CITY DVP CONTINUE WINNING WAYS

DVP beat Palace 2-1 in London

A determined Cardiff City development side came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at the KNK Stadium on Tuesday evening.

The visitors will have felt disappointed to go in at the break behind following a strong passing display in the opening half, Tommy O’Sullivan going closest for Cardiff City with a thirty yard shot that cannoned back off the crossbar of former Bluebirds keeper Neil Alexander.

The hosts led at half time through a spot kick on 44 minutes. Brad Williams deemed to have brought down Elliot Grandin in the penalty box with Connor Dymond stepping up to fire the penalty past Simon Moore.

Kevin Cooper’s men came out for the second half determined to level the tie and were back on terms within six minutes of the restart. Former Birmingham City midfielder Jordon Mutch earning City their own penalty, with Filip Kiss taking the responsibility to score from the spot, which he did with a powerful drive down the middle.

Both sides spent the final half hour of the game searching for a winner, and it was City that went home with the three points to maintain their 100% start to the campaign. Kadeem Harris breaking down the left side at pace and his searching cross was diverted into the back of the net by the head of Rhys Healey. The former Connah’s Quay man scoring for the second game running to seal the win for Cardiff.

Cooper reintroduced Josh Yorwerth into the development side’s starting eleven for the first time this season following a long term injury, Yorwerth replaced regular full back Luke Coulson who sat the game out as a precaution due to a minor reoccurrence of a recent ankle injury, Coulson is expected to be back in contention for the development side’s next game with Swansea City. A familiar face to City coach Cooper was that of starting Palace goalkeeper and former City shot stopper Neil Alexander.
 
The away side opened the game on the front foot with Cooper’s side looking to continue their fine form from the season’s opener at Ipswich Town. Pre-season stand out star Harris went extremely close to opening the scoring for Cardiff on five minutes. The former Wycombe Wanderers man was picked out on the left by Mutch, who intercepted a slick Palace move. Harris challenged the home defence before shooting low to Alexander’s left post only for the shot-stopper to pull off a fine save.

The combination of Harris and Mutch gave City another chance to take the lead on eight minutes. Midfielder Mutch’s cross/shot from the right side of the penalty area nearly caught out Alexander with the keeper getting a late hand to the ball, Harris fired the rebound over the crossbar under pressure as Cardiff searched for an early goal.

Cardiff’s determined start continued and they came within a matter of inches of opening the scoring after fifteen minutes. Attacking midfielder O’Sullivan tried his luck from thirty yards out and with former City keeper Alexander beaten, the ball cannoned back off the Palace crossbar to safety.

Despite City’s dominance in the opening half, they found themselves going in at the break one goal behind. Elliot Grandin with a fine run for the home side only to be denied on forty three minutes by Simon Moore, the former Brentford keeper diving impressively to deny the forward.

Grandin recovered well from this set back though and after controlling the ball in the penalty area, the striker attempted to shot only for referee Stuart Jack to deem he was brought down under pressure in the City box. Dymond stepped up for the home side and lashed the ball past Moore to give the home side a one goal lead at the break.

GOAL! CRYSTAL PALACE 1-0 CARDIFF CITY (Connor Dymond, 44 mins)

HALF TIME: CRYSTAL PALACE 1-0 CARDIFF CITY

The away side came out for the second half in determined fashion after conceding such a late goal against the run of play and were level within six minutes of the kick-off.

Mutch broke into the box on the left hand side, but before the young midfielder could cross he was bundled over by Quade Taylor with referee Jack pointing to the spot for the second time on the evening. Filip Kiss struck Cardiff level with a powerful penalty straight down the middle.

GOAL! CRYSTAL PALACE 1-1 CARDIFF CITY (Fillip Kiss, 51 mins)

Rhys Healey showed why he was so sort after before signing for the Bluebirds on sixty minutes with some quite exquisite close control in the penalty area.

The former Connah’s Quay striker beat his man just in front of goal with a quite beautiful flick and dink before shooting, Alexander was in fine form though and pushed the ball to safety much to the anguish of Healey who nearly scored an early goal of the month contender.

The away side took full control of the games flow after their equaliser and came close to scoring twice through Harris and O’Sullivan. They finally broke through Alexander’s defence for a second time on seventy six minutes with a fine team move resulting in a well taken goal.

Harris’ pace was a continual trouble for the Palace defence and the young winger’s early cross drifted across the goal-face to be met perfectly by the head of Healey with the ball nestling in the bottom corner of the Palace keeper’s right corner.

GOAL! CRYSTAL PALACE 1-2 CARDIFF CITY (Rhys Healey, 76 mins)

City didn’t rest in this second goal and pressed to increase their lead, Joe Mason’s low drive was well pushed away by the in-form Alexander just a minute after Cardiff’s second goal. The Cardiff defence were in action soon after to deny tricky Palace substitute Allassanni an opportunity, the young strikers somehow managed to break free but he couldn’t beat Simon Moore from a tight angle as the away side saw the game out to seal all three points.
 
FULL TIME: CRYSTAL PALACE 1-2 CARDIFF CITY

Two wins from two away games for City’s development side this term, they will look to continue this fine form at Cardiff City Stadium on September 16th with local rivals Swansea City the visitors, 7pm kick-off.

Crystal Palace: Alexander, Taylor, Parr (Croll, 46), Dymond, McCarthy (Gordon, 55), Wynter, De Silva, Boateng, Sekajja, Grandin, Kaikai (Allassani, 74). Subs Not Used: Fitzsimmons, Sow.

Cardiff City: Moore, Yorwerth, Owen, Kiss, Williams, Oshilaja, O’Sullivan (Wharton, 83), Mutch, Healey, Mason, Harris. Subs Not Used: Matthews, Bowen, Roche, Southam.

WATCH EXCLUSIVE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS MATCH COURTESY OF CARDIFF CITY PLAYER BELOW