Cardiff City continued their 2023/24 pre-season campaign with a 3-1 victory over The New Saints.
Goals from Callum Robinson, Mark McGuinness and Ollie Tanner sealed the win for City, after Danny Redmond had put TNS level with a stunning strike.
Erol Bulut elected to make two changes from the side that started against Penybont on Saturday. In came Perry Ng and Kieron Evans for Mahlon Romeo and Isaak Davies. But like on the weekend, the Manager made a full squad change at half-time.
The first chance fell to the visitors. Chris Marriott arrived at the far post unmarked, but he couldn’t get a clean contact on the ball, allowing Jak Alnwick to eventually gather.
The Saints were made to rue their missed opportunity, as City went ahead shortly after. Kion Etete played a clever ball around the corner before Joel Bagan found Callum Robinson, who slotted cooly past Connor Roberts.
The score was levelled three minutes later as the Cymru Premier champions equalised. After pinballing around in the box, the ball fell to Danny Redmond, and from 25-yards out, he picked his spot in the bottom corner.
The flurry of goals continued as the Bluebirds retook the lead. Sheyi Ojo gathered the ball by the corner flag, and he swung in a cross that found the head of Mark McGuinness who nodded into the bottom corner. His second goal in as many games.
The game fell into a real lull for the rest of the first half after the excitement of three goals in eight minutes. City were happy to keep the ball, and when TNS won possession, they couldn’t get behind the Bluebirds’ high defensive line.
The second half started as the first ended, with the Bluebirds in control and TNS not being able to do much to break them down.
Max Watters had the first chance of the second period, but his downward header went straight into the clutches of Roberts.
With one effort from distance under his belt, Redmond was hungry for another and attempted a volley from distance. This time, the ball skied over the bar and City retained their one goal lead.
TNS did have a glorious opportunity to equalise 15 minutes from time. Slack passing led to Jordan Williams forcing the ball away from Xavier Benjamin. Williams bared down on goal for a one-on-one battle with Ryan Allsop, but the forward scuffed his strike and the ball trickled wide.
After Williams’ miss, City found their third to put the game beyond doubt. Rubin Colwill played the ball out wide to Ollie Tanner, who ran all the way into the box and his effort took a slight deflection over Roberts to seal the win.
Andy Rinomhota almost put the cherry on the cake with an audacious first-time strike from distance, but it just missed the target.
Nonetheless, the victory means it is two wins from two this pre-season for the Bluebirds.
Cardiff City continue their preparations ahead of the new Sky Bet Championship season with a behind closed doors friendly against Cambridge United on Friday.
FINAL SCORE: CARDIFF CITY 3-1 TNS
Cardiff City – First Half: Alnwick, Ng, McGuinness, Simpson, Bagan, Wintle, Ralls ©, Evans, Robinson, Ojo, Etete.
Cardiff City – Second Half: Allsop, Romeo, Benjamin, King, Campbell, Adams, Rinomhota, R. Colwill, J. Colwill, Tanner, Watters.
TNS: Roberts, Pask, Marriott (Canavan 78’), Astles, Daniels, Redmond, D. Williams, J. Williams, Clark, Smith, Davies. Subs: Thompson, Roscrow, Canavan, Dafydd, Lock, Warder.