to play Swansea or Rhyl for the 100k prize money in the final. City return to league action this Saturday in the live Sky encounter with Sheffield United at Ninian Park (5.35pm ko)