Cardiff City's U18s bowed out of the PDL Cup after being defeated 4-1 by Swansea City.
Bluebirds keeper Sam Jones made a string of fine saves in the early phases of the first half, as City weathered some early pressure. But midway through the half the visitors did take the lead through Billy Clarke. The best chance for Tom Hutton's side in the first half came when Jack Sykes cut the ball back to Leeyon Phelan in the area, but the attacking midfielder pulled his effort wide as City went into the break behind.
The visitors doubled their advantage at the start of the second half when Clarke found his second. The Bluebirds pushed to find a way back into the game throughout, but with nine minutes remaining, Clarke completed his hat-trick. Four minutes later, Swansea were awarded a penalty after a foul in the area, and Callum Jones converted. Defender Olly Reynolds did find a late consolation, but City's PDL Cup journey came to an end.
Cardiff City: Jones, Walsh, Reynolds, Parfitt, Cartwright (Prickett 89'), Hobson, Watts (C), Phelan (Yorke 60'), Hilaire-Clarke, Sykes, Barton (Tobin 60'). Subs not used: Donovan, Davies.
PRE-MATCH | TOM HUTTON
Ahead of Saturday's game, U18 manager Tom Hutton reflected on a promising season so far.
"It's been a really positive few weeks for the Academy, especially with a number of boys representing their respective countries in the international break. The Vertu Trophy game against Arsenal U21 was a really proud moment for everyone involved with the Academy. The boys went out there, delivered a strong performance and came out with a very deserved win. The hope is now that they come back in with us and learn from the experience of being in and around the First Team environment, but we are all so proud of them.
"We've been really pleased with how this season has gone so far, both collectively and individually. Every week the boys train well and they are developing good habits that are in line with the principles that we want to set as an Academy and as a Club. They have improved since the opening game of the season, and they are taking the learnings from every game and implementing them on the pitch. We want to keep going with that and make sure we push the boys to be the best they can be.
"We're in a positive position heading into this final group game. We do enjoy playing in this competition because it does present us with different challenges that we perhaps don't face in the league, but so far, we've competed quite well against other teams in the group. Saturday is another game that we're looking forward to and we will try and get a positive result to make sure that we progress further in the competition because we want to give the boys a variety of experiences.
"It is quite a rare opportunity to face the same opponent in consecutive weekends, but it is one we're looking forward to. The boys always look forward to facing Swansea and they know how important this fixture is. They, like us, have had a positive season so far and we know it's going to be a challenging game. We will focus on our performance first and foremost but it's also important in these kinds of games to understand the need to be competitive and have the right mindset in order to get the three points."
RECENT RESULTS
The young Bluebirds enter the final group stage game top of Group B having picked up four points from their opening two games.
Having drawn the opener 1-1 away from home against Wrexham, City responded by defeating Swindon Town 5-1 at home. Both Jack Sykes and Riley Hilaire-Clarke scored two each, while Hayden Allmark also found himself on the scoresheet.
Only the top team in each group advances to the next round, therefore a win over Swansea would ensure Tom Hutton’s side progress to the next phase of the competition.
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.