Albion caused Championship opponents a Carling Cup scare for the second season running.

Cardiff needed a header in the second period of extra time by centre half Roger Johnson to see off the Seagulls' gallant defiance in the first round at Ninian Park last night.

Last year Dean Wilkins' troops led at Southend in round two, only to lose to a flurry of goals in the closing stages.

They acquitted themselves well again, particularly in defense.

Wilkins axed Kerry Mayo from the squad following Saturday's opening League One setback at Crewe.

Tommy Elphick came in at centre half for only his third start, with Joel Lynch moving to left-back.

The change was vindicated by Elphick's sterling performance alongside Guy Butters, who marshalled the back four superbly throughout.

Youngster Sam Rents also made a promising first appearance of the season in place of the injured Lynch from the second half onwards.

Cardiff fielded a reserve side when they lost at home to Barnet at the same stage of the competition last season.

They showed Albion more respect by making four changes to the team which launched their Championship campaign in disappointing fashion on Saturday with a 1-0 home defeat by Stoke.

Albion boss Wilkins took a leaf out of the book of former manager Steve Coppell by watching the match to begin with from the directors box, leaving his assistant Dean White and coach Ian Chapman to direct operations from the dugout.

Wilkins, sat behind chairman Dick Knight, was soon in contact via mobile phone with White as Cardiff dominated proceedings early on.

Albion were, nevertheless, well-organised and hard-working and it did not take long for the home supporters to show signs of frustration following the summer sale of Michael Chopra to Sunderland and the continuing absence through injury of Robbie Fowler.

They responded to a speculative shot way over the bar from Gavin Rae with shouts of "we need a striker".

The Seagulls' reshuffled rearguard was stretched for the first time in the 17th minute when Cardiff centre forward Steven MacLean, anxious to make amends for having a late penalty saved against Stoke, had a shot from a cross by Tony Capaldi blocked by the formidable figure of Butters.

It was a quiet first half by comparison with the eventful opening 45 minutes for Albion at Crewe on Saturday. Michel Kuipers was well-protected, although he had to gather a well-struck drive from long range by Paul Parry.

Albion's front pair, Nicky Forster and Alex Revell, had to feed off scraps but Wilkins' side pressed forward more as the first half wore on.

Lynch was hurt in a challenge with Parry which left both players in need of treatment.

Rents was ready to replace him a few minutes later but Lynch signalled to the bench he was okay to continue before drilling wide in the 34th minute, the Seagulls' first attempt at goal.

Both teams were restricted primarily to shots from distance before the break, Dean Cox dipping one narrowly over the bar from 30 yards for Albion and Chris Gunter blazing over at the other end.

Lynch did not re-appear for the second half, Rents taking his place. It certainly made sense for Albion not to take any chances with their highly-rated young defender's fitness at such an early stage of the season. Lynch will be an important figure in the coming months.

Wilkins kept his seat in the stand on the resumption, which suggested a justifiable satisfaction with his side's display.

The most pleasing aspect was their disciplined and diligent defending, which was epitomised in the 64th minute when Tommy Fraser threw himself at Parry to block the Cardiff midfielder's shot.

Moments earlier, a shot from inside the box by former Luton forward Warren Feeney bounced narrowly wide via a deflection for a corner, a rare scare for the Seagulls.

Their own attacking thrusts were limited, although Cox went as close as anyone to breaking the deadlock in the 56th minute when he curled just wide from the edge of the area after exchanging passes with Dean Hammond.

Butters, outstanding in company with Elphick, almost forced a costly mistake by the home defence 12 minutes from time when he went up for a Cox free-kick and the ball flew just wide off the head of a Cardiff defender.

Cardiff had run out of ideas by the end of normal time but they looked more purposeful in the first extra period, pegging Albion back inside their own territory.

The commanding Kuipers was still largely untroubled. A long range snapshot from Stephen McPhail just cleared the Dutchman's crossbar and he was grateful that a 20-yard free-kick from Roger Johnson also had just too much elevation.

Johnson tried to dip the ball over the wall into the side of the goal which was unprotected. White, from his vantage point in the dugout, could see it coming and bellowed in vain for somebody to station themselves on the post.

The Seagulls' stubborn resistance finally came to an end five minutes into the second period of extra time when Johnson met McPhail's corner with a well-placed header.

Johnson was sent off for Wycombe for swearing at a linesman against Albion at Withdean four years ago.

This time he had reason to celebrate but there was plenty of encouragement once more for the Seagulls, despite a second successive defeat.

ALBION (4-4-2): Michel Kuipers (GK); Andrew Whing (RB), Tommy Elphick (CD), Guy Butters (CD), Joel Lynch (LB); Tommy Fraser (RM), Adam El-Abd (CM), Dean Hammond (CM), Dean Cox (LM); Alex Revell (F), Nicky Forster (F).

Subs: John Sullivan, Sam Rents for Lynch (injured, 46), Paul Reid for Fraser (withdrawn, 73), Nathan Elder, Bas Savage for Revell (withdrawn, 106).

Bookings: El-Abd (22) holding, Cox (44) foul, Forster 95, foul.

CARDIFF (4-4-2): Ross Turnbull (GK); Chris Gunter (RB), Darren Purse (CD), Roger Johnson (CD), Tony Capaldi (LB); Paul Parry (RM), Stephen McPhail (CM), Gavin Rae (CM), Peter Whittingham (LM); Warren Feeney (F), Steven MacLean (F).

Subs: Michael Oakes, Kevin McNaughton, Joe Ledley for Whittingham (withdrawn, 78), Matt Green for Feeney (withdrawn, 65), Aaron Ramsey for Parry (withdrawn 116).

Bookings: None.

Scorer: Johnson, 110.

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