U18 Match Report: Cardiff City 5-4 Colchester United
Cardiff City’s U18 side defeated Colchester United U18 5-4 in the Professional Development League following an enthralling encounter at Cardiff International Sports Stadium on Saturday.
City led by three goals, but the visitor’s scored four before the break. In the second period, the home side netted two late goals.
Matthew Bloxham made four changes from last time out as Bradley Stewart, Frazer Thomas, Rubin Colwill and Kieron Evans started.
The Bluebirds got off to a flying start as forward Evans opened the scoring with ten minutes played. He struck his seventh of the campaign by ambitiously attempted from the outside left of the area and beating Chandler Hallett.
Cardiff City doubled their lead four minutes later through Colwill’s third of the season. Midfielder Thomas played a through-ball for the attacker, who tapped home.
It was 3-0 to City after 17 minutes as creator Thomas became scorer. The youngster from Cynon Valley brilliantly curled home from the outside left of the area.
From the 24th-minute, it took the U’s 12 minutes to score four goals. Lewis Reed headed in, Tom Stagg finished on the turn, Donell Thomas scored from the area’s edge and Kamari Parris found the net from within the box.
After the interval, 18 minutes had gone when Thomas’ volley was saved by goalkeeper Hallett and the Bluebirds were denied an equaliser.
Determined Thomas did get his second of the game and of the season to draw Cardiff City level after 77 minutes. He chipped Hallett and found the bottom left corner to break the second-half deadlock.
Four minutes later, City regained their lead through Ntazana Mayembe. The forward blasted past Hallett from a narrow angle to get his eighth of the season and regain his squad top scorer status.
The Bluebirds stood resilient for the remainder and earned three points in the Professional Development League.
U18 FINAL SCORE: CARDIFF CITY 5-4 COLCHESTER UNITED
Cardiff City U18: Stewart, Pritchard, Jones, Parsons, King (Chiabi 86’), Pinchard, Kavanagh, Thomas, Colwill, Evans, Mayembe. Subs not used:Hughes, Cogman, Rippon.
Colchester United U18: Hallett, Akolbire, Sayer, Kennedy, Fouche, Tricker, Thomas, Parris, Reed, Hassanally, Stagg. Subs not used: Terry, Parish, Lowe.
