The match stayed finely balanced at 0-0 before Bolton edged ahead, and that proved enough to separate the sides by the final whistle. In a game defined by narrow margins, the home side did not need a second goal once they had moved in front.
For Cardiff, the defeat came after they kept the contest alive for long stretches but could not produce the response required to level it. Bolton, by contrast, turned a tight afternoon into a clean-sheet win and banked the result in front of home support.
The basic stats from the scoreboard underline how close it was: one goal, no reply, and a goalless first half before the winning margin arrived later on. That gives the highlights and full summary a simple shape - Cardiff stayed in it, Bolton struck once, and the hosts saw out a 1-0 Championship victory.