Cardiff City cruised to a 3-1 victory against QPR in the PDL Cup.
MATCH SUMMARY
The Bluebirds started strong, with Troy Perrett putting the ball over the bar in the opening stages. Darren Purse’s side kept an intensity to the game, as the ball often finding Tanatswa Nyakuhwa on the right flank.
The hosts won a penalty in the 31st minute after Trey George’s effortless involvement found him brought down in the opposition's box. In form, Perrett stepped up and found the bottom left corner, opening the scoring. Luke Pearce had a goal ruled out just before the interval.
In the second half, QPR’s Ridwan Hassan had a goal ruled offside. Pearce and Perrett both tested QPR’s Joe Walsh but were denied both times. Nyakuhwa got a well-deserved goal at the 65th-minute mark.
Pearce would get the host’s third of the evening following an error from the opposition. QPR pulled one back at the death through Isak Alemayehu, but it ended up a consolation goal.
PRE MATCH | DARREN PURSE
Ahead of the contest, U21 head coach Darren Purse said: “We’re in a good place, after coming off the back of a big win against Stockport in the Premier League Cup. We’ve made it really hard for ourselves with a couple of results earlier on, but for us at the moment, it is a must-win game to give ourselves any possibility of qualifying.
“QPR are always a good side, they want to go and win the Premier League Cup. They won it last year and will want to defend it. It’s going to be a tough game. It was a tough game up at their place when we drew 2-2, so we’ll be going in with a bit of a different game plan, and hopefully it’ll come off.
“The aim was always to get through. We knew we’ve got to go and beat QPR and Stockport, and if we do that, we have to rely on other results going our way, but if we win those games, we give ourselves a massive chance of getting through.”
PRE MATCH | MATTHEW APTER
Ahead of the contest, midfielder Matthew Apter said: “We’re looking forward to it. We’re in a more positive mindset after the last game with the big scoreline.
“We’ve played QPR twice now. In the first game, we drew and in the second game, we lost, so we’re expecting a tough game from them as they are a big and very strong side.
“The 7-2 win against Stockport was massive for our confidence, so it just gave us that boost within the squad, especially with how comfortable it was.
“Obviously, we lost the first three games we played in the Premier League Cup, so our aim is to win the final games and hopefully get as many points as we can to give ourselves the best chance to progress.”
LAST TIME OUT
City’s U21s picked up their first win in the Premier League Cup as they comfortably beat Stockport County 7-2.
Despite a bright start, it was the Hatters who took the lead as Joe Astles found the top corner from outside the box. Ten minutes later, City equalised as Cody Twose drove the ball into the bottom corner. Parity only lasted two minutes, as Jack Kingdon put the ball into his own net. From that point on, City fought back into the game. Troy Perrett dispatched one from the penalty spot, before Twose bagged his second from outside the box to ensure Darren Purse's side went in ahead at the break.
In the second half, the Bluebirds found another gear to take the game away from County. Matty Apter extended the lead by powering home from a Luke Pearce cross, before Perrett added a fifth with a composed finish. Trey George got himself on the scoresheet by finishing off from Perrett's cut back, before Mannie Barton rounded out the victory with a fine finish 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.