A young Sky Blues U23 side fell to defeat this afternoon at the Alan Higgs Centre in Professional Development League action against Cardiff City U23s.
The weather had taken its toll before the game and the pitch wasn’t in best conditions ahead of the game, which made it difficult at times during the game.
However, an early goal for the Bluebirds from Ibrahim Meite was enough to ensure that the three points would be heading back to Cardiff.
The first chance of the game fell to the visitors and it was met by the head of a trialist playing for Cardiff, but his header was stopped excellently by Tom Bilson in goal.
The ‘keeper was called into action moments later, as Rhys Healey cut the ball back for Mark Harris, but Tom outstretched a leg and kept the scores level.
However, there was nothing he could do moments later, when in the tenth minute, Meite cut inside and fired the ball into the bottom corner to make it 1-0.
The Sky Blues came close when Bilal Sayoud whipped in a dangerous ball into the penalty area and it came through everyone and went inches wide of the post.
The best chance of the half for City’s youngsters fell to young Billy Stedman, when the ball broke to him at the back post and he looked for the bottom corner, but he put it wide.
Into the second half and Bilson was called into action early on again, as from a corner, the ball wasn’t cleared and it was eventually stopped on the line by the keeper.
Jordan Maguire-Drew, who was getting some minutes for the U23s, almost got City back level from a free-kick outside the box, but it went wide.
As the game was drawing to a close, Cardiff almost doubled their lead, but Tom Bilson was on hand to ensure that didn’t happen when he pulled off another great stop to deny Meite again, when the winger cut inside and looked for the top corner.
However, City were unable to get back into the game come the final whistle, falling to a 1-0 defeat at the Alan Higgs.
U23 TEAM: Bilson, Camwell, Hyam, Thompson, Hickman, Maycock, Finn, Maguire-Drew, Stedman, Sayoud, Crowther
SUBS: Naylor, L.Green, S.Green, Johnson, Lautaru #PUSB