PL CUP REPORT | CITY DVP IMPRESS IN HOME DRAW WITH SUNDERLAND
Friday 30th September 2016
Cardiff City's Development U23 side began their Premier League Cup group stage campaign with a fine performance, as Jamie Bird's late equaliser secured a 1-1 draw with Sunderland at Cardiff City Stadium.
The Bluebirds made an excellent start to the match, dominating possession of the ball in the opening exchanges.
Macauley Southam was looking particularly lively on the right flank and was the architect of City's first clear chance on eleven minutes. Southam's deep cross found the marauding Rhys Abbruzzese at the far post, but the left-back fired over on the half-volley.
Just two minutes later Southam then stung the palms of Sunderland 'keeper Maksymillian Stryjek from close range as the young Bluebirds began to turn the screw. From the resulting corner, Jordan Blaise's improvised shot pinged off the crossbar, with City continuing to put the visitors under pressure.
Sunderland's only threat at this point was coming on the break, most notably through lively forward Joel Asoro. However, with Tom James and Ashley Baker marshalling him well at the back, City soon came even closer to an opener.
Abbruzzese found Mark Harris on the edge of the box and, with his back to goal, the forward flicked a superb back heel against the post. Indeed, with half-time looming, the Bluebirds were extremely unfortunate not to have broken the deadlock, particularly after Marco Weymans drove an en effort narrowly past the post from distance.
After the interval, the Black Cats began to gain a foothold in the game, keeping the ball higher up the pitch. They caused City some problems through the pace of Asoro but, at the other end, Tommy O'Sullivan again tested Stryjek with an accurate effort from distance.
Ethan Robson fired well over Luke O'Reilly's bar as the visitors looked to test the young Bluebirds' stopper. He was called into action for the first time in the seventieth minute, saving comfortably from Daniel Wright.
However, on seventy-six minutes, the Black Cats then punished City and fired in the opening goal of the game. Carl Lawson powered the ball across the area and Asoro got the faintest of touches on it to turn home the crucial first strike.
That goal was harsh on the Bluebirds and gave them less than fifteen minutes to fight back and take something from the game.
The newly introduced Lloyd Humphries has a knack for scoring fine efforts from distance and kept Stryjek on his toes with a well-struck shot, before fellow substitute Jamie Bird volleyed over.
Well into three minutes of additional time, the match seemed to be all over for the young Bluebirds. However, there was last-ditch drama to come, as Bird latched onto a deep cross to leather home a fine equaliser - the least that City deserved.
The final whistle then blew, with Kevin Nicholson's men having secured a well-earned point in their opening 2016/17 Premier League Cup fixture.
FULL TIME: CARDIFF CITY U23 1-1 SUNDERLAND U23
Scorers: Asoro 76' | Bird 93'
Cardiff City: O'Reilly, Baker, Abbruzzese, Patten (Humphries 84), Blaise, James (c), Southam (Rees 84), Wharton (Bird 73), M Harris, O'Sullivan, Weymans.
Subs not used: Menayese, Byrne.
Sunderland: Stryjek, J Robson, T Robson (c), Wright, Beadling, Brady, Greenwood, E Robson, Asoro, Maja (Molyneux 68), Embleton (Lawson 46).
Subs not used: Casey, Pain, Pybus.
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