City U21s made it four games unbeaten with a 2-1 victory over Fleetwood Town.
MATCH SUMMARY
Despite dominating early on, City found themselves behind when Noah Sawkins' headed finish gave Fleetwood the lead. The young Bluebirds then continued their dominance and found an equaliser through Alyas Debono, who headed home Cody Twose’s corner with 25 minutes played.
City started the second half fast and had two opportunities to take the lead. First through Josh Beecher, who forced a diving save from Alexander McLachlan. Followed by a goal-line save from the keeper to deny Jack Sykes. With 66 minutes played, the Bluebirds took the lead when substitute Matty Apter’s corner was met by Charlie O’Brien, who nodded the ball into the back of the net.
The win extends the U21s unbeaten run to four. They return to action on Monday, 6th April, when they face Brentford away from home.
POST-MATCH | DARREN PURSE
“We gave a silly goal away, and we were then one-nil down. We managed to get back into the game with two well-worked set pieces, which is something we’ve really worked on.
“It’s good for them [Debono and O’Brien], and it’s nice to score from set plays because it’s a vital part of the game. Both defensively and offensively, which we’ve done really well this year.
“We want to finish in the top eight, across both leagues. That’s our aim. We’ve got four games left. We probably need three wins out of them to do that, and if we do that, we can go and pitch ourselves against some of the PL2 sides at the end of the season. So that’s what we’re aiming for.
"We’ve got to be better than we were today. We’ve got through the game and won. The performance probably wasn’t fantastic, but it’s nice to win when you’re not playing well.
“Having that control in games is going to be key between now and the end of the season, and building into, hopefully, what’s going to be the Play-Offs and playing against some of the category one clubs."
POST-MATCH | CADEN VOICE
“We had to dig in. We had to battle. It was great to get three points, and we did well on both set pieces to get first contact. It was a tough challenge. We had to compete. A lot of aerial duels. We had to battle, win second balls, and then it was about managing the game in the last 20 minutes."
PRE-MATCH | ROB TANKIEWICZ
Ahead of the contest, midfielder Rob Tankiewicz said: “The squad is feeling really positive going into Tuesday’s game, as we’ve had a really strong last week. A win against Charlton, which was a very good result for us and a draw against Swansea. I think it showed a lot of resilience from the group. It’s really important for us to keep building momentum as a team. Going into Tuesday’s game, we’re feeling strong and confident. We’re looking to grab three points, which will put us into a strong position moving forward.
“As a team, we’re expecting a tough game. We know how good a side Fleetwood is and how competitive this league is, so it’ll be a challenge. We’ve been working hard in training this week and preparing well, so our focus is on sticking to our game plan and working hard as a team.
“I’ve had a fantastic season so far. I’ve had vital experiences for my development. As a first-year scholar, I can see it’s definitely a big step in both intensity and physicality, but I’m learning every single day from my teammates and the coaching staff. Every opportunity I get is helping me improve, and I’m fully focused on giving my best every day.”
LAST TIME OUT
The young Bluebirds picked up a point away at Swansea City last Friday night.
Dan Watts gave the home side the lead from a free kick with 60 minutes played. However, City hit back instantly through Jake Davies, after his strike nestled into the far corner.
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.