Report: Ashley James

Snapshot: Cardiff City were edged out by Barnsley in their F.A Youth Cup Third Round tie at CCS on Tuesday night. City fell to a two goal deficit before half time as each member of the Tyke's strike force grabbed themselves a goal, Steven Bennett a close range tap-in while the highly regarded Reuben Noble-Lazarus netted a stunning strike from twenty-five yards out. The Bluebirds did pull a deserved goal back midway through the second half through a Ibrahim Farah shot, yet were unable to overcome the superb form of Barnsley 'keeper Nathan Dean to force extra time.

Chronological Report: It was the home side who saw the first sight of goal on a bitterly cold night at the CCS when Barnsley 'keeper Nathan Dean hesitated when coming to deal with a long free-kick and could only push it away to his right. The lively looking Soloman Taylor picked up the loose ball out wide and easily beat his man with a jinking run that took him along the byline, only to hit the first man with his cross.

The opening exchanges were extremely sedate to say the least as both sides struggled to get the ball down and play, neither able to impose themselves on the match. In fact the visitors first half chances both arrived through shots from mid-range, first from the unfortunately named midfielder Tyrone Crapper and then a Danny Fearnehough free-kick was struck straight down the throat of City 'keeper Rhys Ottley.

Cardiff were extremely unlucky not to open the scoring on the half hour mark when their most threatening looking player Luke Cummings saw a rasping long-range shot tipped over. The right sided midfielder picked up the ball twenty-five yards out and unleashed an effort that Dean, on-loan from Manchester City, did incredibly well to finger away, diving to his left.

The Bluebirds struggled to derive any momentum from it though and four minutes later saw themselves a goal down. Tykes wide man Alastair Taylor beat his man on the right flank before drilling over a low cross that Steven Bennett managed to bundle home from close range.

Cardiff City 0 - 1 BARNSLEY (Steven Bennett 34mins)

City looked to respond quickly and very nearly did only for Nathaniel Jarvis' header to strike a defender en route to goal which allowed the Barnsley defense to scramble the ball clear.

Nathan Dean was proving to be the slightly busier of the goalkeepers in the opening forty-five and he was forced to field the ball under his own crossbar from a Taylor header. It arrived from Cardiff's best move of the match as Ibrahim Farah sprayed a ball out right which allowed Cummings to pick out the diminutive Taylor at the back post who managed to squeeze his header on target.

The Barnsley youth side possessed the youngest player in football league history in their ranks in the shape of Reuben Noble-Lazarus, and he gave his side a two goal lead minutes before the break. He was fed the ball twenty-five yards out and smashed a superb, venomous home to double his side's advantage.

Cardiff City 0 - 2 BARNSLEY (Reuben Noble-Lazarus 44mins)

HALF TIME: Cardiff City 0 - 2 Barnsley

Cardiff Substitutions: Leigh Smith and Adam Davies for Mamadou Diallo and Steffan Jones (46mins)

With the second half just five minutes old Cardiff carved open a great chance to pull a goal back. Centre back Alex Evans rose strongly to a corner from the right only to power over a header from incredibly close range. Minutes later Cardiff came forward again and Billy Taylor forced a save from Dean with a shot from the right of the area.

City were playing with far more dynamism in the second half and moved the ball fluidly from front to back. A lovely backheel from Nathaniel Jarvis freed Farah down the left, however his firmly struck cross landed just out of the reach of Aaron Wildig.

On the sixty-fifth minute mark Noble-Lazarus came close to adding a third with a low shot across goal moments before Cardiff deservedly pulled a goal back. Adam Davies sent over a long range free-kick from the right which substitute Leigh Smith managed to nod down in the box and allowed Farah to lash home the loose ball in unstoppable fashion.

CARDIFF CITY 1 - 2 Barnsley (Ibrahim Farah 73mins)

Barnsley Substitution: Stephen Morfitt for Reuben Noble-Lazarus (77mins)

Cardiff were now well and truly on top and in truth it was only the sublime Nathan Dean that was keeping them ahead. Just five minutes after scoring their first Jarvis very nearly pulled the game level with a diving header off a Jonathan Meades free-kick which Dean pushed away to his right.

With seven minutes left to play it was Cardiff 'keeper Rhys Ottley's turn to produce the heroics with a superb double save that saw him firstly save a firm Bennett header and then the subsequent scrambled follow up. Ottley was rooted to his spot a minute later though as Fearnehough fizzed a shot just wide of the far post.

As time expired Dean produced a truly incredible save to prevent Cardiff forcing extra time. Farah managed to get himself on the end of a deep cross and hook a shot back in at the back post which Dean managed to push away to safety in astonishing fashion.

Barnsley Substitution: Justin Yun for Tyrone Crapper (88mins)

Time added on allowed City one final chance to pull level, and they very nearly did so. Billy Taylor picked out Jarvis at the near post with a low cross, yet the striker was unable to keep his effort down and spooned the ball over the bar.

FT: Cardiff City 1 - 2 Barnsley

Cardiff City: Ottley, Jones (Davies 46mins), Evans, Edwards, Meades, Diallo (Smith 46mins), Cummings, Wildig, Farah, Taylor, Jarvis. Subs not used: Richards, Last, Al-Basith.

Barnsley: Dean, Scargill, Branson, Tieman, Carlsile, Taylor, Crapper (Yun 88mins), Fearnehough, Taylor, Noble-Lazarus (Morfitt 77mins), Bennett. Subs not used: Reffin, Briscoe, Riley.

Referee: Mr C. E. Husband

Attendance: 475