Cardiff City U23 continued their pre-season campaign with an excellent performance in an emphatic 5-1 victory away to Hereford FC.
City started brightest on a balmy evening with the first chance falling to Ibrahim Meite; however, the forward was flagged for offside.
It didn’t take long for City to find the net though. Declan John whipped in a cross following a smart one-two with Meite, and Matty Kennedy was the beneficiary as he stroked it in.
After a slow start Hereford started to press with a sustained period of pressure around the City goalmouth leading to a free-kick on the edge of the box. Pablo Haysham then found the head of Mark Preece who nodded home to level the scores.
This galvanised the visitors who struck back to take the lead – a deflected Stuart O’Keefe pass landing at the feet of John whose shot crept in at the near post.
City didn’t have to wait long before adding a third, with Meite using his pace to charge up the field and slot home past an isolated keeper.
The half was rounded off with Brian Murphy saving a sharp Keyon Reffell chance, a full-length dive to his left denying the Bulls a second score.
A more even second-half display saw Murphy being kept busy with several Hereford chances, all denied by the good work of the Irishman, including a neat bit of skill inside his own box to outfox Lance Smith and a couple of full-stretch tips over the bar.
An effort from Cameron Coxe thudded against the right-hand post, but the next goal came courtesy of Craig Noone – a mix-up leading to Bulls keeper Ethan Ross spilling the ball at the feet of the winger who fired the ball from outside the box into the back of the net.
Noone soon added his second of the night soon with a shot that bounced off Hereford’s Preece to sail over an unlucky goalkeeper for the final goal of the match, rounding off an excellent pre-season display from the young Bluebirds.
Hereford FC: Ross, Oates, Bowen, Edge, Deaman, Preece, Reffell, McGrath (Mills), Smith (Hayes), Waysham, Purdie (Preen).
Cardiff City U23: Murphy, Coxe (Trialist), Young (Duffus), Trialist, John (Trialist), Weymans, Humphries (Veale), O’Keefe (C), Kennedy, Noone, Meite.
Subs not used: Byrne, Trialist, Trialist.
