Rubin Colwill helped Cardiff City continue their promotion celebrations with a goal that confirmed Port Vale's relegation from League One.

Colwill had scored a crucial goal in the weekend win at Reading that ensured the Bluebirds will be back in the Championship next term after one season away.

Here his 79th-minute header sealed the fate of Jon Brady's Vale side, who had needed maximum points from their remaining games to avoid an immediate return to League Two.

Brady had already suggested relegation was almost "inevitable" even if he promised his side would fight on.

They did that here and will rue the impressive save from Nathan Trott that denied Ben Garrity's header on 53 minutes.

But, in truth, Cardiff had wasted several opportunities to underline their quality, with Callum Robinson, Joel Colwill and Yousef Salech all going close.

And Colwill's breakthrough was deserved given Cardiff's dominance of possession and chances, the Wales international rising unmarked to meet Chris Willock's cross to seal Vale's fate.

This was always going to struggle to match the drama of last weekend when Cardiff secured their Championship return at the first time of asking.

After all, it is not often a reserve goalkeeper's injury-time goal in a separate game sparks a promotion party.

Balloons, drums and the prospect of a stress-free night had suggested this was going to be a Cardiff celebration on and off the pitch, even with the visitors' need for victory.

As it turned out, Cardiff missed that sense of edge.

While still on top and able to carve out a string of chances, Cardiff – perhaps understandably – looked a little flat, with the atmosphere similar.

But it is a testament to Brian Barry-Murphy's side and their achievement that they could afford to be when others are still fighting to decide their fate.

It was fitting, too, that Port Vale were the opponents. Back in August, Cardiff were lucky to get a point at Vale Park in only their second game at this level in 22 years.

They were bullied that night, with Barry-Murphy admitting his young side would learn from the experience.

They did so and then some over the months that followed, without sacrificing their eye-catching football and emphasis on youth.

Both were on display again here, albeit with some six changes made from the weekend, a tweak in system and only the third league game that strikers Callum Robinson and Yousef Salech have started together.

Robinson went wide early, Salech headed over after the restart before the subs started, including Willock who provided for match-winning captain Colwill. Again, a fitting scorer from a player who offered hope of better times throughout the year.

There will be more chances to assess as Cardiff go from celebrating to considering what will be needed next season.

But there are also more chances to celebrate this campaign, with Saturday's visit of Northampton Town and the final-day trip to Mansfield to come.

As magnificent an achievement as beating Sunderland to seal a first FA Cup quarter-final appearance since the 1950s was, Port Vale's main aim was to stay up and this League One campaign never threatened to match the cup highs.

After last season's promotion, the Vale board were realistic but confident the squad, under Darren Moore, would be competitive enough to avoid an immediate return to League Two.

A summer rebuild saw 14 new signings but Moore struggled to get consistency out of Vale in the tougher world of the third tier - typified by their first six defeats coming by a single-goal margin - and it was seven games before they picked up a first win.

Three more in a row followed - as well as a spirited defeat by Arsenal in the Carabao Cup - hinting a corner being turned, but familiar frailties returned and a 3-0 loss to Stockport in October sent them into the relegation zone.

Patience with Moore ran out at the end of December with Vale seven points adrift at the bottom of the table.

Former Northampton boss Jon Brady was Moore's replacement but, like his predecessor, he found early cup success never rubbed off on league form.

The gap to safety grew as only three wins came from Brady's first 15 league games.

With the FA Cup run - which ended in a sobering thrashing at Chelsea - leading to a fixture pile-up, Vale were 14 points adrift by the time they resumed their league programme.

A spirited win over fellow strugglers Rotherham kept hopes alive and a draw with Barnsley lifted Vale off the bottom for the first time since November.

Despite another excellent result at Peterborough, failure to beat Wigan at home three days later their survival flame flickering.

It meant anything other than victory in Cardiff would officially extinguish it and, in the end, a near-impossible task proved beyond them.