Tue Oct 11, 2022 2:37 pm
Cardiff U21 beat Swansea U21 4-3 in a thriller with Swansea down to 10 men.
By Glen Wiilliams
Jack Leahy's late screamer earned Cardiff City the bragging rights and all three points in a seven-goal thriller against 10-man Swansea City in the mini-South Wales derby.
It was a proper, all-action derby affair, with James Crole putting the Bluebirds in command with an early double. However, a Joel Cotterill penalty got the visitors back into the tie, before Josh Thomas saw red and was sent for an early shower after raising his hands towards Bluebirds keeper Matt Turner.
But Swansea came back stronger after going down to 10 men and the towering Wasiri Williams sent two headers into Cardiff's net either side of half time to hand the Swans the lead.
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However, Isaac Jefferies slotted home neatly late on in the second half to get the hosts back on terms. And it was set up for someone to make themselves a hero and Leahy did just that. As the clock ticked towards the allotted 90 minutes, Leahy hit a crisp strike from 25 yards which nestled into the top corner and earned the Bluebirds the derby win in Leckwith.
The Bluebirds started the better of the two sides, with Ollie Tanner driving a low shot across goal in the first few minutes, which flicked the post on its way out.
And it didn't take long for the deadlock to be broken thanks to a lovely through-ball from Cameron Antwi and a thunderous finish from Crole from inside the area. It was emphatic from the Bluebirds striker and was worthy of putting the hosts ahead.
It was Crole who caused yet more trouble 10 minutes later when Joel Colwill sent a menacing ball between the lines and the striker latched on to it, only to be brought down by Swans keeper Remy Mitchell. The referee pointed to the spot and Crole dispatched confidently for his second of the afternoon.
But Swansea came back strongly and were offered a way back into the tie when Brandon Cooper's shot was adjudged to have been handled by Bluebirds skipper Xavier Benjamin. Cotterill pinged his effort from 12 yards off the post and into the back of the net. However, as Cardiff tried to keep hold of the ball, Swans striker Thomas lost his cool and appeared to throw his hands at Bluebirds keeper Turner, who fell to the floor. The referee subsequently gave Thomas his marching orders.
Despite being down to 10 men, though, the visitors were emboldened and began to open Cardiff up with more ease.
They then drew level before the break. Wasiri Williams rose highest and buried his header well from a corner and suddenly the game had been blown wide open.
And it was the Swans, and Williams, who made a telling impact just after the break. The towering defender once again leapt miles off the ground over Sebastian Kristensen and sent another header into the back of Turner's net. The 10-man Swans were ahead.
Cardiff were struggling to make an impact until Darren Purse began to ring the changes and it was Isaac Jefferies who made the immediate impact just seconds after being introduced.
Leahy played the winger in down the left and he drove strongly into Swansea's box before hammering a low effort past Mitchell and into the bottom corner to level it up at three apiece.
As the game drew to its conclusion and tightened up, it looked like something special would have to happen to win it and, boy, didn't Leahy read that script.
The playmaker took the ball on the half turn, 25 yards from goal and four minutes from time, got it out of his feet and rammed it into the top corner of Swansea's goal. Some winner.
Certainly not a bad warm-up for the main event down the Swansea.com Stadium a week on Sunday.
Cardiff City XI: Turner, Semenyo, Benjamin, Kristensen, Bagan, Antwi, Colwill, Hughes, Leahy, Tanner, Crole.
Subs: Dennis, T. Davies, Conte, Wigley, Jefferies.
Swansea City XI: Mitchell, Thomas, Abdulai, Cooper, Williams, Ogbeta, Whittaker, Cotterill, Lloyd, McFayden, Thomas.
Subs: Jones, Hughes, Wilson, Bony, Ludvigsen.