Cardiff City's U21 side defeated the Hornets in Leckwith on Thursday evening.
The young Bluebirds now rise to the top of Group F in the Premier League Cup with one match remaining, finishing a two-match week with a second victory following Tuesday afternoon's 2-1 PDL win over QPR.
Match Report
Cardiff City's U21 side finished 2024 with a deserved Premier League Cup victory over Watford on Thursday evening, following an exciting fixture played out at Cardiff International Sports Campus.
Goals from Isaac Jefferies, Morgan Wigley and Mannie Barton helped City to secure three points for the group stage of the competition, with a dominant home display under the floodlights in Leckwith.
Controlling the run of play throughout the first half, the young Bluebirds set up early dominance of possession early on, though Jake Dennis was called upon to make a great save on the quarter-hour mark, as the 'keeper dived low to stop a powerfully struck shot from the edge of the area.
Breaking the deadlock with a little over 10 minutes of the opening half remaining, Jefferies tackled 'keeper Gabriel Ortelli with the ball at his feet before turning and hitting home with his left foot, with the winger rewarded for his persistence.
An action-packed start to the second half saw three goals scored in quick succession, beginning with Wigley doubling the lead.
With seconds on the clock following the break, the substitute made an immediate impact as he was fed the ball by Mannie Barton before dispatching powerfully into the back of the net.
With the visitors responding with a goal of their own in the ensuing minutes, Kaky Almeida halved the deficit with a headed effort from a corner-kick.
However, the hosts recovered their lead almost immediately thanks to Barton. Receiving a good through ball from Trey George, Mannie added to his earlier assist with a sublimely finished effort, beating the ‘keeper with aplomb from inside the area.
With City retaining possession for the majority of the remainder- thanks to an engaging high press - Jonathan Lawson’s late effort was the visitors' final big chance, though it too was saved by Dennis between the sticks.
Thursday's victory means that the Bluebirds go into 2025 at the top of their PL Cup group, with one match remaining: a home fixture against Everton on February 1st.
FINAL SCORE: CARDIFF CITY 3-1 WATFORD
Reaction | Matthew Bloxham
"This was an important game in terms of us qualifying for the next round, and there is now that possibility, with one game left to go, that it is probably in our hands.
"We're delighted with that, and in terms of the performance I thought that in the first half we were really dominant and deserved the lead.
"We had a great start to the second half, but the boys also showed great character when they conceded. They put a bit of pressure on us and the way we got that third goal was really positive from the boys and a real intensity to our play."
The clash will take place on December 19th at Cardiff International Sports Campus, kicking off at 7pm.
The young Bluebirds, as well as the Hornets, are currently on four points, with both sides playing a game fewer than Everton and Ipswich Town, who have six points.
City have two group fixtures left, with a fixture against Everton to follow in February.
PRE-MATCH | MATTHEW BLOXHAM
“The boys, all season, have been excellent and it’s just about continuing to do what we’re good at. If we do that on Thursday, then we give ourselves a great opportunity to put ourselves on top of the Premier League Cup group.
"In our last game, we defended really well. Their late goal was a setback and initially we allowed it to affect us, we sat a little bit too deep at times, but once we corrected that, there's plenty of character in the group and plenty of leadership as well, that showed in the way we stopped QPR getting a second goal and we came out with the win."
PRE-MATCH | ADETEYE GBADEHAN
Midfielder Adeteye Gbadehan, who played his first 90 minutes since returning from injury last time out, added: "Watford is going to be a tough game. Especially given that it’s in the PL Cup, we want the win and need the win. We hope to get the three points and make it out of the group.
"Everyone on the team are looking to build as much as we can and improve every single day. As long as we keep winning games, we can hopefully continue our momentum."