Cardiff City's U21 side defeated Ammanford in the Nathaniel MG Cup on Saturday afternoon.
With the match finishing goalless after 90 minutes, City overcame their hosts in a penalty shootout, scoring three unanswered efforts from 12 yards.
MATCH SUMMARY
The young Bluebirds booked their place in Round Two of the Nathaniel MG Cup following a victory over Ammanford on Saturday afternoon.
With a stern test against senior opposition on the cards, City battled throughout the first half, with 'keeper Jake Dennis called upon in the early stages to make good claims inside his area, as well centre backs Alyas Debono and Gabriel Keita keeping early threats away from goal.
City had the ball in the back of the net ten minutes from the half through Luke Pearce, but the referee's whistle blew for a foul in the build-up.
Play continued at pace following the break, with City again claiming a majority of possession without quite being able to forge the big chance that would put them ahead. Keita's chipped passes down the channels found Sekou Kaba out wide repeatedly, but the hosts defended well to deny any clear shooting opportunities.
With the match goalless after 90 minutes, the fixture would be decided by on penalties. Skipper Pearce went first and converted, inspiring both Jac Thomas and Troy Perrett to do the same. Meanwhile, Ammanford's efforts all missed the mark, securing City's place in the second round of the competition.
POST-MATCH | DARREN PURSE
"We're happy to be through," began Darren following the final whistle. "We've got lots to learn. We played in this competition two years ago against Cambrian on a Friday night with a really young side; people like Joel Colwill, Cian Ashford, Dylan Lawlor and Will Spiers all in that side, and they froze a little bit because of that crowd, but what they learned that night was something that you can't replicate in U21 football.
"So after today, I'm hoping to get a similar reaction from the players. Was it good enough overall? No, but the effort and workrate was there. It's about the detail on that final pass and end product in the final third that wasn't good enough.
"It's only our third game of pre-season, and hopefully that will come on as we go on. For now, we've got lots to learn from it, and we're happy to be through into the next round."
PRE-MATCH | DARREN PURSE
Ahead of the contest, U21 head coach Darren Purse said: "Ammanford will give a good account of themselves, so our boys have got to be as good or even better than they were against Yeovil. The reason we play in these competitions is to give the boys a variety of experience that is as broad as we can make it; the Nathaniel MG Cup is vital for that.
"The U21s side evolves every year. Our job is to get boys in the First Team and we're in a really good place at the moment. I look at First Team at the minute, with the amount of Academy products that went out to the training camp in Spain, it's brilliant. Now, it's about finding the next one to go through and that's what we're here for.
"We go into the game after a great win against Yeovil where we came back from 2-0 down and gave the fans a brilliant night. I can't thank them enough for that support."
PRE-MATCH | MORGAN WIGLEY
Attacker Morgan Wigley recently gained First Team experience in a pre-season friendly against Southend United, as well as scoring the winning goal for our U21s against Yeovil Town.
He added: "For us young lads, it's a great experience to play in the Nathaniel MG Cup against older opposition. We did really well last year and fell short at the Semi-Final stage, but it was really promising. We've had good preparation so far this summer and we're all looking forward to Saturday's game.
"We want to go far into the competition. Any game you play for this Club, you aim to win. That's how we set our standards and work towards it each and every day.
"The First Team experience I've had this summer, I was buzzing with it. It's what I've been working towards all summer and to get onto the field, it was a great experience and it's a brilliant squad to be a part of."
RECENT RESULTS
City head into the contest having played two fixtures in pre-season so far, coming against Barry Town United and Yeovil Town.
The young Bluebirds claimed a 1-0 win at Jenner Park in their first fixture last weekend, before a 3-2 win at Huish Park against the Glovers.
Having been 2-0 down against Yeovil Town, goals from Mannie Barton and Trey George brought City level, before a late winner from Wigley.
Last year in the Nathaniel MG Cup, the side reached the Semi-Final stage and gained invaluable experience of facing men's teams, eventually being knocked out by Aberystwyth Town in a penalty shootout.
REACHING THE GROUND
Supporters planning on attending Saturday's fixture should use the following address:
Manor Road, Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, SA18 3AP
The drive from Cardiff City Stadium takes approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes.
The ground is located an 11-minute walk away from Ammanford Train Station.