U18 Report: Cardiff City 5-0 Bristol City
Cardiff City’s U18 side won their thirteenth league game of the 2018/19 campaign, as they continued their 100% record in 2019. The victory also meant that City stay at the top of the PDL2 South table and opened up a six-point gap on second placed Ipswich Town.
Three goals from Sion Spence, an early second-half own goal from Jack Spark and a 77th minute strike from Connor Davies led City to an emphatic three points against the Robins at Cardiff International Sports Campus on Saturday, February 9th.
It would be the visitors who started the game stronger, with goalkeeper George Ratcliffe called into action a number of times early on. Bristol City captain Jamie Edwards-Taylor would threaten with a fine volley from the edge of the box, but his shot struck the bar and the scores remained level with nine minutes played.
Soon enough though, Cardiff City’s quality would show. Welsh youth international Sion Spence latched onto a superb through ball from Rubin Colwill, before producing a trademark finish into the bottom-left corner from just inside the visitors’ box, putting the young Bluebirds ahead on 15 minutes.
Almost directly from the restar the dangerous Spence doubled City’s lead with another clever finish on the break. Trevor Challis’ side looked for a swift response, but a quick interception allowed the hosts to find Spence on the edge of the area – with the influential forward replicating his previous finish just a minute later.
Trystan Jones could’ve put the young Bluebirds out of sight before half-time, but his effort from close-range was kept out by Bristol City’s Lochie Robertson, meaning that the hosts went into the break with a two-goal lead.
Just minutes after the restart, the visitors found themselves behind by three, with defender Jack Spark turning Ntazana Mayembe’s cross into his own net with 49 minutes played.
Mayembe continued to cause the visitors a number of problems on the right-hand side, and the tricky winger found Spence with an excellent low cross. On a hat-trick, Spence calmly finished off City’s fourth in the 52nd minute.
Connor Davies put in an energetic and purposeful performance down the right-flank, with the full-back looking to overlap and provide support at every possible opportunity. It was only right that he got his just rewards thirteen minutes from time, scoring Cardiff City’s fifth goal on his left-foot after having an effort saved on his right.
The young Bluebirds proceeded to see out the game, rounding off a brilliant performance at Cardiff International Sports Campus.
FINAL SCORE: CARDIFF CITY 5-0 BRISTOL CITY
Cardiff City: Ratcliffe, C. Davies, Kavanagh, J. Davies, Trys. Jones, Pinchard, Mayembe (Tay. Jones 69’), Colwill (Pritchard 57’), Ligendza (Knott 80’), Bowen (C), Spence. Subs not used: Duffey, Maserani.
Bristol City: Robertson, Taylor, Larkin, Edwards-Taylor (C), Pearson, Spark, Gould (Salmen 47’), Jones, Williams (Burford 68’), Conway (Bell 46’), Benarous. Subs not used: Buse.
