U21 Match Preview | Cardiff City vs. Millwall
Cardiff City's U21 side host Millwall at Cardiff International Sports Stadium on Tuesday afternoon - 2pm KO.
The young Bluebirds shall face the Lions in the Welsh capital, who come to Leckwith in good form and in third place on the PDL South league table.
With 11 points from five matches played, Millwall are currently undefeated in their league campaign, having drawn 3-3 against Birmingham City last time out.
Ahead of Tuesday's clash, U21s Manager Darren Purse anticipates another challenge for the young Bluebirds on home soil.
"It will be nice to play at home in Leckwith," began Darren. "We've looked at our fixtures since the start of the season and think that we've played more or less all of the bigger tests that we're going to have in the division.
"It's been a tough start for the boys, and especially the younger lads who have stepped up and made their U21 debuts out of the necessity with absences of some of the older players, which is what will be the case again on Tuesday."
"We're in the game of developing the next player who will be coming in and playing for the First Team, and we've got to prepare them for the rigours of senior football," he continued. "If you look a the likes of Joel Colwill, Cian Ashford and Xavier Benjamin, I don't think they've let the team down when they've stepped up, and it's great that we've got a manager who really wants to push these young players through, which is a real plus point for the U21 side and the Academy in general.
"If you looked at Joel as a second year scholar last year playing up with the U21 side for the whole of last season, he was really consistent throughout in his performances, wherever he was in the midfield. This season, with the appearances he's made for the First Team, you can see that the exposure he's had has worked.
"For players like him, it's about building on those experiences, while the younger boys who are now coming through as scholars, like Dylan Lawlor and Luey Giles, are now looking to have consistent performances for the U21 side this season, and push on from there into the First Team environment.
"We like to push through these players at a younger age into U21 action, and while it can be to the detriment of some results, there is always the bigger picture, and that is getting more young players into the First Team."
