City’s U18s fell to a 3-0 league defeat against Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.
MATCH SUMMARY
City created several early chances. Riley Hilaire-Clark was denied by the visitors’ keeper, with Harry Watts firing the rebound just over the bar. Leeyon Phelan then had an opportunity to give City the lead, but his effort was also saved.
Bournemouth then broke the deadlock, as Kobaro Akaunu slid in at the back post to poke the ball home. The Cherries made it two just under ten minutes later, as Ethan Sills’ low, driven strike found the bottom corner.
The young Bluebirds searched for an equaliser in the second half, with Watts going close early on when his free-kick deflected just wide of the target. Jack Sykes then curled his effort just past the post. Despite City’s pressure, Bournemouth made sure of the win as they grabbed their third through Sills.
City return to action on Tuesday night in Round One of the FA Youth Cup against Cheltenham Town at Leckwith – 7 p.m. KO.
PRE-MATCH | TOM HUTTON
Ahead of the match, U18 manager Tom Hutton said: “The boys are coping very well with the busy schedule they have currently. With the constant run of games that we’ve got, it can be physically demanding. We’ve also got a lot of boys coming off the back of an intense international break, so you do have to try and modify the training because you want to take care of the group and make sure the individuals are being looked after within that. This is a challenge we look forward to. This is what the boys can expect if they get into the First Team, and we want to reinforce our standards within that, and make sure how to effectively manage time between games.
“The beauty of the games programme is that we have to adapt every week because we’re facing different styles and different formations. The thing for us is that we have to believe in the way we want to play and live up to the principles that we try and set every day. Of course, you have to recognise the strengths of the opposition and their potential weaknesses, but we always try and align our preparations with how we want to perform and how we can bring our identity into the game.
“We’ve had a couple of really good games against Bournemouth since they’ve stepped up into Category Two. We know the way that they want to try and play, and their style is quite similar to ours. I like a lot of what they do, and I think it will be a good challenge for us as a group. We’ve worked this week to get ready for this game. It’s really important that we respect the strengths of the opponent like we always do, but it will be about how we can deliver our principles. We want to try and win, and the boys deserve credit for recent results, but we’ve also got to deliver a performance that we can be proud of and one that looks like a Cardiff City performance.”
RECENT RESULTS
In their first game back from the international break, the young Bluebirds made it six league wins in a row with a 4-1 triumph at home over Watford.
After a quiet first half, it only took 15 second half seconds for City to break the deadlock, Jack Sykes providing a calm finish.
Ten minutes later and the lead was doubled, as Sykes struck his second of the game. Tom Hutton’s team were on top throughout the second half, and they grabbed a deserved third with 20 minutes remaining thanks to Harry Watts.
Watford did pull a consolation goal back, but the Bluebirds restored their three-goal advantage towards full time, as Tiger Tobin converted from Jacob Hobson’s cross. The win means City sit second in the table and two points behind leaders Charlton Athletic.
TICKET INFORMATION
Entry for the match at Cardiff International Sports Campus will be free for all supporters.
REACHING THE GROUND
Supporters planning on attending should use the following address:
Cardiff International Sports Campus, Leckwith Rd, Cardiff, CF11 8AZ.
The ground is located an 11-minute walk away from Ninian Park Station and a 32-minute walk from Cardiff Central Station.