Cardiff City battled from two goals down to secure a 2-2 draw with promotion-chasing Brentford in the Welsh capital on Saturday afternoon.

Neil Harris' side entered the match following back-to-back defeats to Stoke and Nottingham Forest, and the Bluebirds looked set for further misery when Brentford raced into a two-goal lead through Luka Racic and Bryan Mbeumo.

However, Cardiff then delivered the perfect response when Junior Hoilett's 34th-minute header sparked the Welsh side into life, while Joe Ralls then added his name to the scoresheet with a header of his own on the stroke of half-time.

The scores remained even throughout the second half as Brentford were forced to settle for a point in south Wales, with the result seeing Cardiff move up to within five points of the play-offs after some of their rivals dropped points.

Here, we take a look at three things we learned about Cardiff during the match...

There is still plenty of fight in this Cardiff side

Cardiff's recent defeats to Stoke and Nottingham Forest had led many to believe that their play-off hopes were wearing thin, but Harris' men produced an excellent fight-back against the Bees which suggests they are not giving up just yet.

There can be no doubt that Thomas Frank has his Brentford side playing more conventionally attractive football than the Bluebirds, but the Welsh side managed to forge a route back into the game with their determination and heart.

Cardiff stand an excellent chance of further closing the gap on the top six if they can continue to display these qualities during the remainder of the campaign, despite creativity being a clear issue without the injured Lee Tomlin.

Joe Ralls will be massive for the Bluebirds this term

Harris included Ralls in the Bluebirds' starting line-up for just the second time during his reign, and the midfielder has returned from injury with a spring in his step as he marked his return to the side with the equalising goal on Saturday.

Cardiff can take solace from the fact they are welcoming Ralls back into the fray just as Tomlin is ruled out with injury, and Ralls produced a typically assured performance in the centre of the park against an expansive Brentford side.

The 26-year-old's solid display means he will have gone some way to cementing his place in the side for the rest of the term, with his midfield passing ability alongside his goalscoring exploits making him an important player for Cardiff.

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Dion Sanderson continues to look a shrewd acquisition

Sanderson has muscled his way into the side over the last two matches after not featuring during his early days at the club, and the Wolves loanee appears to have settled in well following another accomplished display against Brentford.

The 20-year-old combined well with Albert Adomah on the right flank on a number of occasions, with Sanderson showing plenty of attacking intent from his right-back role while also displaying the determination to track back.

There is still some room for improvement in Sanderson's ball-distribution abilities at times, but his fiery performance against Brentford should help him win over the Cardiff faithful while continuing to secure his spot in the side.